Some of Our Favourite Features in Business Central 2024 Wave 2
One of our favourite things about Business Central is just how many new amazing features they add in every update. And when there’s two a year, there’s always a lot to get excited about. Their October release tends to be their bigger release and this one is no different. It is packed with some amazing new things you can start using – some now, some in the near future.
There’s a big emphasis on Microsoft Copilot from Microsoft too. They said: “This release will again demonstrate our commitment to Copilot. We continue to look at how Copilot can help optimise business processes so you can complete tasks faster. We’ll enable Copilot to help with creating sales orders directly from Chat. Additionally, we will also make it faster to create product information faster with Business Central using Copilot to create information like Variant, Unit of Measure and other information. We are also investing in piloting Chat extensibility to help users learn from 3rd party content.”
Let’s take a look at some of the features that have caught our eye…
Service/Contract Billing Module
This new module simplifies the management of recurring billing and deferral of costs/revenue. Businesses can now easily create contracts, track billing cycles and ensure accurate financial postings. This feature is particularly valuable for service-based businesses that need to manage subscriptions and recurring payments.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/srb/welcome
Multiple VAT Numbers
The ability to handle multiple VAT numbers for a single organisation is a significant improvement. This feature addresses legal obligations in the EU and is essential for businesses operating across different regions with varying VAT requirements.
Customers who have warehouses in multiple EU countries have a different VAT number for each country. Business Central makes it easy to accommodate that situation. You can configure alternative VAT numbers and posting groups for customers’ warehouses in different countries, so when you use ship-to addresses on your sales documents for different countries, Business Central will automatically apply the correct VAT number and corresponding posting groups.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/smb/dynamics365-business-central/multiple-vat-numbers-per-customers
Documents and Reports Features
The enhanced word reports offer customisable layouts and conditional formatting options, making it easier to create professional and informative documents. Additionally, the new financial reporting reports provide valuable insights into business performance.
You use report documents in Business Central when you need to send a document such as a quote, order or invoice to your customers or suppliers. The following sections list improvements that are available in this release: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/smb/dynamics365-business-central/use-improved-features-report-documents
Small but Significant Changes
Several smaller enhancements have been introduced to improve usability and efficiency. These include features like defaulting quantity to 1 when selecting GL codes, viewing dimension changes and archiving orders in Service Management.
- Service Management – Added ability to archive orders
- Project Management to Field Service – Item availability on Field Work Orders
- Projects – Directed warehouses can be used (e.g. Put aways and Picks)
Sustainability Features
Microsoft recognises the growing importance of sustainability and has incorporated several features to help businesses track and report on their environmental impact. These features include a new sustainability role centre, sustainability reporting on financial reports and the ability to purchase carbon credits.
Find out more about the new role centre here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/smb/dynamics365-business-central/use-improved-features-report-documents
Shopify Integration
The integration with Shopify allows businesses to streamline their e-commerce operations. This includes tracking multiple payment methods and syncing payment transactions for complex scenarios.
Integrating Business Central and Shopify lets you easily manage your online sales and payments in one place. You can track the different payment methods, such as gift cards, credit cards, and more, that buyers used during checkout, and create customer ledger and general ledger entries to ensure accurate accounting and reporting.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/dynamics365/release-plan/2024wave2/smb/dynamics365-business-central/reconcile-payment-transactions-shopify-invoices
User Interface Enhancements
The user interface has received several updates, including optimised searching capabilities and the ability to use Copilot with add-ons. These improvements make it easier for users to navigate the system and find the information they need.
And from any List page in List from v25, you can enable to feature to use optimised searching (new environments will be enabled by default). The modern search does not necessarily need the words to be in order, the legacy search didn’t search in that way.
Copilot Enhancements
Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant, has been further integrated into Business Central. It can now be used to create new items faster, summarise records and even create Power Automate flows.
- Copilot will be auto activated from now on
- Chat with CoPilot is available to use with add-ons
- Create new Items faster with CoPilot by looking at attributes etc.
- The Sales Lines feature which was in preview is now in release
- Summarise any record with Copilot (note: this won’t roll out immediately)
Update Window Changes
Microsoft has extended the schedule update window from 60 days to 5 months, providing businesses with more flexibility in managing updates. Additionally, users can now opt in or out of minor updates, allowing for better control over the update process.
- Five-month update periods for major updates: This change gives more time for thorough testing and preparation before implementing the update. Partners can spread the workload of updating all customer environments over the entire calendar year to avoid peak periods for major updates, helping avoid delays for customers.
- Optional minor updates: This change allows administrators to choose when and whether to implement minor updates based on their needs and schedule. The default behaviour of environments receiving updates every month doesn’t change. Instead, a new environment-level setting makes it possible to opt out of monthly minor updates.
Power Platform Integration
The integration with Power Platform enables businesses to extend the capabilities of Business Central by creating custom workflows and applications. This provides greater flexibility and customisation options.
- Connect to Services and extends full integration to Power Platform, providing connection to service or projects
- Preview from December: create Power Automate flows using CoPilot, the feature generally is available in Power Automate already it is the connector to BC which is being released.
Business Central 2024 Wave 2 offers a wide range of enhancements that can help businesses improve efficiency, reduce costs and drive growth. From improved reporting capabilities to enhanced sustainability features, this update provides valuable tools for businesses of all sizes. By leveraging these new features, businesses can stay competitive and use technology to work faster and smarter.
