GP to Business Central Migration Checklist (Free)

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11 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

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Scope and decisions

Confirm Business Central is the chosen target after a fit-gap against real process scriptsCRITICALList every GP company database and decide which move, merge or closeDecide how many years of transactions migrate versus archiveCRITICALInventory GP modules in use: GL, AP, AR, Inventory, SOP, POP, Payroll, Fixed Assets, Bank RecIdentify features with no Business Central equivalent and decide on extension, ISV or process changeCRITICALSet a cutover date away from year end and quarter close

Data readiness

Clean duplicate and inactive customers, vendors and items before extractCRITICALReconcile GP sub-ledgers (AR, AP, Inventory) to the general ledger and document differencesCRITICALMap the GP segmented chart of accounts to the BC chart plus dimensionsMap payment terms, tax schedules, shipping methods and units of measureCheck for orphaned or unposted batches and clear themDecide opening balance strategy: summary journals or open-item migration

Add-ons, reports and integrations

Confirm each GP add-on has a Business Central replacement or is retiredCRITICALList all SSRS, SmartList, Management Reporter and Excel reports and decide which to rebuildList every integration: EDI, bank files, e-commerce, payroll, CRM, scannersCRITICALDocument SQL jobs, stored procedures and linked server queries that read GP tablesPlan replacements for custom Dexterity, VBA and Modifier formsPrepare user security roles and map them to BC permission sets

Migration build and testing

Run at least two full mock migrations and record load timesCRITICALHave finance sign off trial balance, AR aging, AP aging and inventory valuation after each mockCRITICALTest the key business flows end to end: quote to cash, procure to pay, month endTest integrations against the BC sandbox, including error handlingRun user acceptance testing with named business ownersRecord open defects with severity and decide which can go live with a workaround

Cutover and go-live

Freeze GP transactions and complete final postingCRITICALTake full SQL backups of every GP database and verify restoreCRITICALRun the final migration and reconcile to the frozen GP balancesMake GP read-only or archive it for reference and auditTrain users and publish quick reference guides before go-liveRun a hypercare period through the first month end close

Items marked critical block go-live if left open. Aim for every critical item done and at least 85 percent overall before cutover.

Migration plan review

Send your completed checklist and get comments on the gaps. Optional.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use this checklist

Work through the groups in order and tick items as they are truly finished, not merely started. Assign every unticked item an owner and a date. The scoring note tells you how many to complete before cutover, and the critical items are the ones that stop go-live. Export the PDF at each stage gate so the steering committee sees movement. It works for a first plan or as a final readiness review one week before cutover.

How the migration works in outline

Microsoft provides a cloud migration approach for moving GP data into Business Central, which typically carries master data, balances and selected history. It does not carry your reports, custom code or add-ons, and it will not fix bad data. Many projects instead load with configuration packages or data entities when they need more control. Whichever method you choose, treat extract, transform and reconcile as three separate steps and have finance sign off each mock.

Master data and opening balances move first
Open documents need a clear policy
History can move in summary or be archived
Reports and customizations are rebuilt, not migrated

Reading the result

If critical items remain open, do not set a go-live date. Typical blockers are unreconciled sub-ledgers, an add-on with no replacement and an integration nobody owns. A project with data and add-ons resolved but weak testing is a schedule risk, not a scope risk. If you finish above 85 percent with every critical item closed, you are in good shape to run the final mock and agree the cutover weekend.

Common mistakes

The most frequent errors are migrating too much history, discovering reports built straight on GP SQL tables after the cutover, and planning go-live in the middle of a fiscal close. Another is underestimating training because the screens look familiar to Microsoft users. Business Central uses dimensions rather than account segments, a different posting model and different security, so user training is a real work item.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Business Central migrate GP history automatically?

Migration tooling can carry master data and balances, and in some setups selected history, but you decide the scope. Most projects migrate a limited period and keep the rest in a read-only archive for audit and lookups.

How long does a GP to Business Central migration take?

It depends on modules, add-ons and data quality. Small, standard companies can finish in a few months, while multi-company or heavily customized GP estates take considerably longer. Plan two or more mock loads regardless of size.

What happens to our GP reports?

Reports are not migrated. You rebuild them as Business Central reports, Power BI or Excel. Start by listing which reports are actually used, since many GP estates carry dozens of unused ones.

Should we archive GP or keep it running?

Most customers keep GP read-only for a defined retention period or move history to a queryable archive. Agree this with audit and tax advisers, and keep a verified SQL backup in either case.

We can review your extract scripts and reconciliation logic, or help turn your GP SQL queries into a migration-ready inventory. Optional, and the checklist works without us.

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