There are dozens of new features and enhancements to Microsoft’s Business Central April 2021 Wave 1 release (V 18). Most items are generally available as of April 2021 while others will be released over the next few weeks.
The large list of very impactful new features for Business Central shows Microsofts ongoing commitment to hearing the voice of the end user through product suggestions… and I LOVE THAT!
I have had an opportunity to take a few of these for a spin and I wanted to share my top 3 favorite new features… as of today.
#3 – Print from Anywhere – Universal Print
Universal Print is a service from Microsoft 365 that simplifies the cloud printing experience… and now you can use this service with Business Central. This service has my attention, that is for sure – I am digging into it more and more, and I really love the concept. Want to print to the closest printer automatically, or would you like only to see the devices that you can actually print to… print from anywhere… all with a simple setup. Now that’s a great service!
Microsoft explains that this new enhancement involves a native extension that enables the service, so using it in Business Central is easy to configure.
If you are responsible for print servers, installing print drivers, and connecting remote team members to on premises printers, then be sure to check out universal print… it’s not just for Business Central.
#2 – Teams Integration
Microsoft promises ‘Better Together,’ and they mean it! From within Microsoft Teams, users can interact and collaborate around Customers, Vendors, and other contacts, without leaving Microsoft Teams.
Interoperability is a big deal; it helps cut down on distractions (at least for me) and puts more cross product information at our fingertips, wherever we are.
This feature is very cool and a big step in the right direction.
As you can see in these screenshots above and below, I’m sharing a contact with a team member in Microsoft Teams. Then, after sharing that information, I can even interact with the data without leaving Teams. WOW!!!
#1 – Bank Import Setup Wizard
Business Central has a pretty slick bank reconciliation tool. We can connect and automatically download transactions or take a more controlled approach and manually download a transaction log from the bank and import it into the system.
When following the manual route, each file layout needs to be defined in the system, so we know which fields mean what. This isn’t super complicated, but it’s not easy either… and it’s a little sensitive – often, a consultant’s expertise is relied on to make this setup complete.
With this new wave release, Microsoft now has a CSV file wizard to AUTOMATICALLY create the configuration files for the import of bank transactions. THIS IS AWESOME! Putting more and more power into the end user’s hands – I can’t wait to see how this gets expanded on in future releases.
By visiting assisted setup and choosing Bank Statement File Setup, the wizard will walk you through configuring your CSV download.
TIP: Go ahead and have a sample file ready when configuring this – it only takes a few minutes after you have the file. If your file name is a little long, rename it – BC requires a shorter name (20 characters or less).
What about you? What’s your favorite new feature?
There were some pretty cool new features with this wave release – you’ve heard about my favorites, but what about yours? Is it the performance enhancements, the administrative changes, or maybe it’s the inventory changes?
No matter your favorite, please let us know how we can help you take advantage of these new features; we are happy to help! Contact Us and feel free to connect on LinkedIn and Twitter! If you’re interested in more articles on Business Central check out our blog Advanced Power BI for Dynamics 365 Business Central.
