How to defy Microsoft’s GP scare tactics and outsmart the “upgrade” hype using horror-movie survival wisdom.
Say what you want about them: horror movies aren’t just entertainment. They’re survival training…and they contain valuable lessons. Really, if the people in horror movies had watched any horror movies, they wouldn’t make dumb decisions like running into the attic to hide from the killer or trying to call AAA from a castle that has shrunken heads spiked onto its front gate. (Duh.)
Fortunately, you’ve watched enough horror to know how to handle yourself in a scary situation… because right now you need those skills.
Microsoft is using a lot of “scare tactics” to convince you to move from GP to Business Central (BC) — but you can use your horror-movie know-how to fight back.
Just a quick reality check: We have some fun poking at Microsoft’s “scare tactics” in this article, but let’s be real: GP isn’t immortal, and BC isn’t the bad guy in every story. GP will keep getting updates for a long while, but Microsoft’s big focus is on Business Central and the cloud. Some companies have had tough migrations, sure, but plenty have made the switch smoothly. The key is knowing your options and choosing what makes sense for your business (no Ouija board required).
How to Avoid Microsoft’s GP “Scare Tactics”
Like that guy in Scream, it’s time for you to use your knowledge wisely.
Rule 1: Never ever assume the monster is dead.
We love GP, so far be it from us to call GP a “monster”… but one of the tech industry’s favorite euphemisms for “monster” is “legacy software.” (Gasp!) So, if Microsoft is telling you that their legacy software is dead, you can use your horror-movie know-how to reason that GP is very much alive.
Microsoft GP will be alive for many years yet. GP won’t die or stop working when Microsoft stops supporting it. While GP isn’t a monster, it IS like Michael Myers from Halloween. You think it’s down, but there it is, back up again, because even after its 2031 “end of life,” it can live on through the commitment of the many partners and add-on providers who promise to support it as long as you want to use it. Plus GP just works. Reliable, resilient, and impossible to kill with a simple corporate press release.
Rule 2: Don’t accept what a Ouija board tells you.
Microsoft is telling you that you simply need to upgrade from GP to BC, but, in reality, the term “upgrade” is like one of those garbled Ouija-board messages. You know, the ones where you don’t figure out the true message until it’s too late! (Cue spooky organ music.)
Actually, that so-called “upgrade” to BC can be a lengthy and difficult migration, because BC has significantly different capabilities from GP. And, when you’re finished with your migration, you may have such a hellish time on BC that you decide to migrate right back to GP. (That’s what happened to one company that experienced “7 weeks of hell” before switching back to GP from BC.)
Actual quote after migrating to BC and then back to GP:
“We flushed six figures and a year of effort down the drain.”
Rule 3: Don’t say names repeatedly, especially not into mirrors.
Bloody Mary, Candyman, heck, even Beetlejuice! Horror movies teach us that saying certain names repeatedly can summon specters to life… with chilling consequences. And when your computer monitor is off, it’s totally a mirror — so be careful what you say around it.
You’ve heard Microsoft repeating the name “Business Central” for years as they’ve built up the legend that GP is withering away like a mummy. But you know that GP’s “death” is as fake as the bogeyman. Microsoft might want you to implement BC (or say “BC” three times into the mirror, whatever), but should you?
Rule 4: Don’t keep driving down the road to nowhere.
If your car GPS takes you to a foggy road in the woods with no signal, turn around. Immediately. And if a knowledgeable local warns you against the journey, the least you can do is wait for a better time to set off. You know the rules.
Microsoft wants you to think that you should take the Business Central path right now, but the road to BC can be long, bumpy, and (for gothic ambiance) misty. So consider: Is now the best time to travel the “upgrade” road? Don’t make Microsoft’s pressure become your business’s priority. Your top priority should always be to boost your business revenues.
Rule 5: Never, ever, under any circumstances, say, “I’ll be right back.”
Why, oh why, do horror-movie characters think it will “only take a moment” to get beer from the garage, or check the fuse box in the basement? Have they learned nothing? Thankfully, you know that when there’s a monster lurking, nothing happens quickly except disaster.
Microsoft is implying that an “upgrade” to BC will have your business raring to go in no time, but migration to BC will likely result in months of disruption and high costs. One of the things that takes so much time is replacing lost Microsoft GP functionality, such as commission processing, payroll, and other key capabilities BC can’t yet fully support.
What Will You Do This Halloween Season?
Here’s one final rule: Don’t ignore the weird, old local person when they give you advice. They’re still alive for a reason.
Microsoft may be insisting that you have to make the leap from GP to BC now, but Microsoft partners (some of whom are admittedly “weird” and “old”) don’t necessarily agree. In fact, some experts are coming right out and saying you can stay on GP just fine, for as long as you want.
You should be strategic about your decisions, like all the survivors of horror movies are. Instead of jumping in fright when Microsoft says “boo!” you can use your additional time on GP to build your competitive advantage and pull ahead, building up your company’s revenue as your peers sink time and money into their costly migrations.
One way to be strategic is to implement cost-effective add-ons for GP that can save you time, streamline your processes, and deliver a fast return on investment (ROI). For example, say your accounting team dreads commission processing because it takes forever. In literally a few weeks from now, you could have Commission Plan (the top, full-featured commission processing software for Microsoft GP) up and running. Then, you can reduce even your most complex commission processes to a few clicks.
In other words, while your competitors spend their time, money, and focus on a software migration, your company could save time and money and maintain a laser focus on growing revenues.
Which brings us, finally, to the point of “focus.” Let’s take a moment for a thought experiment. If all these horror-movie characters hadn’t fallen for the scare tactics they were faced with, and instead had focused on their real objectives, what would have happened?
- Jack Torrance would have finished his novel and probably been as rich and famous as Stephen King. (Profit)
- Regan’s mother would have finished her movie and continued her successful acting career, and Regan probably would have gotten a pony. (Profit)
- Amity Island, MA, would have had an incredible tourist season, and Quint wouldn’t have had to waste a second considering whether he should get a “bigger boat.” (Profit)
See a pattern?
Well, maybe we’re guessing here… but you get the point. If you don’t fall for the scare tactics and focus instead on growing your business profits, anything can happen.
So, what will you do?
Start By Learning More About Commission Plan
And remember…in horror and in business, it’s not the loudest voice that survives. It’s the smartest.
Since 2002, companies across every sector have relied on EthoTech for the right tool for tracking, calculating, and paying variable compensation. We provide solutions, integration, and support that is focused solely on integrated variable compensation software for Microsoft Dynamics GP, and we are committed to helping you gain value from GP well beyond its lifecycle. Commission planning for GP is all we do, and we do it better than anyone. Contact EthoTech to learn more.