Dynamics SL vs Business Central: the path for Solomon users

Business Central vs Dynamics SL: where each stands today

Dynamics SL grew out of Solomon software. It built a loyal following among project-driven firms, such as contractors, engineering firms and professional services. It runs on your own servers. Microsoft no longer sells it to new customers. It has also posted an end of support schedule on its lifecycle pages.

Business Central is where Microsoft now invests for firms of this size. It runs as a cloud service with two release waves each year. It gets Copilot features and links to Microsoft 365, Power BI and Power Automate. An on-premises edition exists, but most new customers choose the online service.

Business Central vs Dynamics SL: how project accounting compares

Project accounting is why many firms chose SL, and it is still the main question. Its project controller, time and expense entry, allocations and flexible billing are mature. Long-time users have shaped their steps around them. An honest comparison starts with a list. Which of those features does your team use every week, and which sit unused?

BC has a Projects area with tasks, planning lines, budgets, resources and time sheets. It also has work in process calculation and invoicing from planning lines. That covers the needs of many project firms as shipped. Where a firm relies on detailed allocation rules or special billing, we look at AL extensions or an add-on before we promise a match.

Where Dynamics SL still does the job

An SL system that is stable, well understood and heavily tailored can keep serving a firm while support lasts. If the project controller is central to your work and nothing is broken, there is no need to rush. A careful plan made early beats a hurried move made late.

What changes the picture is risk. Older servers add to it. So does custom code that only one person understands, and so do reports that depend on retired tools. The nearing end of support adds to the pile. We help firms rank those risks plainly. So the decision rests on your own situation, not on pressure from a vendor.

What Business Central adds for SL users

Because it runs online, the service removes the servers, backups and version upgrades that an SL site maintains itself. Updates arrive from Microsoft on a schedule. Then sandbox environments let you test them first. Staff sign in from a browser or the mobile app with their Microsoft 365 account.

Reporting also opens up, so staff see more. Financial reports, analysis views and Power BI read the same data. Dimensions replace much of the subaccount setup that SL used for analysis. Approval workflows, Excel editing and Outlook links come built in. That retires a number of side tools, because the ERP now does their job.

Business Central vs Dynamics SL: planning the move

We begin by mapping the SL chart, subaccounts and project structure to a Business Central chart of accounts, dimensions and project tasks. We move master records and open items with Microsoft's cloud migration tool where it supports your SL version. Where it does not, we use configuration packages. Then we reconcile balances module by module.

Then we sort custom work into three groups. When we look, some of it is standard in BC. Some is available as an add-on. The rest is worth rebuilding as an AL extension. Project staff then test time entry, billing and work in process in a sandbox with their own projects before cutover. We keep SL read-only afterward for reference.

Business Central vs Dynamics SL: common questions

Business Central vs Dynamics SL: is SL being retired?

Microsoft has stopped selling SL to new customers and has posted an end of support schedule. The exact dates are on Microsoft's lifecycle pages, and we suggest you read them directly. Existing systems keep running. But fixes and tax updates stop when support ends. So plan your move while you still have time to rehearse it.

Does Business Central match the SL project controller?

It covers the core: tasks, budgets, resources, time sheets, work in process and billing. Some SL allocation and billing rules have no direct match as shipped. We compare your real project steps against the standard features. Then we name any gap before you commit. That way there are no surprises after go-live.

Can our SL data be migrated automatically?

Partly. Microsoft has extended its cloud migration tool toward SL, and what it covers depends on your version. We check the current tool against your system. For anything it does not carry across, we use configuration packages and journals. In a Business Central vs Dynamics SL move, that mix is the norm.

Should an SL user also look at other Microsoft products?

Larger firms sometimes compare BC with Dynamics 365 Finance and Project Operations. For most firms that ran SL, Business Central is the closer match in size and running effort. We say so openly when a firm's scale points to the larger products. Our aim is a fit, not a sale.

What happens to our SL reports?

We rebuild reports, and we do not convert them. Financial statements move to BC financial reports. Operational lists move to analysis views, and management dashboards move to Power BI. We start from the reports people really use. That list is normally much shorter than the full SL report library, which keeps the Business Central vs Dynamics SL move lean.

More for companies leaving older Microsoft systems

These pages cover the other Microsoft product comparisons and the migration and project services that SL users usually need when they plan a move to BC. If Business Central vs Dynamics SL is on your desk now, read them in that order. Then ask us for a short list of the SL reports and rules you want to keep. For the product detail, see Business Central documentation on Microsoft Learn.