Preparing for a Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Upgrade: Simple Ways to Avoid Surprises

If you are already dreaming of a successful upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, know first that it will begin with smart planning. And experts believe that the right preparation will usually include creating the right team, potential hardware investments, and an education and adoption plan to make sense of it all.

"We approach upgrades as important projects, and believe business and technology personnel should develop the upgrade plan together," says Nathan Hayden, Senior Consultant, Microsoft Dynamics GP Team, BKD Technologies. "While no plan is perfect, having one in place will help avoid many common issues."

A good starting point is to determine if you have enough people to complete the upgrade or if you need to hire a consultant, he said.  Hayden acknowledges that an outside consultant can add additional costs to the project. However, he added that outside consultants often have knowledge and expertise that in-house employees don't have.

"Their knowledge and expertise can often eliminate common problems, reduce downtime, and proactively address risk factors that might put the upgrade at risk," Hayden said.

[Learn more Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 Upgrade Tips & Tricks]

The technology assessment of an upgrade plan should address issues such as potentially higher technology requirements for the new version of Dynamics GP, Hayden said.

You should ask questions like: Is your current hardware suitable, or will new hardware need to be purchased? Do business requirements necessitate some infrastructure design changes, such as a thin client deployment? Should hosting or virtualization be considered? 

"Dynamics GP 2013 introduces a web client that eliminates the need for installing the full GP client on ...