When one ERP has run your business for 38 years, replacing it feels daunting. ControlGear Instramac did it over a single weekend, and was trading on the new system by Monday.

At a glance: a 33-person South African engineering firm moved off Microsoft Dynamics GP after 38 years. Project start May 2024, live on Business Central on 1 November 2024, with a weekend cut-over and no trading disruption.

The challenge

ControlGear Instramac delivers turnkey electrical, control and instrumentation projects. The business used Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) and wanted to move to a cloud ERP with connected reporting and integrations. Microsoft has announced that product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support for Dynamics GP will end on 31 December 2029. Security updates and patches, if needed, will remain available until 30 April 2031. Moving to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central gave ControlGear a platform for its next stage of growth.

The move to Business Central

Braintree migrated ControlGear from Great Plains to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The project began in May 2024 and went live on 1 November 2024 over a single weekend, so the team was trading on Business Central from the Monday. The new platform gave the business what GP could not:

• A modern, supported cloud ERP that receives Microsoft's new capability as it ships.

• An online store connected to the same system that runs the back office.

• Real-time customer visibility across the business.

• API integrations to the other tools the business runs.

"The Braintree team knew their stuff. The implementation was phenomenal."Deon Nieuwoudt, Operations Director, ControlGear Instramac

The results

ControlGear moved from Great Plains to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central without disrupting trading. The online store and API integrations connected parts of the business that had previously been separate, while real-time visibility helped the team work with more current information.

The pattern holds beyond one customer: a Microsoft-commissioned Forrester study in 2026 modelled a 209% return on Business Central with payback in under six months.

Still on Great Plains?

If your business is still on Microsoft Dynamics GP, the question is no longer whether to migrate, but when and how cleanly. Braintree has done the harder version of this migration with the data and the day-to-day protected through the move. Chat to a Braintree consultant about your migration path.

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