Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Update: 2021 Release Wave 1

2021 Release Wave 1 is the first of two major updates to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, which will be rolled out in phases from April to September 2021.

Improving Business Central, Microsoft continually invests in application enhancements to help existing and future customers get the most out of their ERP systems.

The updates in 2021 Release Wave 1 include general performance improvements, usability and printability, and new features to help end users achieve results. They include the following:

1. New features for the areas most demanded by customers.

The updates include new features to address the current needs of banking and payments end users. New features include:

• simplifying the replacement of erroneously sent bank reconciliation reports with new reports, 
• simplifying the bank statement import so that users can reconcile the columns of a regular file (.csv, .txt) with fields in Business Central, 
• improved payment reconciliation journal with support for publication preview, individual series of numbers and user-defined document numbers. 

It is now easier for the system to correct errors caused by specifying incorrect dimensions in General Ledger (GL) entries. The Correct Dimensions action has been added, which enables to correct dimensions in published entries by editing the values, as well as adding or removing them.

2. Simplified adaptation process.

2021 Release Wave 1 introduces features to help end users get more productive use of Business Central faster than ever.

They include:

• getting Started checklists that allow users to complete the Business Central setup at the final stage without the help of a Microsoft partner, 
• new built-in contextual visual cues to help you get started with the system. 

This update includes a setup wizard to simplify the initial company setup, as well as a wizard to guide you through all the necessary steps to get started with Power BI in Business Central. 

3. Improvements for modern clients.

Microsoft wants to make sure that the Business Central user interface is both powerful and intuitive, as this is needed to serve users with a wide range of business roles, skill levels, and access needs.

It is now more convenient to use the web client for Business Central:

• lists of records are now available with a double click of the mouse, and when using the Tab or Enter keys and a single click on the field, all text is selected, 
• automatic adaptation of the desktop interface is available for different screen resolutions and for visually impaired users who need to work with an enlarged interface 
• embedding of the Business Central web client in small frames inside other applications is available. 

2021 Release Wave 1 will enable cloud printing through Business Central using the new Microsoft Universal Print technology. This means that printing will be available from anywhere when connected to the Internet and authenticated with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), including when using a mobile app such as Business Central on: 

• Windows, Apple iPad or Android tablets, 
• Apple iPhone or Android mobile phones, 
• any Windows 10 device, 
• in the Microsoft Teams mobile app on your PC, tablet, or phone. 

It is worth paying attention to a number of improvements in the platform and development tools that will make it possible to quickly extend the functionality of the system:

4. Item Receipt and Shipment Documents in W1 standard.

New features in the new release enable to use inventory documents for item journal reprinting after its publication.

With the update, you will be able to use the Inventory Receipt and Inventory Shipment documents to adjust the inventory: print them at any stage, unlock and reopen them, and assign total values, including dimensions. 

• You can find an inventory receipt to register the receipt. This is useful when preparing for launching or adding stock. 
• It will become possible and more convenient for you to search for items in the inventory to write off missing or damaged items. 

5. Automatic creation of information cards of batches and serial numbers.

Some industries need to track not only batch and serial numbers, but also additional information about them. To support this, Business Central offers Batch Number Information and Serial Number Information pages where you can add notes, such as batch quality information, and, if necessary, block the use of numbers. 

These pages can be extended for specific industries. You can create these pages to add details while creating item tracking lines. Alternatively, if you are creating batches and serial numbers in bulk, you can automatically add details when posting inventory transactions. 

6. Additional dimensions for tracking.

The release introduces Package No., support of the third dimension for item tracking, which you can use to track simple WMS pallets or as a basis for advanced vertical solutions. 

Thanks to the new feature, you can specify exactly how you want to track items. 

And in the inventory settings, you can replace the standard package of terms with the one that most closely matches the description of your processes, for example, “Container”, “License plate” or “Pallet”. 

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