What’s Next for GP Users in Reporting?

As Microsoft Dynamics GP nears the end of its lifecycle, businesses still using it are on a firm timeline to decide what comes next. Most experts agree that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the natural successor to GP, thanks to its modern features, scalability, and familiar Microsoft ecosystem.

But there’s one critical area businesses shouldn’t overlook: Reporting.

Because Management Reporter, GP’s most widely used reporting tool, isn’t supported in Business Central, businesses need to plan for a new reporting solution early. In fact, transitioning reporting ahead of the full ERP migration can give teams a major advantage—more time to learn the new tools, fewer surprises during the migration, and much less pressure on the project team.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Reporting Setup

Before choosing a new reporting tool, take a close look at where you are today.

Ask yourself:

• What’s working well?
• What frustrates users?
• Who uses the reports—and for what purpose?

Understanding the audience is key.

Leaders may want clean, high‑level visuals, while finance teams often need detailed, drill‑down data. Some departments may require specific formats or dimensions. Identifying these needs early helps narrow the field of tools and ensures the new solution fits both users and decision‑makers.

The clearer your requirements, the smoother the transition.

Step 2: Explore Your Reporting Options in Business Central

Business Central is more flexible and powerful than GP—especially when it comes to reporting. Here are the primary tools BC users turn to:

Power BI: The Top Choice for Most Organizations

Power BI is Business Central’s native reporting powerhouse. It offers:

• Thousands of ready‑to‑use report templates
• Eye‑catching visualizations that go beyond traditional charts
• A single source of truth for all departments
• Easy customization, with or without code
• Executive-friendly dashboards and detailed financial views

It’s designed to give businesses deeper, clearer insights across every part of the organization. For many companies, Power BI becomes the new standard for reporting long before the full ERP migration is complete.

Analysis Views: Flexible, Dimension‑Rich Reporting

For organizations with complex reporting needs, Analysis Views add another layer of flexibility.

They allow you to:

• Bring in additional dimensions not included in standard BC setups
• Create customized data sets for specialized reporting
• Mirror some of the reporting structures GP users are accustomed to
• Drill deeper into data for finance-heavy use cases

Advanced users can even leverage pivot mode for additional customization.

Excel Tools: A Familiar Friend for Finance Teams

Excel continues to be a favorite—especially for finance teams.

With Business Central, users can:

• Export reports to Excel for easier formatting
• Add columns, formulas, pivot tables, and visuals
• Use Excel layouts for cleaner, more customizable report outputs

This approach gives teams the best of both worlds: BC’s data plus Excel’s flexibility.

Other Helpful Options

Depending on your setup and needs, you can also tap into:

• Word layouts for narrative‑heavy reporting
• SQL‑based reports, if you still operate SQL servers
• Copilot AI in Business Central, which can help generate or modify reports using natural language commands
• Third-party Reporting Products, options such as Solver, Jet Reports, and others that are available for BC can allow you to move to a reporting product that works for both Dynamics GP and BC.

As BC continues to evolve, AI-driven insights and reporting enhancements will only get stronger, giving businesses that move early a competitive edge.

Step 3: Start Sooner Rather Than Later

With GP support ending soon, businesses still relying on GP for reporting should begin planning now. Implementing your new reporting solution before a full move to Business Central gives your team:

• A smoother onboarding experience
• Better familiarity with new tools
• Less overwhelm during the full ERP transition
• More accurate and consistent reporting during the change

Choosing Business Central sets you up with modern, future-focused reporting capabilities—and choosing your reporting tools early sets your team up for success.