Highlights from Directions EMEA 2024

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Directions EMEA

Directions EMEA is an annual recurring conference for Dynamics 365 partners and ISVs in the EMEA countries, and is held each year in a selected European city.

The purpose of Directions EMEA is that developers and consultants can acquire product knowledge about Dynamics 365 and Power Platform and, not least, be inspired by each other and subject experts.

Directions EMEA 2024

This year's EMEA was the 17th edition and was held from November 6 to 8 in Vienna, Austria at the Austria Center Vienna.

No less than 3,200 attended Directions EMEA 2024 in Vienna, and the conference was also this year filled with a lot of exciting sessions, and was also characterized by a lot of positive energy from the entire Microsoft Dynamics community.

On this page, we have collected some of the highlights from Directions EMEA 2024, which was largely characterized by new innovations, functions and opportunities based on artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence

AI, Agents and Copilot, the theme for this year's Directions EMEA was unmistakable. AI is no longer just a futuristic sci-fi concept, AI is here and the technology is rapidly, radically changing the way we work.

In the same way that we now look back with fascination at a time when business administration was done without computer technology, before long we will look back and wonder how you could ever accomplish all your work without the help of AI.

By using artificial intelligence in a variety of automation and application scenarios and offering guidance along the way, the Copilot AI capability in Business Central is already improving user productivity. That is, if you are 'AI Ready'.

Business Central Copilot

Already in the spring of 2023, Copilot was implemented in Business Central, and since then the functionality has been continuously expanded. With Business Central 25, for example, it became possible to create sales orders directly from Chat.

Dynamics 365 Copilot brings next-generation AI to any type of business in any industry

At Directions EMEA 2024, Microsoft unveiled a number of upcoming features for Copilot, including:

• Proposal for sales lines
• E-document matching
• No. series suggestions
• Replacement of goods

Copilot Studio

Another AI-related hot topic for Microsoft was Copilot Studio, where you can build intelligent, dynamic and connected AI assistants that, for example, via Microsoft Power Automate, can automate processes in Business Central.

Copilot Studio allows you to quickly create agents based on business scenarios that your customers and employees can easily interact with, according to their needs.

Introducing Agents in Business Central

At Directions EMEA 2024, Microsoft placed great emphasis on the introduction of the AI-based Agents in Business Central.

With Microsoft Copilot Studio, you can already build your own agents that take advantage of Microsoft's standard connectors to retrieve data directly from Business Central.

Give your virtual Agent in Business Central a role and a task it must perform, and it will figure out how to perform the task itself, and it can also handle unexpected situations itself.

Power BI reporting in Business Central

The integration of Power BI and Business Central is getting closer all the time, and you can already find standard Power BI apps built into Business Central.

With the built-in Power BI apps, you have a far more flexible alternative to the reports built in Business Central and you can dive into your data via visuals and reports and quickly get an overview of your business.

You also have the option to customize the visualization and even merge data from different companies in Business Central.

Sustainability management

At Directions EMEA 2024, Microsoft also unveiled the built-in sustainability management functionality in Business Central that helps you monitor and manage your organization's environmental impact.

The tool makes it possible to track various greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and provides valuable insight into your company's environmental footprint. The function supports essential tasks such as collecting emissions data through sustainability records or purchase documents and converting emissions into CO₂ equivalents.

You can either manually enter previously known data or use the built-in methods to calculate your emission footprints. Formula-based calculations are only available when using sustainability journals.

Business Central 26 2025 release wave 1

As usual, Microsoft also unveiled some of the areas of investment that will characterize Business Central 26, which will be released with Dynamics 365 2025 release wave 1.

In connection with the rollout of Dynamics 365 2024 release wave 2 in October, Microsoft released Business Central 25, where the big theme was AI. With Business Central 26, which Microsoft will release in April 2025, Microsoft continues to introduce AI functionality in the business application.

But in addition to new and improved AI functions, the upcoming release will also add completely new functions within, among other things, finance, reporting, SCM and administration.

New functions in Business Central 26 will include the following new features:

Fundamentals

• Performance: Faster client rendering, more broadcast throughput.
• Optimized security and reliability.

Finance

• E-documents: Significant improvements, including: Payments, fines, fees, reminders, e-invoice preview, sending via e-mail, etc.
• Subscription billing: Automation.
• Non-deductible unrealized VAT.

Power Platform

• Copilot Studio can run agent actions in Business Central.

Generativ AIGenerative AI

• Sales order agent (more countries).
• ISV documentation as a knowledge base.
• Accounting agent.
• Ask Copilot about errors.