BUSINESS CENTRAL v.24

Twice a year Microsoft releases a new version of Dynamics 365 Business Central. The new versions are launched in connection with the Dynamics 365 release wave upgrades, where the new functions are rolled out from April to October and from October to April. As part of Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft will release Business Central 24 starting in April with, among other things, optimization of the AI capacity Copilot, improved integration to Power Platform, improved service administration and financial management, optimized performance and security and more.

What's new in Business Central 24 2024 release wave 1

With Business Central 24, which Microsoft releases in connection with the Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1 upgrade wave, it is clear that Microsoft has once again prioritized optimizing Copilot, which means that the AI capabilities in the new version of Business Central are raised to the next level. By enhancing the AI-based Copilot, Business Central enables users to optimize their work processes and work more efficiently, speeding up task completion.

Already, GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code has improved developer productivity, and no doubt further improvements and new innovation will come to these top-tier development tools for AL developers. In addition, Microsoft has made it easier for developers to enrich application metadata with more detail, improving the Copilot experience.

With the many new functions and new options Microsoft introduces with Business Central 24, it becomes even easier for companies to conduct business efficiently and flexibly.

The solution provides the ability to automate a number of regulatory tasks and helps the business stay compliant with various government regulations. In this way, Business Central contributes to ensuring that you, as a manager and decision-maker, can keep the focus on the primary business.

As always, ease of use is also in focus, and with Business Central 24, efficiency is increased with choice-conscious and context-based actions.

Overview of Business Central 24

With Dynamics 365 2024 Release Wave 1 and the release of Business Central 24, Dynamics 365 Business Central is enhanced in a number of areas, including:

AI-based innovation and Dynamics 365 Copilot

With the cutting-edge AI-based technology in Dynamics 365 Copilot at their side, Business Central users are empowered to streamline their work processes by reducing repetitive tasks in their daily work. With Business Central 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft is expanding Copilot capabilities to increase productivity for even more business roles.

Faster adaptation with Power Platform

To simplify the setup of workflows in Business Central, Microsoft introduces with Business Central 24 even more templates that out of the box support more business scenarios. This enhancement allows you to automate even more business processes, increasing the efficiency and productivity of Business Central users.

Application Improvements

In Dynamics 365 2024 Release Wave 1, Microsoft has significantly improved the project and service management capabilities of Business Central. In addition, the area of finance and financial management has been improved with an optimization of the consolidation experience.

Country and regions

By expanding the global reach of Business Central, the application is now available to businesses in over 155 countries and regions.

Improvements for developers

Microsoft continues to invest in areas that improve the productivity of developers working with GitHub, Visual Studio Code, and the AppSource marketplace. They also add new code refactoring capabilities that provide an easy path to functional and performance testing and ISV and custom code with AL GO to GitHub.

Management and administration

Microsoft is introducing additional self-service capabilities for Business Central that allow administrators to manage access to environments in greater detail. Critical administrator actions can now be audited using the Microsoft 365 Audit Log, which offers robust capabilities to strengthen data protection through customer-managed encryption keys and Azure Lockbox.

Compliance with legislation

With Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft introduces in Business Central 24 capabilities for accessing VAT dates when you preview the results of posting transactions. Business Central 2024 Release Wave 1 also introduces the Sustainability Journal, which will help you with sustainability reporting.

Analysis of data and reporting

With Business Central 24, Microsoft is adding more options to Analysis mode, and in the new version, Power BI and Excel layouts will be operational and ready to use.

Service and platform

With a focus on high availability, increased performance, improved stability, optimized resource management, as well as better security and compliance, Microsoft has also invested in the basic service in Business Central in this version.

New functions and possibilities in Business Central 24

Below you will find an overview of the many new functions and possibilities in Business Central that Microsoft is introducing in connection with the rollout of Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1, where the many new functions will be released in the period from April 2024 to October 2024.

Please note

There may be deviations in the publication times stated below. This means that it is not certain that the features will be released at the specified time or that a specified functionality will not be released at all. The release of the new updates that make up Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1 will continue until October 2024.

Application Improvements

As always, the core application functionality is an important area of investment for Microsoft. It is the broad core functionality that helps companies optimize their daily business processes and workflows. Microsoft has also with Business Central 2024 release wave 1 listened to their business partners and customers to ensure that the new Functions delivered are also what they need to increase their productivity with each release.

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Archive your projects

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

March 2024

April 2024

Improvements to the usability of projects and services

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Use deferral codes in your purchase and sales journals

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Integrate Dynamics 365 Field Service to Business Central

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

March 2024

April 2024

Define a unique service invoice posting policy for different users

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

March 2024

April 2024

Manage your document attachments in service items and documents

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Define a default location for a project or for a project phase

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Block an item, item variant, or service item from use in service management transactions

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Connect your Business Central financial system with the Shopify B2B webshop

Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Financial consolidation setup runs more smoothly and efficiently

Users, automatically

April 2024

April 2024

By using Configuration Packages you can export and import multiline text

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Simpler and more straightforward connection to Shopify

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Correct any errors and deficiencies in service invoices

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Prevent that editing is done in number series on service documents and cards

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Improve your accounting accuracy with general ledger account revaluation

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Increase the efficiency of your employees when entering time sheets

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Increase your efficiency when approving time sheets

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

I BC24 inventory package numbers will work just like item tracking dimensions

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

March 2024

April 2024

Create projects in Business Central that you can invoice to several different customers

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Assign a salesperson to a specific customer's ship-toaddress

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

See received documents in archived quotes and orders

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Assemble is added to project

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Invoice a customer for several different projects

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Use the brand new Excel layouts for 35 different selected reports

Users, automatically

April 2024

April 2024

You can now use standard terminology in project management

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Use different currencies when posting employee transactions

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

AI and Copilot

With Business Central 24, which is released with Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft extends the Copilot capabilities of Dynamics 365, and thus Business Central, and improves the AI-generated marketing text, which increases productivity for several of the company's business roles.

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Create Power Automate flows with the AI-based Copilot

Users, automatically

May 2024

-

Chat with the AI-based Dynamics 365 Copilot

Users, automatically

April 2024

-

Use Dynamics 365 Copilot to map e-documents to purchase order lines

Users, automatically

April 2024

-

With Dynamics 365 Copilot, you can easily create sales lines

Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically

April 2024

-

Extend Copilot functionality using better development tools

Users, automatically

-

April 2024

Gain faster insight into data with Copilot-generated analytics tabs

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

April 2024

-

Faster creation of product information with Dynamics 365 Copilot

Users, automatically

July 2024

-

Ask Dynamics 365 Copilot for help regarding fields

Users, automatically

April 2024

-

Administration and management

With Business Central, Microsoft is adding 24 brand new management tools and enhancing existing tools so administrators can manage environments, apps and data migrations.

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Use a linked environment in the Dataverse integration

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

-

April 2024

Safely copy companies with Dataverse integration

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

In Microsoft Purview, you can audit Business Central operations

Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically

-

May 2024

View and filter users with additional userinformation

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

With customer-administered encryption key, you can encrypt data at-rest

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

-

May 2024

Allow your customers to consent to Microsoft Support accessing their data

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

-

May 2024

Link and connect Power Platform environments to Business Central environments

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

-

May 2024

Manage partner access for each environment

Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically

-

April 2024

Compliance with legislation and regulations

With Business Central 2024 release wave 1, Microsoft is introducing a number of new regulatory possibilities that can act as a foundation for more specific requirements in local Business Central versions.

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

See the VAT date in the posting previews

Users, automatically

May 2024

June 2024

Automation of country of origin listed for item tracking code in Intrastat reporting

Users, automatically

May 2024

June 2024

Achieve sustainable compliance with legislation and regulations with Business Central

Users, automatically

April 2024

May 2024

Analysis of data and reporting

Having direct access to the right reports and data analysis functions is essential for the company's decision makers who want to have control over the company's business processes and operations as well as the ability to identify new growth opportunities.
 

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Easy discovery of report and data analysis content

Users by admins, makers, or analysts

April 2024

April 2024

Improved user experience

An even better user experience (UX) helps Business Central users enter, update and correct errors in their data in an easy and intuitive way.

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Function

Available for

Public preview

General availability

Attach multiple files by using drag and drop

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Go to those pages that contains a field that causes a platform error

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Access worksheet pages directly from your mobile phone

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024

Users can share error information to get help from another users

Users, automatically

March 2024

April 2024