ERP Software

Great Plains Accounting Software

Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains, now called Microsoft Dynamics GP, is designed to streamline and standardize business functions for a variety of users and circumstances. The Microsoft GP system was launched after Microsoft adopted Great Plains accounting software into its existing business management solution suite. Now the Microsoft Dynamics GP system allows the coordination of multiple business functions including payroll, operations management and variety of reporting capabilities, and Great Plains accounting software has been incorporated into the host of applications that comprise this product.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is available in two editions: Business Essentials and Advanced Management.  The essentials version contains only core accounting and financial management tools, and the advanced version offers more complex business management options and a few industry specific features. In both versions, the accounting software is developed from and resembles earlier forms of Great Plains accounting software.

When Microsoft acquired Great Plains and Great Plains accounting software in 2000, it did so in order to gain leverage against the other large ERP providers (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards) by strengthening its offerings as a one stop shopping point, offering more complete service and a more fully integrated product suite. Great Plains Accounting Software offered a complete accounting business solution better than anything available on the market at that time. In fact, many business owners and CIOs implemented Great Plains Accounting Software as an interim measure before installing a Microsoft or Oracle ERP solution, and then cancelled their full ERP plans when they realized that Great Plains provided everything they needed.

Now that Microsoft has incorporated Great Plains accounting software into its Dynamics GP platform, it may stand to get ahead of the other large providers as the ERP implementation business moves downstream to court small and mid-sized business clients. Great Plains accounting software is affordable and adaptable to small business needs, and now Microsoft can claim its variety of selling features including flexibility and reliability.

Great Plains accounting software offers small business users the ability to control income and expenses via ledgers that automatically sort and calculate transactions. It can allow users to reconcile balance sheets from multiple bank accounts. It also provides functions that allow users to develop templates and print invoices and collection letters, and it has features that print checks and facilitate automatic payments. More advanced features assist with higher level business management functions like currency conversion, and cost and opportunity comparison charts that allow the user to compare and contrast different loan, financing, business and investment opportunities. Even more advanced features that are now part of the Advanced Dynamics GP platform can assist with international transactions and tax functions, fixed asset depreciation, and a variety of industry specific functions.

Erin Sweeney

Written by :

tracey boxer