Realized you need commission management software? Don’t let tomorrow’s GP “emergency” distract you from your core business plans today.
Running a business can feel like driving on a misty night down a road filled with potholes. As a leader, you develop good roadmaps to get your business from Point A to Point B, but every time you really start humming along, a surprise pothole rips up one of your tires, forcing you to pull over to the side of the road so you can switch to a spare. Potholes are frustrating. They slow you down, they make you feel like you will never reach your destination (your business ideal), and they happen all the darn time.
Okay, enough of that metaphor for now. Let’s make it concrete with an example. Let’s say your commission processing in GP takes days, which eats into your finance team’s time. Those delays are putting your salespeople on edge, and you’ve started to hear increasing concerns from them regarding potential commission calculation issues.
You realize you need to solve this commission issue before it gets out of hand, so you look into commission management software that’s integrated with your ERP…
…and then, BAM! Microsoft announces that GP will reach end of life in 2031.
Pothole.
Returning to our metaphor, in order to change your tire this time, you feel like you’ll have to research, select, and implement a new ERP solution. That’s even harder than buying a whole new car — it’s like buying a whole new road.
Buckle up.
But here’s the thing: searching for a new ERP system won’t solve your commission issues. In fact, it will add new issues to your plate. And during your lengthy ERP migration process, you’ll be kicking those commission issues of yours down the road. Your finance team will face more delays; your salespeople will have more concerns.
Let’s tell it like it is: For most businesses, the GP end-of-life announcement is a distraction rather than a genuine emergency. Sure, it’s a distraction that you’ll need to deal with eventually, but it shouldn’t consume all your attention right now. GP’s end-of-life is a problem for tomorrow; your commission bottlenecks are hurting performance right now.
Which brings us to the real question: If you’re planning to migrate away from GP eventually, why spend money on GP improvements now?
Here are 3 reasons.
1. Commission Complexity Won’t Disappear on Its Own
Commission management problems don’t solve themselves. Too many companies struggle with broken commission processes that rely on error-prone spreadsheets and inconsistent calculations, resulting in delayed or inaccurate payouts.Sales representatives lose trust in the numbers while finance teams waste hours reconciling errors and fielding complaints.
All this complexity drags you down. It makes you and your finance team begin to dread commission processing. If you’ve read this far, you know what we’re talking about. Investing in a commission management software solution for GP, such as Commission Plan, can be a smart interim fix that addresses your current commission issues as you further develop your long-term strategy.
Why Invest Now? Commission Plan can address your commission issues immediately. Our clients can usually start using Commission Plan to streamline commission processing within 7 days of contract signing. From that point on, they know it will deliver tangible value to their company for as long as they use GP. It’s a fast and effective solution that addresses your commission issues while freeing up your focus for future initiatives.
2. Many Businesses Plan to Stay on GP for Years
Have you noticed? Microsoft’s approach to GP’s end-of-life is gradual rather than abrupt. Product support ends December 31, 2029, with security updates continuing until April 30, 2031. This gives your business several years to decide on your next move. (Yes, you read that right. We said years.)
There’s a reason Microsoft has given you all these years: they understand that selecting a new ERP will take a lot of time. We’ve all heard the phrase “only fools rush in,” and this advice is especially relevant when selecting your new ERP. If you’ve taken part in an ERP implementation before, you know that it’s a massive undertaking and very, very expensive.
Here at EthoTech, we’ve been part of the GP ecosystem for more than two decades. What we’re hearing from customers and colleagues now is that a significant portion of GP users aren’t ready or willing to migrate yet. Not because of indecision, but because they prioritize operational stability and maximizing the ROI from their existing investments. They know that a major ERP transition will be expensive and disruptive.
Why Invest Now? Commission Plan makes it possible for you to optimize your commission processes quickly, so you can continue deriving value from GP for as long as you need. Because we know you require time to make a careful decision about your future ERP, we promise to support our users through (and beyond) GP’s end-of-life. Your operational stability is extremely important to us.
3. Waiting to Fix Commissions Can Be Risky
Many businesses are still evaluating their options among Business Central, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage, and other platforms. Each of these differs in its own way from GP, so the full decision-making process, followed by implementation, can take you one to three years (or longer).
Companies sometimes choose to postpone improvements to their commission management system until their ERP migration, so they can address everything all at once. But, honestly, this approach rarely works in practice. Attempting to fix commission processes during a system migration typically leads to more errors, frustrated sales representatives, and operational chaos during go-live. Ick.
This approach also means that you and your sales professionals will have to deal with your existing commission issues for an additional year or more. Since sales compensation is critical to employee retention, it’s easy to see how it could be risky to leave commission problems unresolved during a lengthy transition period. However, if you use commission management software like Commission Plan during your transition, it can deliver real ROI to your company while reducing operational risk.
Why Invest Now? Don’t wait until it’s too late. It’s safer to address commission processing issues early. Prompt action addresses employee compensation concerns in a timely manner and stabilizes your commission processes with clean, consistent commission data and established workflows. And if you tackle your data and workflows now, you’ll have the ability to replicate the improved processes more easily in your new system. This can potentially make your future ERP migration easier.
Is Now the Right Time for Commission Management Software?
As we said, potholes come up all the darn time. GP’s end of life is a big pothole and, consequently, a big distraction from your current commission issues. But instead of leaving your car stranded with a flat tire as you try to build a whole new road, you may be better off quickly putting on your spare so you can complete the journey you already started before planning your next big adventure.
Wait. Did we go too far with the metaphor there?
What we meant to say is:
If you have commission issues, commission management software can help fix them today.
A new ERP might eventually help, but it won’t solve the issue now. And it could complicate things in the short term.
GP’s end-of-life timeline doesn’t eliminate your immediate need for accurate commission management. The question isn’t whether GP has a future tomorrow, but whether your current commission processes are serving your business effectively today.
What Do You Get If You Act Now?
- Fast setup. Go live within 7 days.
- Accurate and consistent commissions, every time.
- Reduced strain on your finance team.
- Improved trust and retention among sales reps.
- Operational stability while you plan your ERP future.
- Data and workflow foundation for smoother future migration.
Ready to Fix Your Commission Headaches?
Don’t wait for your ERP migration to solve a problem that’s hurting your business now.
Let Commission Plan streamline your commission processing, reduce risk, and set you up for long-term success.
- Fast Implementation
- Real ROI from Day One
- Backed by Two Decades of GP Experience
Don’t Delay! Take Action Today!
Commission Plan offers a practical solution that delivers value today while supporting your future migration strategy. Rather than waiting for an uncertain timeline, smart business leaders can alleviate their commission headaches now and position themselves for smoother transitions later.
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.