Top 8 new features in Dynamics 365 Business Central wave 1 release

Posted April 29, 2024

Microsoft announced the April 2024 wave 1 release of Dynamics 365 Business Central which includes an extensive line of improvements and innovations (see the full release here). 

Joesoftware wanted to outline the new features we believe are noteworthy for customers currently using Business Central or for those considering a move to Business Central in the future.

New Copilot and AI innovation in Dynamics 365 Business Central in the wave 1 release

Create sales lines
Copilot easily generates sales lines, enhancing your efficiency by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks, and accelerating the delivery of documents to clients. Copilot accepts a range of inputs, from free text, files, or prebuilt prompts. This AI-powered assistant boosts productivity and fuels creativity.

Faster bank account reconciliation
Reconciling bank statements in Business Central can be challenging. Copilot improves this by efficiently matching transactions and for unmatched entries, it suggests the appropriate general ledger accounts. You can find this new enhancement in the bank account reconciliation list page under the name, “Reconcile with Copilot”.

Quickly create product information
When you have new products you want to begin selling, Copilot in Business Central can reduce the effort and accelerate time to market. It suggests item-related information such as variants, units of measure, substitutions and dimensions, allowing for a more streamlined process. 

Improved development tools
Business Central’s Copilot developer tools introduce a suite of enhancements tailored to streamline extension development. Featuring signature user interface elements and seamless integration with Azure OpenAI Service, developers gain access to an array of resources, including guides, samples, and telemetry.

Create Power Automate flows with Copilot
Copilot has streamlined Power Automate flows by allowing for open-ended and conversational inputs with Power Automate. Using natural language descriptions shortens the path to automation and improves your productivity.

Other improvements for Dynamics 365 Business Central in the wave 1 release

Improved approval processes with Power Automate
A clear approval process for document management within Business Central is critical.  Microsoft has improved the process by updating the Approval User setup page, integrating it with Power Automate to optimize approver definitions, and logging the action in Business Central.

Optimized inventory management
Assemble to project allows for better inventory management in Business Central.  When entering an assemble-to-order item, an assembly order is automatically generated based on the item’s bill of materials. Details can then be customized on the Assemble-to-Order page. Improved integration with warehouse management ensures a streamlined process from project assembly to delivery, and this accommodates a range of warehouse configurations.

Invoice a customer for multiple projects
If a client had multiple projects happening simultaneously, previously it was not possible to batch them into a single invoice. The wave 1 release allows you to add project planning lines from multiple projects to a sales invoice in one easy step. Just create a new sales invoice, enter the customer details, and use the “Get Project Planning Lines” button to select the billable project lines for inclusion.

Joesoftware’s takeaway from this wave 1 release is Microsoft’s commitment to continuously improve Business Central. Each wave of improvements builds upon Business Central’s already strong foundation.

If you want to get more functionality from your Business Central installation, or if you are considering Business Central as your new ERP, reach out to our team. We’d love to learn more about your business and your short- and long-term improvement goals.