Great Plains Software Provides Managed Accounting Services
Now that the economy is back on more solid ground, a number of companies are finding new opportunities and growing in the marketplace. While this is especially exciting for the small business owner, growth can also be a scary thing when it outpaces cash flow or computing experience.
Low-end accounting applications may no longer be providing you with the platform or capabilities you need to drive performance, yet how do you get the support you need without jumping into an enterprise level – and costly – solution? Great Plains Software – also known as Microsoft Dynamics GP – is one option that has what you need.
How Microsoft and Great Plains Software Works Together
Great Plains Software is a turnkey solution offered by Microsoft and its reseller partners and is designed to meet the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who need to move into the mid-market. Great Plains Software is a managed account service that enables you to get the software setup you need to manage the accounting side of your business, without actually investing in costly platforms and tedious integrations. In fact, Microsoft partners will even do the setup and training for you.
A value-added reseller partner will install the solution on all of your desktop machines, host the server needed for operation, and troubleshoot the entire system to ensure it runs according to your specifications. If you need to take Great Plains Accounting to another level, you can opt to let a Microsoft partner install software designed specifically for office productivity.
Set up much like a lease option, Microsoft offers the Great Plains Software on a platform that allows you to effectively meet your needs. Purchasing Great Plains Software would still provide you with everything you need, but it may make it more financially difficult to make the necessary changes later as you continue to grow. Through the hosted offering of Great Plains Software, you get the best of both worlds without incurring the risk.
Great Plains Software Works For You
While Microsoft partners will generally ask for a minimum commitment of one-year – which is really just a blink of an eye in the business world – the protection and support you need are assured. Great Plains Software is then delivered according to your specifications and you gain direct access to Microsoft-managed support. In addition, like all other Microsoft products, it will integrate seamlessly into your environment.
Resellers and consultants are the most likely candidates to sell Great Plains Software and value-added resellers have the ability to develop components for the software and complete troubleshooting. So do your homework and look around for the best provider for Great Plains Software based on what value they can contribute to the overall solution. Be sure if you go this route that the provider supports their add-ons, in addition to the solution.
The Great Plains Software solution is targeted specifically to companies in the $5 million to $25 million range, designed to align with the needs and demands of the companies operating in this market tier. If you are on a growth tract and you anticipate growing beyond the upper level of this range within the next year, you may want to consider options outside of Great Plains Software to ensure you have what you need as you grow.