Most companies that run Microsoft Dynamics GP use only part of it. That is not a criticism. GP was usually implemented to solve a specific set of problems at a specific time, and once it worked, nobody went back to see what else was available.
The result is surprisingly common: organizations pay their annual Enhancement Plan on a full set of modules, while still handling approvals by email, tracking fixed assets in spreadsheets, or exporting data to Excel to analyze costs by project.
In this article, we will walk through the main Dynamics GP modules, explain what each one does in plain terms, and point out the ones we most often find that clients already own but have never switched on.
How GP Modules Are Licensed
Before looking at individual modules, it helps to understand how GP has been sold.
For many years, Microsoft sold GP through packaged licensing. The Starter Pack covered core financials and distribution, and the Extended Pack added a wide range of further functionality, such as manufacturing, project accounting and human resources. Earlier customers may have bought modules individually under older licensing models.
The practical outcome is that many organizations’ licenses include more modules than they actually use. Some modules are registered but never installed; others are installed but never set up.
How to check: In GP, go to Administration > Setup > System > Registration. The window lists the modules your registration keys cover. Your partner can also confirm exactly what your license includes. If you would like a review of your costs, our Dynamics GP pricing team can help.
The Core Financial Modules
These are the modules almost every GP customer uses.
General Ledger: The heart of GP. It holds the chart of accounts (COA), journal entries, budgets and financial periods. Every other module posts here.
Payables Management: Records vendor invoices, credit notes and payments, and produces aged payables and 1099 reporting where required.
Receivables Management: Records customer invoices, receipts and credit notes, manages credit limits, and produces customer statements and aged receivables.
Bank Reconciliation: Manages your checkbooks, records deposits and reconciles GP balances against bank statements.
Multicurrency Management: Allows transactions in foreign currencies, manages exchange rates and calculates realized and unrealized gains and losses.
The Distribution Modules
Inventory Control: Manages items, sites, quantities, costing methods, serial and lot numbers, and stock transfers.
Sales Order Processing: Handles quotes, orders, back orders, fulfilment and invoicing, and passes invoices to Receivables.
Purchase Order Processing: Handles purchase orders, receipts and matching vendor invoices, and passes them to Payables.
Specialist Modules
Fixed Asset Management: Records assets, calculates depreciation automatically and posts it to the General Ledger. It also handles asset transfers, retirements and reporting.
Project Accounting: Tracks costs, revenue and billing against projects and contracts, with budgets and timesheets. Popular with professional services and construction firms.
Manufacturing: Covers bills of materials, manufacturing orders, routings and material requirements planning.
Field Service: Manages service calls, contracts, equipment, returns and technician scheduling.
Human Resources and Payroll: Stores employee records and benefits, and runs payroll. Payroll is country-specific, so availability depends on your region.
The Modules Many Businesses Own but Do Not Use
This is where we usually find the quickest wins. The following modules are frequently available under existing licenses, yet left switched off.
Workflow
GP includes a built-in Workflow module for approvals. You can set up approval routes for purchase requisitions, purchase orders, payables transactions, general ledger batches, vendor creation and more. Approvers can approve directly from an email.
We would emphasize this one above all others. Many organizations still approve invoices and purchase orders through email chains and signatures on paper, with no audit trail inside GP. Workflow gives you control and evidence for auditors, usually with modest setup effort.
Analytical Accounting
Analytical Accounting lets you tag transactions with extra dimensions, such as department, project, cost centre, grant or region, without adding segments to your chart of accounts.
Many GP charts of accounts grew to thousands of accounts because every new department or location needed a new segment value. Analytical Accounting avoids that, and makes reporting by dimension far easier, especially in Management Reporter and Power BI.
One caution: once activated in a company, Analytical Accounting is difficult to switch off, so plan it carefully with your partner first.
Fixed Asset Management
It is still surprising how often fixed assets are tracked in a spreadsheet, with depreciation journals keyed in by hand each month. If your license includes Fixed Asset Management, moving your asset register into GP removes that manual effort and reduces errors.
Revenue and Expense Deferrals
This module automatically spreads revenue or expenses over several periods. It is ideal for annual subscriptions, maintenance contracts, prepaid insurance and similar items, which are otherwise often handled with manual monthly journals.
Collections Management
Collections Management gives your credit control team a dedicated workspace: lists of overdue customers, notes, follow-up dates, promised payments and automated reminder letters. It sits on top of Receivables and can make a noticeable difference to cash collection.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for Payables and Receivables
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) lets GP produce payment files to upload to your bank, instead of keying payments into online banking separately. It saves time and removes a common source of payment errors. Formats differ by bank, so some configuration is usually required.
Encumbrance and Grant Management
For non-profit and public sector organizations, these modules help track committed spend against budgets and manage funding by grant. They are often available but rarely configured.
Intercompany
If you run several GP companies that trade with or pay on behalf of each other, the Intercompany module creates the matching entries in both companies automatically. Without it, finance teams typically post both sides by hand.
Smaller Features Worth Knowing About
- Document Attach: attach invoices, contracts and images directly to GP records and transactions.
- Email documents: send invoices, statements and purchase orders by email directly from GP.
- SmartList Designer: build new SmartLists without development.
- Recurring batches: automate journals that repeat every period.
Before You Switch On a Module
Turning on an unused module is usually far cheaper than buying a new product, but it still deserves a little planning:
- Confirm your license: Check that the module is covered by your registration keys and Enhancement Plan.
- Check your version: Some features, such as newer Workflow types, depend on your GP version. Our article on Dynamics GP upgrade paths explains how to get current.
- Install the feature: Some modules need to be added through the GP installer on the server and every workstation.
- Design the setup: Agree on approval rules, asset classes, dimensions or deferral profiles with the people who will use them.
- Test in a test company: Especially for Analytical Accounting and Workflow.
- Train users: A module nobody understands will quietly fall out of use again.
This kind of review is a good moment for analyzing whether any existing customization can be replaced by a standard module. Standard functionality is generally cheaper to support and simpler to upgrade.
Is It Worth It With GP Support Ending in 2029?
It is a fair question. GP product support ends on 31 December 2029, and many organizations are planning a Dynamics GP to Business Central migration.
Our view is that switching on a module you already own is often still worthwhile, for three reasons:
- The cost is low, because you are already paying for it.
- The benefits, such as approvals, automated depreciation or better cash collection, start immediately.
- Most of these processes exist in Business Central too, so your team will be better prepared for the move. You can compare the Business Central features to see how each maps across.
Where the setup effort is large, such as Manufacturing or Project Accounting, it may be wiser to wait and implement the equivalent directly in Business Central.
How Nevas Technologies Can Help
Nevas Technologies has worked with Dynamics GP since version 7.0. We regularly carry out module reviews that help clients get more value from what they already own. We can:
- Review your registration keys and identify unused modules through our Dynamics GP support services.
- Set up Workflow, Analytical Accounting, Fixed Assets and other modules.
- Train your team on new modules with Dynamics GP training.
- Advise whether to implement in GP now or in Business Central later, with our Business Central consultants.
Summarizing the Key Points
- Core modules: General Ledger, Payables, Receivables, Bank Reconciliation and Multicurrency.
- Distribution modules: Inventory, Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing.
- Specialist modules: Fixed Assets, Project Accounting, Manufacturing, Field Service, HR and Payroll.
- Often owned but unused: Workflow, Analytical Accounting, Fixed Assets, Deferrals, Collections Management, EFT and Intercompany.
- Check your registration before buying anything new.
A short review of your GP license can uncover features that save time every month, at little or no extra cost.
If you would like a module review of your GP system, contact Nevas Technologies and our GP specialists will be glad to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see which GP modules my company owns? Go to Administration > Setup > System > Registration in GP. Your partner can also confirm your full license details.
Does switching on a module cost extra? If the module is already covered by your license and Enhancement Plan, there is usually no extra license cost, only setup and training time.
Which unused module gives the quickest return? Workflow is often the quickest win, as it brings approvals and an audit trail into GP with modest effort.
Can I switch Analytical Accounting off later? It is difficult to reverse once activated, so plan it carefully and test it in a test company first.
