Microsoft continues to lead the digital transformation landscape by adding Power Platform capabilities to D365 Business Central. The latest Business Central updates, set to be released in the coming months, promise to transform the way businesses leverage Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI within the Business Central environment. Let’s investigate the significant changes and their potential impact on organizations.
Power Pages Support for Business Central Virtual Tables on Dataverse (Public Preview: Nov 2023)
In a bid to foster seamless collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, Microsoft introduces Power Pages support. This feature enables anonymous and authenticated external users to perform Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) operations on Business Central tables. These tables are available as virtual tables in Microsoft Dataverse. The flexibility to select specific operations, tables, and rows for access is provided to Business Central admins. This allows them to tailor user experiences based on unique business needs.
One example, a webpage, that would allow your customers to create and track their orders directly using the data from D365 BC. Additionally, customer support website where users could log in and see their products and relevant information (manuals, troubleshooting, case creation).
Enhanced Field Synchronization in Dataverse and Dynamics 365 Sales (General Availability: Oct 2, 2023)
Microsoft acknowledges diverse integration needs, simplifying mapping by expanding fields in standard integration table mappings. Businesses can now customize integration more easily between Business Central and Dataverse or Dynamics 365. This reduces the need for extensive developer involvement.
Enable Specific Virtual Tables in Dataverse Connection (General Availability: Oct 2, 2023)
Additionally, Microsoft addresses the difficulties in managing integrations with Dataverse by introducing the ability to enable specific virtual tables when connecting to Dataverse. This functionality will help businesses to avoid duplicate data entry and enriching integrations without the need for additional customizations.
Modification Limits Adjustment for Power Automate Flows (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
Microsoft has increased the modification limits for triggering flows and bulk updates from 100 to 1000 rows. This enhancement ensures the smooth processing of large datasets and uninterrupted automation. Before, flows were constrained in processing records, leading to potential challenges with datasets exceeding 100 records at once. In such cases, completing the flow might require multiple cycles or specific customization. Right now, it is possible to consider using Power Automate Flow in more extended scenarios.
Business Event Support in Business Central Connector for Power Automate (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
Microsoft introduces a capability to use business events in the Business Central connector for Power Automate. This opens new possibilities for tailored integration scenarios. Moreover, this feature allows users and makers to build flows that react precisely to specific business events in Business Central, enhancing the overall responsiveness and customization potential of Power Automate.
Examples of Business events that can be used as triggers for Power Automate flows: Customer blocked/unblokced, Customer blocked, Sales invoice posted, Opportunity activated; Purchase order released and more. (Complete list can be found here: Business events on Business Central (preview) – Business Central | Microsoft Learn).
Consolidated Power Automate Flow Creation from Business Central Templates (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
Streamlining the Power Automate flow creation process, Microsoft introduces a consolidated approach based on templates. This feature provides advanced users with a single entry point to create flows in various categories, from approval request workflows to automated background flows, offering enhanced visibility and accessibility.
Control Over Power BI Embedded Content in Business Central (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
Recognizing the rising importance of data analysis, Microsoft enhances the Power BI embedded experience in Business Central. Users gain more control over how they view Power BI content, with capabilities such as controlling pages in reports, stretching views to full page, and adjusting zoom levels more easily.
Retrieve List of Companies Using Business Central Connector in Power Automate (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
Addressing a common hurdle in executing workflows across multiple companies, Microsoft introduces an action in the Business Central connector that retrieves a list of companies. This feature provides greater flexibility for executing flows across different companies, contributing to a more seamless and dynamic workflow experience.
Simplified Power Automate Approval Flow Experience (General Availability: Oct 3, 2023)
In response to user feedback, Microsoft further refines the Power Automate approval flow experience. The introduction of automatic environment and company settings, along with improved handling of approval-related decisions, simplifies the approval process and enhances clarity for users.
Full Support for Business Central Virtual Tables on Microsoft Dataverse (General Availability: Nov 2023)
Closing the loop, Microsoft ensures that Business Central virtual tables are fully supported on Microsoft Dataverse. This enhancement allows for inbound interactions from apps, flows, and pages running on Microsoft Dataverse, streamlining CRUD operations on Business Central physical tables without the need for data replication.
In conclusion, Microsoft’s commitment to innovation is visible with these Power Platform updates for Business Central. As businesses undergo digital transformation, these enhancements offer opportunities for innovative solutions within the Microsoft Ecosystem. They improve responsiveness and efficiency. The changes pave the way for promising business integration and automation. We anticipate reviewing our best practices and applying new Microsoft Ecosystem solutions.
