2024 Release Wave 2: What’s new in Dynamics 365 Business Central?

As we approach the latter half of 2024, businesses using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are set to experience significant enhancements.

The 2024 Release Wave 2 introduces a suite of updates designed to empower small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with advanced tools for productivity, data analysis, and governance.

Throughout this article, we will explore these updates in detail, providing you with a thorough understanding of what’s new and how it can benefit your organisation.

What is Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Dynamics 365 Business Central is a comprehensive business management solution that integrates various facets of a company’s operations, from finance and sales to service and supply chain management. Designed for small to medium-sized enterprises, Business Central is built on the Microsoft cloud, offering robust capabilities that scale with your business.

It enables organisations to streamline processes, improve customer interactions, and make data-driven decisions, all within a unified platform.

See more about Business Central

What are ‘Release Waves’?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform follow a bi-annual release cycle known as ‘Release Waves’.

Each wave introduces a series of new features, updates, and enhancements across all Dynamics 365 applications, including Business Central.

These updates are part of Microsoft's commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that businesses have access to the latest tools and innovations to stay competitive.

The release waves occur twice a year, typically in April (Wave 1) and October (Wave 2), and are packed with features that are either automatically enabled or require administrator activation.

When Will Release Wave 2 Be Available?

The general availability for 2024 Release Wave 2 begins on 1 October 2024. Businesses can expect regional deployments to roll out progressively, ensuring a smooth transition to the new features and capabilities introduced in this wave. Early access to some features has been available since 12 August 2024, providing organisations with the opportunity to test and validate new functionalities before they are fully deployed.

New functionality from 2024 Release Wave 1

The first release wave of 2024 set the stage with significant enhancements across various areas of Business Central. This included advanced financial management tools, expanded global coverage, and deeper integration with Microsoft’s Copilot AI. These updates provided businesses with more automated processes, improved data insights, and enhanced operational efficiency. As we transition into Release Wave 2, these foundations will be built upon with even more robust features aimed at optimising business performance.

Read about Business Centrals Release Wave 1 update

Watch our webinar showcasing a selection of Release Wave 1 features in Business Central

Focus areas for 2024 Release Wave 2

The 2024 Release Wave 2 continues to build on the progress made in the first wave, with a strong focus on several key areas:

Application

Business Central continues to evolve its core application to meet the growing needs of multi-company organisations. The focus remains on refining multicompany capabilities, inventory management, and service and project management. This release also sees improved integration with other Dynamics 365 applications, making it easier for businesses to manage complex operations across different regions and departments. Additionally, expect enhanced user experiences in key areas such as inventory and service management, further streamlining day-to-day operations.

Copilot and AI Innovation

Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of the latest updates. Dynamics 365 Copilot, introduced in previous releases, now extends its capabilities further. Users can expect more intuitive AI-driven tools that assist with everything from data analysis to generating reports and automating routine tasks. The goal is to make AI accessible and beneficial to all users, regardless of technical expertise. Copilot’s enhanced capabilities will now support a broader range of roles within SMBs, enabling more staff members to leverage AI to boost productivity and efficiency.

Country & Regional

Global businesses will benefit from expanded localisation efforts. Business Central’s availability continues to grow, with new countries and regions being added, largely driven by partner-led localisations. This expansion is vital for businesses operating across borders, as it ensures compliance with local regulations and standards. The update also includes improved regulatory features, ensuring that businesses remain compliant with ever-changing local laws and regulations.

Development

For developers, the 2024 Release Wave 2 offers significant enhancements to productivity tools within Business Central. These include the introduction of namespace support, which simplifies app structuring and reduces conflicts during development. There are also improvements in debugging processes, making it easier to protect sensitive data during troubleshooting. Developers can now work more efficiently with new tools that streamline the coding process, enhance app dependencies management, and integrate seamlessly with external development environments like Visual Studio Code.

Governance and Administration

Business Central’s administration tools are receiving a significant upgrade. Administrators will find more granular controls for managing environments, apps, and data migrations. This includes improved update management processes and the ability to link Business Central environments with the Power Platform for consistent integrations. Additionally, there are new security features, such as the ability to encrypt data at rest using customer-managed keys, providing organisations with greater control over their data protection strategies.

Legislation

Keeping up with local legislation is a challenge for businesses operating in multiple regions. The 2024 Release Wave 2 addresses this by automating many compliance processes within Business Central. New features include the automatic generation of vouchers for transaction proof and audit trails, ensuring businesses stay compliant without additional manual effort. Additionally, enhancements in the E-documents module support country-specific invoicing processes, making it easier for businesses to meet local legal requirements.

Reporting and Data Analysis

Data continues to be a cornerstone of business strategy, and the new updates in Business Central enhance reporting and analytics capabilities. Users can now enjoy more integrated and immersive BI content, along with improved self-service analytics. These tools empower businesses to extract maximum value from their data, turning complex information into actionable insights that drive better decision-making and innovation. Whether you are performing ad hoc analysis or leveraging embedded Power BI reports, the new functionalities make data more accessible and useful.

User Experiences

The user experience is at the forefront of the 2024 Release Wave 2, with several enhancements aimed at improving accessibility, efficiency, and ease of use. Business Central’s interface is now more intuitive, with improvements in actions across lists of records and summarised data views. Additionally, there are new features that enhance the usability of mobile and web apps, making it easier for users to interact with the platform from any device, anywhere.

Upcoming changes to Business Central in 2024 Release Wave 2???

Below shows the full list of every upcoming change and update being introduced to Business Central in the 2024 Release Wave 2 updates. Please click any of the links for further detail.

Adapt faster with Power Platform

• Auto-apply templates when you synchronise data with Dataverse

Application

• Use new reports and demo data for financial reporting
• Manage subscription billing and revenue and expense recognition
• Integrate Field Service with service management
• Archive service management documents
• View item availability in Field Service work orders
• Define shipping information for Shopify shipping fees
• Export posted sales invoices to Shopify
• Replenish items for projects
• Reconcile payment transactions in Shopify with invoices
• Use directed put-away and pick warehouses with projects
• Capture invoice and receipt data with Azure AI Document Intelligence
• Enable locations in Shopify refunds
• See improved usability for service and projects
• Add invoice and receipt documents to incoming documents in bulk
• Import, export product info using Shopify Metafields

Copilot and AI innovation

• Suggest number series with Copilot
• Start creating Power Automate flows with Copilot
• Create sales lines easily with Copilot
• Chat with Copilot and learn to use installed add-on apps
• Complete bank account reconciliation faster with Copilot
• Create product information faster with Copilot
• Summarise any record with Copilot
• Experience enhancements to analysis assist with Copilot
• Start using Copilot without having to set things up
• Automate tests for your Copilot extensions with the Business Central Test Toolkit

Country and regional

• Start using integration with IRS for 1099 submissions
• Start using E-Documents framework localised for Germany
• Enable additional countries and regions
• Show features with demo dataset for Czechia

Development

• Set up easier in-client performance profiling with rules
• Use the ternary operator when coding in the AL language
• Pull extension source from GitHub when opening Visual Studio Code from web client
• Use the ‘this’ keyword for codeunit self reference
• Restore extensions if publishing from Visual Studio Code fails
• Use improved features for report documents
• Package resources in extensions and access from AL
• Run code action for ‘with’ for file, project, or workspace
• Type testing and casting operators for interfaces
• Extend AL interfaces
• Extend and customise profiles from other extensions ?

Governance and administration

• Manage environment updates more flexibly
• Migrate record links and notes with cloud migration tooling
• Manage per-tenant extensions in admin centre
• View app compatibility with future versions in admin centre
• Encrypt data at-rest with customer-managed encryption key
• Get notified about issues with job queue background processing
• Get list of manageable environments for Microsoft Entra apps
• Support IPv6 for enhanced security and scalability

Legislation

• Use e-documents with Power Automate
• Use multiple VAT numbers for a customer
• Achieve sustainability scorecards and goals
• Navigate the sustainability manager role centre with ease
• Add attachments when you send electronic documents
• Record greenhouse gas emissions using purchase invoices
• Report sustainability entries with financial reports
• Use new service providers in the e-documents framework
• Purchase carbon credits
• Track sustainability certificates for items and vendors
• Enable internal carbon fee calculation in Sustainability

Reporting and data analysis

• Do ad hoc analysis on fixed assets, projects, and services
• Use embedded Power BI reports out of the box
• Use advanced settings in the Power BI connector

User experiences

• Access keys with Key Tips in more languages
• Use drag and drop on file upload dialog to attach multiple files
• Resize columns even when personalisation isn’t enabled

The 2024 Release Wave 2 for Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses to enhance their operations, streamline processes, and harness the power of AI. As these updates begin to roll out, now is the perfect time to assess how your organisation can leverage these new capabilities to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.

At Mercurius IT, we specialise in helping businesses unlock the full potential of Dynamics 365 Business Central. Our team of experts is ready to guide you through these latest updates, ensuring a seamless transition and helping you capitalise on the new features to drive growth and efficiency.

Whether you're looking to implement new AI tools, expand into new regions, or optimise your current systems, Mercurius IT is here to support you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business thrive with Dynamics 365 Business Central's latest innovations.