Top 6 features in Business Central 2021 release wave 1

Dynamics 365 Business Central is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution from Microsoft that offers SMBs a way to centrally manage all aspects of business operations. Every year, two waves of updates are released that include enhanced functionality, bug fixes, and new features. The latest release, Business Central 2021 Release Wave 1, was officially launched on April 1.

In the first wave this year, Business Central investments center on helping customers get to productive usage faster, whether they are new or existing customers, by providing in-app improvements. Below are the top six features that we think users should know and utilize.

We missed being able to double click a record to open it. And now it’s back. Lists of records now accept double-clicking as a quick way to activate a single record when viewing the list as rows or tiles. Even though you can now double-click in the empty space between record values, you can continue to single-click on any hyperlinked values to activate them. Or, click repeatedly on non-hyperlinked values to select and then copy the text.

Users can now correct dimensions for general ledger (G/L) entries to ensure financial reporting provides accurate insights without having to make notes of temporary data entry mistakes. For one or more G/L entries, users can change the dimension values, add dimensions, or remove them. Administrators can also lock dimensions for corrections, specify that corrections must respect closed accounting periods, and view a change log for a given G/L entry in order to revert the entry to its original value.

With this new feature, controllers, finance, and accounting users have greater control over prerequisites for recording any transaction that must include dimension value attributes that will later be used in business analysis and reporting. Instead of allowing users to pick just any dimension value, when the dimension Value Posting is set to Code Mandatory, using Allowed Dimension Values in the Default Dimensions page, users can now pick from a predefined list of allowed dimension values that controlling, finance, or accounting departments choose.

Users can now use the Inventory Receipt and Inventory Shipment documents to adjust inventory then print at any stage, release and reopen them, and assign common values, including dimensions, in the header. Search for Inventory Receipt to register an increase of inventory. For example, this is useful when preparing to go live or adding open balances. Search for Inventory Shipment to write off missing or damaged goods. Users can also specify which reports must be printed at different stages.

With this new upgrade, users no longer have to go through the entire sandbox setup and wait for a new upgrade to run to find out what will fail. A new per-tenant extension (PTE) validation service will be created by June 2021 that validates applications on different aspects such as whether all dependencies have been provided, that code compiles both up and downstream, that there are no breaking schema changes, and that there are no duplicate IDs.

With this new upgrade, users no longer have to go through the entire sandbox setup and wait for a new upgrade to run to find out what will fail. A new per-tenant extension (PTE) validation service will be created by June 2021 that validates applications on different aspects such as whether all dependencies have been provided, that code compiles both up and downstream, that there are no breaking schema changes, and that there are no duplicate IDs.

To start utilizing this new wave of features, contact us to schedule and configure your system update. If you are using legacy systems such as Dynamics NAV, Rand Group can assist you with upgrading to Business Central. Upgrading will enable you to take advantage of the cloud functionality and enhanced product capabilities that Business Central offers.

For more information about Business Central, talk to our experts today.