A new employee needs access to Dynamics GP. A manager wants financial reports. Another team member only needs to submit time or purchase requests.
Those situations may call for different user types. Before assigning access or purchasing additional licenses, identify what each person needs to do and confirm what your agreement allows.
Three questions should guide the review: Which user type supports the work? Which security permissions should the person receive? How is that access licensed?
Key Takeaways
- Full, Limited, and Self Service user types support different activities in GP.
- User types and security roles work together to determine access.
- Licensing and hosting arrangements need to be reviewed separately.
Compare Dynamics GP User Types
Microsoft identifies three user types in GP’s User Setup window:
| User type | General capabilities | Tasks to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Full | Broad entry, inquiry, and editing capabilities | Accounting and operational processing that requires broader access |
| Limited | Self Service activities plus inquiries, reports, and SmartLists | Reviewing information with limited transaction-entry needs |
| Self Service | Designated activities such as requisitions, time, expenses, and employee self-service | Completing specific employee tasks |
This is a starting point rather than a complete entitlement list. Microsoft recommends testing the actual process with the intended user type, particularly for Limited users.
Full Users
Start by evaluating Full access for employees who enter, edit, and process accounting or operational transactions.
Document the complete job. Someone may enter invoices, make corrections, run reports, and perform month-end tasks. Review all those activities before selecting a user type.
Limited Users
Limited access may suit someone whose work centers on inquiries and reporting, with designated Self Service activities.
Test the reports, windows, and steps the person needs. A role that appears suitable based on its description may not support every part of the employee’s process.
Self Service Users
Evaluate Self Service access for specific employee activities rather than general accounting work.
Confirm that the required functionality is available, configured, and appropriate for the person’s responsibilities.
User Types and Security Roles Are Different
A user type establishes a level of functionality. Security roles help determine which tasks a person can perform within that level.
Microsoft’s role-based security model groups operations into tasks and tasks into roles. Roles are assigned to users, and those assignments are company-specific.
When reviewing access, ask:
- Which companies should this person access?
- Which records and reports do they need?
- Should they enter, approve, or post transactions?
- Which responsibilities should remain separate?
- Who approves and periodically reviews their access?
Giving someone a Full user type does not mean they should receive unrestricted administrative permissions.
Concurrent and Named Licensing: What Should You Check?
Concurrent licensing generally measures simultaneous use, while named licensing assigns access to identified individuals. Which approach applies depends on the licensing program and agreement.
Do not assume that keeping GP on-site, moving it to hosting, or paying monthly establishes the licensing model.
For example, Microsoft’s Services Provider License Agreement terms require Subscriber Access Licenses for authorized users or devices regardless of actual access. Those terms should not be applied automatically to a different licensing agreement.
Ask your partner to confirm:
- Your licensing program and agreement.
- The user categories and quantities you hold.
- How access is counted.
- Rules for adding or reassigning users.
- Requirements for connected applications and service accounts.
Unsure Whether Your GP Access Matches Your Team’s Work?
Bring your current user list and the tasks each person performs. LBMC Technology Solutions can discuss licensing and configuration questions through its Dynamics GP support services.
How Hosting Affects the Review
Moving GP to a hosted environment changes where the system runs and how agreed services are delivered. Your partner must also confirm the licensing arrangements for the proposed setup.
Before accepting a hosting proposal, establish:
- Whether you will use existing licenses or another arrangement.
- Which software and access costs are included.
- Who manages account changes.
- How integrations and administrative access will be handled.
- What happens to licensing and data access when the agreement ends.
Review these Dynamics GP hosting considerations and provider questions alongside the proposal.
Review Users Before Adding More Licenses
A useful review starts with evidence about how people work.
1. Confirm Who Still Needs Access
Identify former employees, changed responsibilities, and accounts that need investigation. Coordinate changes with your administrator so required processes continue to work.
2. Document Tasks by Person
List entry, approval, posting, reporting, and employee self-service needs. Include occasional responsibilities such as covering an absence or assisting at year-end.
3. Test the Proposed Access
Have users complete representative tasks in an appropriate test environment. Confirm both what they can do and what should remain restricted.
For employees handling file imports, include the process for importing journal entries into GP using Integration Manager in the review.
4. Investigate Problems Before Changing User Types
A missing window or failed task does not automatically mean the employee needs a different license. Review permissions, configuration, and functionality with your GP partner.
If the issue involves notifications or approval links, use these GP workflow email troubleshooting checks to describe the failure.
5. Record the Approved Changes
Document the business need, assigned user type, company access, security roles, and approval. Establish an owner for future reviews.
Put Licensing Decisions in Your Longer-Term GP Plan
Consider how long you expect to use GP before making significant licensing or configuration investments.
Microsoft has announced that additional perpetual users on existing GP systems can no longer be added after April 30, 2031. Subscription renewals and service-plan coverage also have announced end dates. Review the implications for your agreement with your partner.
Your broader Dynamics GP support, hosting, and migration plan should inform decisions about additional access and future spending.
Dynamics GP User Licensing FAQs
Does everyone who signs in need Full access?
No. Evaluate the complete job against the available user types and applicable licensing terms.
Can changing security roles overcome a user-type restriction?
Security permissions do not expand the functionality permitted by the user type. Have your administrator investigate both when a task is unavailable.
Does hosting automatically change our licensing?
The answer depends on the proposed arrangement. Confirm it before moving the environment.
Can we still add GP users?
Have your partner confirm current availability and conditions under your agreement. Include Microsoft’s announced product and licensing deadlines in that discussion.
Ready to Review Your GP Users and Access?
Tell us how your team uses GP and where access questions are creating delays. We can discuss user types, licensing arrangements, and configuration needs alongside your plans for the system.
