The latest hype around AI & Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Sponsored article

According to Microsoft’s recent survey on business trends, nearly 9 out of 10 workers hope to use AI to reduce repetitive tasks in their jobs. But until recently, AI has been a commodity that few SMBs could truly invest in. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the Copilot features integrated into Business Central and how it can help your organisation harness the power of intuitive AI tools to accomplish more with less effort, all without needing to become data scientists.

Learning how to use Business Central has never been easier. Copilot empowers professionals in the organisation to handle day-to-day tasks with the support of cutting-edge AI, enhancing productivity across a wide range of SMB roles.

Let’s delve into some of the latest features that AI and Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central bring to the table:

Chat with Copilot

During our workday, we will often chat with our coworkers to gain insights and solve problems. With Chat with Copilot, users can seamlessly transition their conversations into Business Central, harnessing AI-powered chat alongside their data.

Copilot transforms the user experience by enabling natural language interaction, empowering workers to express themselves effortlessly. Whether it’s finding specific pages or retrieving records based on various criteria, Copilot simplifies data retrieval. For instance, simply instruct Copilot: “Show me the latest sales order for Adatum.”

Not only is data retrieval easier than ever with Copilot, but learning has also become easier than ever with Chat with Copilot’s “Guide” and “Explain” capabilities. Using Microsoft’s extensive online documentation, Copilot can quickly help explain concepts and provide step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish various tasks within the platform.

Get to insights faster with Copilot-created analysis tab Content is king, and so is data! With Copilot’s analysis tab creation feature in Business Central, unlocking insights becomes effortless. All you need to do is simply express your analysis needs in plain language, like “show me vendors by location sorted by number of purchases,” and Copilot takes care of the heavy lifting, eliminating tedious clicks and keystrokes. It helps you and the team uncover trends and anomalies swiftly to make informed decisions and take action.

Key features include:

Create: Describe your analysis requirements from any Business Central list, and Copilot generates a tailored analysis tab.
Update (Coming soon): Easily modify existing analysis tabs using natural language commands.
Explain (Coming soon): Copilot provides concise summaries of analysis tabs for quick reference.

Create sales lines easily with Copilot

Copilot in Business Central brings a game-changing boost to sales document creation. It speeds up the process and cuts down on repetitive tasks and searches. By accelerating the process and minimising repetitive tasks and searches, Copilot becomes your indispensable ally in optimising operational workflows. Its adaptability to various input methods, whether it’s free text, files, or prebuilt prompts, ensures a smooth and intuitive user experience.

One of our favourite key features of Copilot in Business Central is its ability to suggest and assist in creating sales lines for documents such as Sales Quotes, Orders, and Invoices. This feature not only simplifies the process but also saves valuable time for Business Central users. Leveraging advanced AI, Copilot comprehends user input accurately, significantly reducing manual data entry and minimising errors. Moreover, it can recommend sales lines based on customer sales history, enhancing personalisation and sales effectiveness. By facilitating quicker access to relevant information and insights, Copilot helps businesses to deliver exceptional customer experiences whilst potentially boosting revenue.

Map e-documents to purchase order lines with Copilot

As businesses transition to digital procurement, the e-documents feature in Business Central becomes essential for automating vendor invoice processing. Copilot steps in to enhance this process by streamlining the mapping and matching of vendor invoices to purchase orders. This eliminates time-consuming tasks like extensive search and manual data entry. Copilot’s advanced matching capabilities are particularly beneficial for small and mid-sized organizations that require efficient document tracking for purchase order lines.

Key features of this function include:

Enhanced Mapping: Copilot refines how you manage e documents in the purchase process, especially concerning purchase orders. It enables you to specify the type of purchase document to create for each vendor when receiving e-invoices.
Update Existing Purchase Orders: You can now update existing purchase orders in Business Central with information received in e-invoices.
Automatic Identification: Copilot identifies purchase orders that can be automatically matched.
Line Mapping: New mapping functionality automatically matches e-invoice lines with purchase order lines, enhancing matching accuracy.
Receipt Information: Business Central updates matched purchase orders with relevant receipt information to ensure correct quantities are received.

Start creating Power Automate flows with Copilot

Creating Power Automate flows from scratch can be daunting for your developers. But with Copilot in Power Automate, the process becomes seamless. All they need to do is simply provide natural language input, and Copilot assists in building flows tailored to your needs. Key features include:

Integrated Experience: Copilot seamlessly integrates into Power Automate and Business Central, enabling you to create

automation flows using natural language.

Conversational Assistance: Copilot offers open-ended, conversational experiences while authoring flows. Ask questions, receive assistance, and make changes effortlessly.
Chat-based Interface: Copilot stays with you throughout the flow creation process, providing documentation, links, and answers in a comfortable chat interface.
Adaptive Structure: Copilot adapts the structure of the flow based on your natural language description, making the process intuitive and efficient.

Watch this short video on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to learn more:

If you’re interested in learning more about the various AI and Copilot features, join SOCO at the upcoming “Breaking Down the Hype Around AI & Copilot” seminar on May 14 at Microsoft Sydney! Experience firsthand how these innovative features can revolutionise your organisation’s operations and drive success in the digital age. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage directly with the tools, discover endless possibilities, and unlock the full potential of modern ERP solutions integrated with AI and Copilot features.