Dynamics GP to Business Central Cutover Runbook Template
A cutover from Dynamics GP to Business Central is mostly a sequencing problem: freeze, extract, load, reconcile, decide. This runbook puts the sequence, the owners and the go/no-go tests on one document you can print or share.
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GP to Business Central Cutover Runbook Template
Cutover Runbook
Company: Northfield Components Inc. Source: Dynamics GP company NFC Target: Business Central Production (Online) Freeze start: 2026-12-18 Go-live: 2027-01-04 Cutover lead: Dana Whitfield
Scope
Open AR, open AP, on-hand inventory by location and lot, open sales and purchase orders, GL opening balances by period, 3 years of history summarised.
Cutover Steps
| Step | Task | Owner | Start | Duration | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Announce transaction freeze to all GP users | ||||
| 2 | Post and close all open batches (GL, RM, PM, IV, SOP) | ||||
| 3 | Run final reconcile: AR and AP aging to GL control accounts | ||||
| 4 | Take full SQL backup of the GP company and system databases | ||||
| 5 | Extract final master data and open transactions | ||||
| 6 | Load to Business Central via configuration packages or the migration tool | ||||
| 7 | Post opening balances journal and verify trial balance | ||||
| 8 | Validate inventory, AR, AP and open orders against GP | ||||
| 9 | Business sign-off on go/no-go | ||||
| 10 | Open Business Central to users; set GP to read-only |
Go/No-Go Criteria
| Criterion | Threshold | Result | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial balance variance | Zero by account | ||
| AR aging variance | Zero by customer | ||
| AP aging variance | Zero by vendor | ||
| Inventory value variance | Agreed tolerance | ||
| User access tested | All key roles |
Rollback Plan
If go/no-go fails, GP remains the system of record. Decision deadline: 2027-01-03 18:00 local. After that point, any transaction entered in Business Central must be re-keyed into GP or the rollback is abandoned.
Approvals
Starting-point template. Adjust steps to your migration method (Microsoft migration tooling, configuration packages or a partner tool) and to your fiscal calendar.
Cutover reconciliation review
Optional: send us your runbook and we will suggest reconciliation checks that can be automated from your GP data.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the runbook
Fill in the header fields, then print or export to Word and add your own rows to the step table. Give every step a single named owner and a start time, not a date range. Run the document as a rehearsal first: a dry-run cutover into a sandbox exposes the steps you forgot, such as unposted batches or inactive vendors with open balances.
- Rehearse at least once in a sandbox
- One owner per step
- Time-box the freeze window
- Keep the GP backup until after the first month close
What belongs in the freeze
GP does not close sub-ledgers automatically, so every open batch in General Ledger, Receivables, Payables, Inventory and Sales Order Processing needs to be posted or deleted before the final extract. Open sales and purchase orders are usually migrated as open documents, not history, so confirm the received-not-invoiced and shipped-not-invoiced positions with accounting before the load.
Go/no-go and rollback
Choose tests that are binary. A trial balance that differs by one account is a fail, not a rounding discussion. Set the rollback deadline before the freeze, because the cost of rolling back rises with every transaction entered in the new system. After the deadline, fix forward.
Common mistakes
Teams most often skip the dry run, forget currency revaluation or intercompany balances, and load inventory without lot or serial detail. Others leave GP writable after go-live, so users post to both systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to close the fiscal year before cutover?
Not always, but many teams cut over at a period or year end because balances are cleaner. Decide with your auditors whether you load history, summarised balances by period, or only opening balances.
What stays in GP after go-live?
Usually a read-only copy for audit and history lookups. Keep SQL backups and decide how long the GP server and licences must remain available for statutory retention.
Can this runbook be used for AX 2012 cutovers?
The structure transfers, but the extract and load steps differ. AX cutovers typically use data management entities and a longer reconcile phase, so adapt the step table.
Is this tied to a specific migration tool?
No. The steps describe the work, not the tool. Replace step 5 and 6 with the specifics of whichever migration method you chose.
If you want opening balances, open documents and inventory reconciled automatically against your GP data before cutover, we can build that check for you.
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