Copilot in Business Central

Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was associated primarily with chatbots and experimental solutions. Today it is becoming an integral part of modern business systems. A good example is Business Central Copilot – an intelligent AI assistant built into Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, which supports ERP system users in their day-to-day work.

This is not just another application running alongside the system. Copilot is an integral part of the Business Central environment and helps users analyse data faster, prepare documents, search for information and carry out repetitive tasks. As a result, AI in ERP is no longer a futuristic vision – it becomes a practical tool supporting finance, sales, operations and reporting.

Wondering why a modern ERP system is the foundation of business growth? Make sure to read: Why do you need an ERP system to manage your company?

Business Central Copilot is an intelligent assistant using generative artificial intelligence that works directly within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP system. Its purpose is not to replace the user, but to streamline day-to-day work with data and business processes.

One of the biggest changes is the ability to interact with the system using natural language. Instead of browsing through successive modules or manually analysing data, users can ask questions about information stored in the system, generate summaries or create content based on collected data.

Copilot offers, among other things:

• generating product descriptions using item card data stored in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central,
• support for bank entry reconciliation,
• querying system data in natural language,
• summarising information contained in system records,
• proposing email or document content based on data from Business Central.

It is worth emphasising that the ERP Copilot system does not make business decisions. Final responsibility for verifying and approving them always rests with the user.

Modern AI ERP systems are changing the way business data is used. The system no longer serves solely as a data repository, but actively helps to analyse, interpret and apply information during everyday work.

In practice, this means less time spent on manual data searches, faster document preparation, easier reporting and a reduction in the number of repetitive tasks. Users can ask questions in natural language, receive data summaries and find the information they need more quickly without building complex filters and reports.

The greatest value lies not in the AI technology itself, but in its presence exactly where employees carry out their daily duties – in the Business Central system. That is precisely why ERP AI genuinely increases productivity and allows users to focus on analysis and decision-making rather than system operation.

From a business perspective, the greatest value comes from reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks, faster access to information and the ability to make decisions based on current data stored in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. As a result, employees can devote more time to analysis, customer service and company growth instead of administrative tasks.

In practice, the greatest benefits from Copilot are achieved by organisations that have previously organised their master data. Even the most advanced AI features cannot replace good-quality data stored in the ERP system.

In many implementation projects, the first effects of using Copilot appear in finance and reporting. This is where users carry out the most repetitive operations, which can be significantly accelerated through Dynamics 365 and its built-in artificial intelligence.

Our experience also shows that the greatest value comes from implementing Copilot in stages – starting with processes involving the highest number of repetitive activities, and then extending the use of AI to further areas of the business.

Finance is one of the areas where ERP Copilot can deliver the fastest benefits.

The assistant helps analyse accounts receivable and payable, monitor cash flows and identify variances in financial data more quickly. It can also support users during month-end closing, flagging information that requires additional analysis.

A significant advantage is support for the bank transaction reconciliation process and working with bank statements in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Instead of manually searching through hundreds or thousands of accounting entries, users can find the information they need faster, obtain a summary of data relating to a counterparty or check the status of selected payments.

Copilot also enables instant answers to questions such as:

• which invoices are overdue,
• which counterparties have the largest outstanding balances,
• how cash flows have changed over recent months,
• which costs are deviating from the agreed budget.

Use case example:

An accountant notices a rise in overdue receivables. Instead of building a report from scratch, they ask Copilot a question in natural language within Business Central and receive a summary identifying the counterparties responsible for the largest increase in outstanding debt. This allows them to move more quickly to analysing the root causes and taking appropriate action.

The result is straightforward – less manual work, better control over finances and more time for analysis instead of routine tasks.

Business Central Copilot also supports the day-to-day work of sales teams.

Copilot can generate the first draft of a sales offer or product description based on data stored in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The user then supplements the content, verifies it and approves it before sending it to the customer.

A major advantage is the ability to leverage customer collaboration history. A sales representative can prepare an offer more quickly based on previous orders, analyse purchase history or respond to an enquiry received in Outlook or Microsoft Teams without having to manually search for information across multiple locations.

Dynamics 365 Business Central supports the sales process primarily from an ERP system perspective. Companies expecting more advanced customer relationship management can extend the environment with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales or other CRM solutions within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Use case example:

A sales representative receives an email enquiring about the availability of 50 units of a product. Instead of manually checking the collaboration history, warehouse availability and preparing an offer from scratch, they use Copilot to generate a draft response based on data stored in Business Central. As a result, preparing the offer takes significantly less time and the risk of overlooking important information is reduced.

Operational areas also benefit from the capabilities offered by AI in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Copilot helps analyse inventory levels, product availability and purchasing data. This makes it easier to spot stock shortages, surpluses, delivery delays or other variances requiring attention.

The assistant can support order analysis, identify products with increased demand and facilitate purchase planning based on historical data. It also enables faster retrieval of information about specific suppliers, orders or stock levels.

For operational teams, this means faster access to information and more efficient decision-making based on current business data in Dynamics 365, rather than manually analysing multiple reports.

Before implementing new AI features, it is worth familiarising yourself with the most common mistakes made during ERP implementations: 5 ERP implementation mistakes that delay projects and increase costs.

One of the most practical applications of AI in ERP is data analysis.

Business Central Copilot enables users to query data stored in the system using natural language. This means users do not need to know the report structure or build complex filters to obtain the information they need from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

For example, a user can ask:

• which invoices remain unpaid,
• which customers generate the highest sales,
• which products achieve the highest margin,
• what the current inventory level is,
• which orders are delayed.

This approach significantly reduces the time needed to prepare analyses and make decisions. In more advanced scenarios, Microsoft Power BI remains a natural complement to Business Central, enabling the creation of interactive dashboards, analyses and reports covering data from the entire Microsoft ecosystem.

Since AI in ERP works with business data, security remains one of the most important considerations.

Business Central Copilot uses the same permission mechanisms, roles and access controls that apply throughout the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system. This means users can only access data for which they have the appropriate permissions.

At the same time, it is important to remember that suggestions generated by AI should be verified each time, especially in the areas of finance, accounting documents and business decisions. Artificial intelligence supports the work of specialists but does not replace their knowledge and responsibility.

When implementing AI solutions, it is also worth developing internal guidelines for the use of Copilot and identifying the processes where automation will bring the greatest value to the organisation.

Effective use of Copilot begins before it is even launched.

The foundation is well-organised data, clearly defined business processes and a correctly configured ERP system. The higher the quality of data held in Business Central, the more accurate and useful the responses generated by AI will be.

To prepare your company effectively for using Copilot in Business Central, it is worth conducting an audit of the current environment and identifying the processes where automation will deliver the greatest benefits. In practice, these are most commonly finance, sales, reporting, purchasing and operations.

In many organisations, the first stage of digital transformation involves moving away from spreadsheets towards a modern ERP system. Read more: Excel as an ERP system – when spreadsheets are no longer enough.

And if you already have an ERP but feel that your current system may be limiting your company’s growth, make sure to check what signals might indicate the need for a change: 3 signs that your ERP system is holding back your business.

Remember – alongside the technology, the implementation partner plays a crucial role. They are responsible not only for system configuration, integrations with Microsoft 365, Power Platform and other solutions within the Microsoft ecosystem, but also for user training and the ongoing development of the environment as new Copilot features are released.

The growth of artificial intelligence in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central shows that the ERP system is no longer merely a data recording tool. It is increasingly becoming active support for information analysis, process automation and decision-making. Companies that are already learning to leverage Copilot’s capabilities will be better prepared for the next stages of digital transformation and will make more effective use of the potential of their business data.