Great Plains to Sage Intacct: Why Start Planning Now

Why Great Plains Planning Should Start Now

A move from Great Plains to Sage Intacct is becoming a bigger conversation for organizations that still rely on Microsoft Dynamics GP. Great Plains has been a dependable accounting system for many finance teams, but the long-term roadmap has changed.

But the conversation around Great Plains has changed.

Microsoft has announced a defined support timeline for Dynamics GP. Product support, updates, tax updates, and technical support are scheduled to end on December 31, 2029. Security updates are scheduled to continue until April 30, 2031.

That does not mean Great Plains stops working tomorrow. It does mean organizations should start planning what comes next.

For many finance teams, moving from Great Plains to Sage Intacct is not just about replacing software. It is about building a stronger financial system for the future.

Great Plains Still Works, But the Roadmap Has Changed

Many organizations still rely on Great Plains every day. In some cases, the system is familiar, customized, and deeply connected to internal processes.

That familiarity can make it easy to delay the conversation.

But a system can still work today while creating planning risk for the future. As support timelines get closer, organizations may face more pressure around updates, reporting, integrations, security, and long-term system reliability.

This is why the move from Great Plains to Sage Intacct should not be treated as a last-minute project. It should be treated as a finance and technology roadmap decision.

Waiting Too Long Can Create More Risk

ERP and accounting system transitions take time. The work is not just technical.

A successful move usually requires reviewing the chart of accounts, cleaning up data, mapping reports, reviewing approval workflows, checking integrations, training users, and making sure leadership has the visibility they need.

When organizations wait too long, the project can become rushed.

That can lead to higher stress, limited planning time, more cleanup during implementation, and fewer opportunities to improve the way the finance team actually works.

Starting earlier gives the organization more control.

Reporting Needs Have Changed

Many organizations using Great Plains built reports around the needs they had years ago. Over time, those needs often change.

Leadership may now want faster access to financial data. Boards may expect cleaner reporting packages. Department leaders may need better budget visibility. Finance teams may need to report across entities, locations, programs, grants, providers, projects, or service lines.

When those reports require exports, manual updates, and spreadsheet work, the reporting process becomes harder to manage.

Sage Intacct gives finance teams more flexible reporting options. It allows organizations to structure financial data in a way that better reflects how they operate today.

Manual Workarounds Become Harder to Maintain

Most finance teams using older systems have built workarounds.

Some are harmless. Others become central to the process.

That may include spreadsheets for consolidations, manual approval tracking, custom report exports, rekeying data between systems, or relying on a few people who understand how everything connects.

The issue is not just efficiency. It is risk.

When key processes depend on manual workarounds, it becomes harder to scale, harder to audit, and harder to train new team members.

A move from Great Plains to Sage Intacct gives organizations a chance to review those workarounds and decide what should be redesigned.

Integrations May Need a Fresh Look

Great Plains environments often have years of integrations, custom reports, connected tools, and internal processes built around them.

Some of those connections may still be valuable. Others may be outdated or difficult to maintain.

Before moving systems, organizations should take time to review which integrations are still needed, which ones should be replaced, and which processes can be improved.

This is an important part of the roadmap.

The goal is not to rebuild every old process exactly the same way. The goal is to create a cleaner, more reliable finance environment that supports the way the organization works now.

Why Organizations Consider Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is built for organizations that need stronger financial visibility, better reporting, multi-entity support, workflow automation, and a more modern cloud-based accounting platform.

For finance teams moving away from Great Plains, the value is not just having a newer system.

The value is having a system that can better support growth, reporting, accountability, and decision-making.

A move to Sage Intacct can help organizations:

Improve financial reporting
Reduce manual spreadsheet work
Support multiple entities or locations
Create better approval workflows
Improve visibility for leadership
Modernize accounting processes
Build a stronger foundation for future growth

Great Plains to Sage Intacct Should Start With a Roadmap

A Great Plains to Sage Intacct move should start with planning, not software setup.

Before implementation begins, organizations should review their current accounting process, reporting structure, chart of accounts, integrations, approval workflows, data quality, and long-term business goals.

This roadmap helps the team understand what should be migrated, what should be cleaned up, and what should be redesigned.

It also helps avoid bringing old problems into a new system.

At Campbell Technology Advisors, we help organizations evaluate their current Great Plains environment and build a practical roadmap for moving to Sage Intacct.

The Best Time to Plan Is Before It Becomes Urgent

The support timeline for Great Plains gives organizations time, but that time should be used wisely.

A thoughtful transition gives finance leaders the chance to make better decisions, prepare the team, clean up data, and design a system that supports future needs.

A rushed transition usually does the opposite.

If your organization is still using Great Plains, now is the time to begin the conversation. You do not need to move tomorrow, but you should have a plan.

Is Sage Intacct the Right Next Step?

Great Plains may still be working for your organization today. But if your finance team is relying on manual reporting, outdated workflows, difficult integrations, or a system with a limited future roadmap, it may be time to evaluate the next step.

Moving from Great Plains to Sage Intacct can help organizations modernize financial operations, improve visibility, and build a stronger foundation for growth.

Ready to start planning your next accounting system roadmap? Campbell Technology Advisors can help you evaluate your Great Plains environment and build a practical path toward Sage Intacct.