Explore the enhanced features arriving with Microsoft's 2023 Release Wave 2 for Dynamics 365 Business Central and related platforms.
Starting in October 2023 and continuing through March 2024, Microsoft will be rolling out a number of exciting updates and improvements to Dynamics 365 Business Central, as well as other applications, as part of its 2023 Release Wave 2. One of the most eagerly anticipated releases in Wave 2 is of Microsoft’s generative AI program: Copilot.
Microsoft Copilot Launch
Copilot is generative AI designed to provide you with customized responses, suggestions, and even imagery all within the Microsoft systems and platforms you already use. While there are many potential uses for Copilot, its integration with Dynamics 365 Business Central has two standout benefits.
🧠Marketing Text Suggestions: Like many popular generative AI products that you may already be familiar with, Copilot is capable of generating marketing text and delivering suggestions for improvement on your copy. Following a period of public preview, Copilot’s Marketing Text Suggestions feature has been updated to include expanded support for languages other than English, improved content moderation that results in higher ranking content, and enhanced automation that pulls relevant marking text into BC’s Price List report.
🧠Enhanced Transaction Matching: While Business Central already features automated transaction matching, Copilot enhances the process by suggesting further matches for the remaining unmatched transactions. The AI even provides explanations that detail its reasoning for the proposed matches.
Business Central Platform Improvements
In addition to the integration of the new AI Copilot, Microsoft will also be implementing a number of platform specific improvements for Dynamics 365 Business Central.
✔️Improved Server Speed: With Wave 2, Microsoft has amped up the Dynamics 365 BC server’s data loading speed. This update will optimize core elements of the Business Central server such as data models for table extensions, which were previously stored in a separate table.
✔️Improved Application Scenario Speed: Tasks like renumbering journal entries, running country-specific reports, generating sizeable reports, assigning serial numbers, validating sales order sub-form fields, and streamlining assembly-to-order processes will all receive a speed boost during Wave 2.
✔️Improved Page Loading Speed: Microsoft has made significant strides in optimizing page loading for an enhanced user experience. Whether you’re opening a new tab or working within the app’s navigation and action bars, these improvements ensure that everything runs smoothly to make Business Central more responsive and user friendly.
Warehousing and Inventory Feature Improvements
The Wave 2 Release also features some noteworthy application upgrades, with a focus on enhancing multi-company capabilities as well as warehousing and inventory features.
📦Warehouse Efficiency Boost with Availability Overview: With the Wave 2 improvements to Business Central, you get access to real-time insights into inventory levels, item quantities, and dynamic factors like processing stages and reservations. Availability Overview considers factors like dedicated bins, locked bins, and item availability for picking to boost the efficiency of your warehouse management.
📦Customized Warehouse Process Configurations: Improved customization features in Dynamics 365 Business Central allow you to tailor your warehouse process to match your unique workflows. Whether it’s dispatching items to customers via warehouse shipments or restocking bins for production, you can configure your workflows in BC according to your business’s specific needs.
📦Inventory Management Streamlined: The Wave 2 updates will also impact a range of inventory counting and adjustment workflow components. Improvements such as the ability to include items in your physical inventory orders without needing to navigate availability and turnover constraints and more accessible and user-friendly data help to simplify day-to-day inventory management tasks.
Governance and Administration Improvements
With this release, Microsoft is ramping up governance features for Business Central.
✔️The Dynamics 365 Business Central Administrator Role: The new role for the Dynamics 365 Business Central Administrator is a game changer. It grants access to Business Central without extending rights to other Dynamics 365 and Power Platform products. Administrators can now set access controls within a given tenant and grant access to delegated users over certain support aspects of Business Central environments without having to use the admin center.
✔️Selective Table Handling in Cloud Migration: Dynamics 365 Business Central now lets you cherry-pick specific tables for migration runs in Dynamics 365 Business Central. With this Wave 2 update, the data migration process is simplified, ensuring it aligns perfectly with each customers unique needs.
✔️Partner Access Management Made Easy: New controls over partner access to specific environments make collaborating with multiple partners a breeze. Administrators can now efficiently control partner access, improving overall governance.
Power Platform Improvements
In addition to the upgrades to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Wave 2 will also feature several upgrades to Microsoft Power Platform.
📱Power Automate Connector Business Event Support: During the 2023 Release Wave 1, Microsoft released a preview of external business events. With Wave 2, this feature now extends directly to the Business Central connector, taking Power Automate flows and Azure Logic Apps to the next level. Connect workflows to specific events triggered by Business Central or partner applications with business event code.
📱Power BI Embedded Content Controls: This release enriches the Power BI embedded experience within Business Central by adding more control and flexibility to make powerful data visualizations.
📱Power Automate Approval Flow: Wave 2 builds on previous improvements with several enhancements that make approval flows smoother than ever. First, no more repetitive settings; approval templates now automatically set the environment and company. You’ll also get clear attribution for request and approval actions, a “Request By” feature in templates, and the ability to cancel approval requests on the Power Automate side. There is also an optional adaptive card that you can use to communicate the approval of documents through Teams.
User Experience Improvements
There will also be some new user experience features for Dynamics 365 Business Central in Wave 2.
✔️Customize Your Field Editability: You can now tailor field editability right from the Business Central user interface (UI). Whether it’s for individuals, roles, or the entire organization, BC lets you take control and make fields non-editable directly within the UI to simplify and improve the readability of data presentations.
✔️Mobile App Barcode Scanning: The Business Central mobile app now lets you scan barcodes using your device’s camera or a dedicated barcode scanner. Simplify your warehouse operations by working with a Microsoft partner who can help you take full advantage of the advanced experiences that are possible thanks to this barcode scanning feature.
✔️Effortless Mobile App Search: This update brings the beloved Tell Me experience to the Business Central mobile app. Search for built-in data on the go, open accessible pages, and observe permissions all from the convenience of your mobile device.
Make the Most of Microsoft’s 2023 Release Wave 2
The best way to make the most of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system, as well as your other Microsoft software like Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI, is to build a relationship with a Microsoft partner. Kwixand Solutions is a Silver Microsoft Partner specializing in Business Central and related products. Get in touch today to schedule a free consultation with one of our Business Central experts to see how Kwixand can help you make the most of your systems.
