Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains (GP) had a good run. It powered decades of finance operations across industries. It was reliable, familiar, and for many finance teams, it became the steady backbone of day-to-day operations.
Except in senior living, “reliable” isn’t enough anymore.
The GP Goodbye
When Microsoft announced they were sunsetting Dynamics GP, Google searches for “Microsoft Great Plains end of life’ became fairly common and finance teams everywhere had to start thinking seriously about their next step. With fewer updates and a shrinking pool of users who know the system, continuing to run core financials on GP is only going to get harder.
For senior living organizations, the pressure is even greater. Margin for error is thin, and reporting demands are higher. You need an ERP that does more than keep the lights on — you need one that connects directly to your clinical systems, delivers real-time visibility into census and revenue, and automates the manual tasks that drain your staff’s time.
That’s why we recommend Sage Intacct. After decades supporting GP clients in senior living, we’ve seen firsthand what finance leaders need most and we’ve helped dozens of organizations make the move to a modern system. Sage Intacct isn’t just a replacement for GP — it’s a platform built for today’s senior living finance teams.
Here’s why.
- Sage Intacct Isn’t Just Cloud-Based… It’s Cloud-Built
Senior living teams don’t need another server room or a dedicated IT department to babysit their ERP. They need strong flexibility and effortless scalability.
Sage Intacct was built in the cloud, not bolted onto it. That means automatic updates, access from anywhere, and no more relying on VPN connections. Whether your team is in the corporate office, a facility, or working remotely, everyone stays connected securely and in real-time.
- Your GL Talks Directly to PointClickCare
One-fifth of all senior living organizations (22%) report relying on manual tasks to collect data. If you’ve ever manually entered daily revenue or census data from PointClickCare into GP, you know how painful it is.
To untangle this data mess, we developed IntelliConnect, a seamless integration between Sage Intacct and PointClickCare that pulls in GL data daily. Revenue, census counts, cash, all of it, synced without the stress. It’s the kind of automation that eliminates errors, saves hours, and makes audits a little less terrifying. We realize the Microsoft Great Plains end of life isn’t ideal for your team, but it is an opportunity for you to get the leading solution for your industry with API integrations that level you up more than you might have thought possible.
- Dashboards that Actually Make Sense
GP’s reporting tools? Let’s just say “limited” would be a generous description. Sage Intacct gives you instant visibility into your numbers, like custom dashboards, drill-down reports, dimensional tagging, the whole nine. So, when the board wants updated occupancy trends or you need to pivot mid-quarter, you’re not fumbling through spreadsheets. You’ve got insights at your fingertips.
Senior Housing News reported that senior living organizations showed improved staff adoption and satisfaction with dashboard and reporting capabilities after switching to cloud ERPs. When your staff is on board with the technology and tools they’re using, because the dashboards make sense and the reports actually help them do their jobs, you get faster decisions, fewer mistakes, and a whole lot less frustration across departments.
- Built-In Compliance
Senior living organizations navigate complex regulatory environments that are constantly changing. One missed detail and you’re buried in corrective actions. Cloud ERPs with compliance features help senior living organizations complete audits more quickly and with fewer errors. Every auditor’s dream.
Sage Intacct was built with healthcare and nonprofit compliance in mind. With it, you get built-in audit trails, automated approval workflows, role-based permissions, and an overall system that keeps you compliant and keeps your auditors out of your hair.
- GP Is Getting Left Behind
The harsh truth? You’re on a countdown to Microsoft Great Plains end of life -its days are numbered. Microsoft has already started phasing out development. There’s no real upgrade path, just a long, slow maintenance plan with increasing security risk. The smart move is to transition before your team is forced into a rush job.
There’s nothing worse than being down to the wire, feeling the pressure during the ERP shopping process, only to end up with a system that misses the mark, failing to deliver on goals, ROI, or make any real impact. With 60% of ERP projects failing outright, and 80% of customers being unhappy with their current ERP, let’s make sure you don’t become a part of those statistics.
It’s Time to Break Up with GP
GP served senior living organizations well for many years — it was reliable, it was familiar, and it got the job done. But the world of senior living finance has changed. The expectations are higher, the reporting needs are greater, and the margin for error is tighter. You need more from your ERP. Our experts can help you leverage Sage Intacct, so it streamlines reporting, improves efficiency across the board, and a whole lot of other stuff you didn’t know you needed.
If you needed an added incentive, our new Quick Start Program helps senior living facilities (just like yours) migrate to Sage Intacct along with our IntelliConnect integration with PointClickCare at an affordable, fixed fee price. It’s built for senior living organizations, and it’s priced to make sense and not scare you away.
If you’re still unsure, talk to us. We’ve walked dozens of senior living organizations through this exact transition, and we’ll shoot you straight about what to expect. No sugarcoating. Just don’t wait for GP to fully flatline before you make your move.
