With the launch of ChatGPT and its widespread popularity among the general public, it quickly became evident that the underlying technology behind ChatGPT would find its way into business information systems as well. In the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP system, the “Chat with Copilot” feature enables users to interact with the database and system functionalities using natural language.
One of the major advantages of this functionality is that a new user can begin working in Business Central almost immediately, without first having to learn the entire application interface. To activate the ”Chat with Copilot” feature in Business Central, click the icon in the menu (see below), and a window will open on the right-hand side where you can enter your questions.
Let’s explore some practical scenarios where Chat Copilot in Business Central can assist us. Suppose, for example, we are contacted by a customer (named Fabrikam) referring to the last sales invoice we sent them. We need to find this invoice without having to search extensively through the database. We type in Chat Copilot: “Which is the last posted invoice for Fabrikam?”
Chat Copilot will retrieve the information on our behalf and return the answer, displaying the invoice number along with a few relevant details.
To access the invoice card, we have a clickable box provided in Chat Copilot, and the full invoice details will be displayed.
You can search for any type of information available in Business Central, whether it’s transactions or master data. Let’s say we receive a call from a customer who wants to buy some blue chairs. We ask Chat Copilot if we have any blue chairs.
Chat Copilot successfully identifies the blue chairs listed in the item catalog, allowing us to confirm the availability of this item to the customer.
Copilot is not only useful for retrieving data from the database—it also has access to Microsoft documentation, and based on this, it can guide us when we don’t know how to perform certain tasks in Business Central. For instance, suppose we’ve incorrectly posted a purchase invoice and now need to reverse it. We ask Copilot: “How can I cancel a posted purchase invoice?”
A step-by-step procedure will appear in the Copilot window, clearly explaining how to carry out the reversal. This kind of question—“How do I do this or that?”—is especially helpful for new employees, enabling them to quickly grasp the system and how to work with it. This is a highly interactive learning process, far more effective than going through manuals and procedure documents. Microsoft documentation is constantly updated with each new product version, so we can be confident that the solutions offered are also up to date. Responses always include links to the source documentation, and if we wish to read the documentation directly, we can simply click the link and access Microsoft Learn website.
The ”Chat with Copilot” functionality introduces a new way of interacting with the Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP system—a way that focuses more on quickly achieving results rather than on how those results are obtained. Ultimately, this leads to increased productivity, benefiting both the company and its employees.
It’s important to note that Copilot features are only available in the Microsoft Cloud version of Business Central. Therefore, if you’re using an older version of the product (such as Dynamics NAV or Business Central On-Premises), we strongly recommend migrating to the Cloud version as soon as possible.
Elian Solutions is part of the Bittnet Group, active for over 15 years as an implementer of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP system. With a team of over 70 employees and a portfolio of over 250 clients, Elian Solutions is one of the key Microsoft partners for ERP systems.
