We are thrilled to announce the General Availability (GA) of the new User Experience (UX) in our Field Service Mobile (FSM) application! We heard your feedback during the preview period and are excited to mark this milestone with key enhancements and changes. 

When we started this journey, our goal was to deliver an intuitive, modern user experience for frontline workers to streamline workflows and increase user satisfaction. We reduced the number of clicks taken by technicians to accomplish tasks in the app and enabled access to rich step by step instructions for troubleshooting. At Ignite, we announced the addition of Copilot capabilities to help technicians prepare for and document work easily, through Copilot Work Order Summarize and Update. Now, with GA, we have added several admin controls to allow for progressive enablement, new enhancements to the agenda and lists, and several performance and reliability improvements. Read on to learn the details!

GA Highlights of the New UX 

1. Updated Agenda view with easy Copilot access 

Customers loved the new Agenda experience in preview, which offers intuitive access for service technicians to view and update their bookings, featuring several handy shortcuts. In the GA version, we have introduced several enhancements. These include infinite bidirectional scrolling for quick access to past or future bookings, and visual updates to make it easier to distinguish between different statuses and bookings. Technicians need key information at their fingertips while on the job. Now, makers can customize and display additional information on the agenda based on specific scenarios. Lastly, Copilot (Preview) is now accessible on every booking. All it takes is a simple swipe gesture, allowing technicians to easily summarize or update a work order. 

2. Modern configurable lists on mobile 

Users spend a lot of time reviewing data in lists (or grids). We’re excited to announce all top-level lists in the mobile app are now part of the new UX – with the ability to configure and display 10 columns per row! With additional at-a-glance information available right in the list, users can avoid navigating into the form, improving clicks to complete the job and perceived performance. The new lists control also supports searching, sorting and landscape and portrait modes (which our tablet users love)! 

3. Admin controls for progressive enablement 

A key preview ask from makers was enabling gradual deployment of the new UX for their workforce for effective change management. We heard and delivered! The new UX for technicians works in the existing FSM app (no new app installs, or migration needed). Via the new FSM settings page, makers can quickly deploy this to a pilot group of users using security roles. And makers can turn on or off specific features such Copilot based on their organizational requirements. 

4. Additional user settings 

Besides look , feel, and navigation enhancements, users can also update their time zone and language settings within the app. They can also select their preferred maps app to use for navigation. 

5. Fundamentals 

Most importantly, with this release we’ve greatly enhanced performance and reliability of all new features. Whether scrolling in various lists to handling issues with actionable error messages, we’ve ensured users have a robust and delightful experience.

Closing thoughts 

As with any technical milestone, we must also callout things that lie ahead of us. We’re looking forward to releasing the view selector inside the list control for users with multiple views. The Guides and Copilot features accessible from the new UX continue to be in preview (and can be turned off if desired).

As part of this GA, we are discontinuing the streamlined booking experience introduced during preview. Form-based experiences will continue to leverage the classic UCI experience in the app, which supports layout and business logic customization. And at present, users enabled for the offline mode will be taken directly to the classic UCI experience as well. 

The launch of the new UX in Field Service Mobile marks a significant milestone in our mission to deliver the best tools and technology for frontline workers. We are confident that these innovative features and user-centric design will greatly enhance your daily operations, making your work more efficient and enjoyable. 

Enable these features today and share your thoughts with us! We eagerly await your feedback and stay tuned for more updates! 

The post Announcing the General Availability of the New UX in Field Service Mobile  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

In today’s digital landscape, the success of customer service on social media hinges on the quality of care provided to customers. It’s essential for communications from agents to be timely, accurate, sensitive, brief, and friendly to enhance customer satisfaction and foster brand loyalty. To support this, we are excited to introduce the first-party WhatsApp channel seamlessly integrated with Azure Communication Services, now available in public preview for Dynamics Contact Center. 

Why WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a leading choice for contact centers worldwide, celebrated for its ease of use and extensive global reach. With billions of users, WhatsApp provides businesses with an unparalleled opportunity to connect with customers in a medium they trust and prefer. Now, with our first-party solution, integrating WhatsApp into your contact center has never been easier. 

Seamless integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem 

One of the key advantages of this new integration is its direct tie-in with Microsoft’s ecosystem. By leveraging Azure Communication Services, our solution eliminates the need for third-party connectors. This results in a simplified IT footprint, enhanced reliability, and more secure communication for your business. No more juggling multiple vendors or worrying about potential integration issues. Our solution is designed to work seamlessly within your existing Microsoft infrastructure. 

Key capabilities 

With the first-party WhatsApp channel, your contact center can benefit from a range of powerful features: 

• Easy Configuration: Administrators can easily configure the WhatsApp channel powered by Azure Communication Services, making setup straightforward. 

• Customer Engagement: Customers can reach out to your business through WhatsApp, engaging in an asynchronous manner that respects their time and preferences. Whether it’s a quick question or a detailed inquiry, your customers can connect with you when it’s convenient for them. 

• Unified Interface for Agents: Agents will have access to a unified, contextual, and productive interface. Subsequently, they can engage with customers and resolve issues more efficiently. This streamlined workflow reduces the time to resolution and enhances overall customer satisfaction. 

• Rich Reporting for Supervisors: Supervisors and managers can access detailed reports to monitor and optimize contact center performance. This data-driven approach ensures that your team is operating at peak efficiency, with insights that drive continuous improvement. 

Enhancing customer engagement

The integration of WhatsApp with Azure Communication Services is more than just a new channel—it’s a step toward more meaningful and contextual customer interactions. By leveraging WhatsApp, businesses can provide a seamless and personalized experience that resonates with customers, ultimately driving satisfaction and loyalty.

Get started today

To sign up to use this feature, fill out this form. We invite you to explore the new first-party WhatsApp integration in Dynamics 365 Contact Center. Whether you’re addressing product inquiries or managing customer service scenarios, this integration empowers your agents to deliver exceptional customer care. 

Join us in this exciting journey of enhancing customer communication. With this new channel, experience the benefits of a simplified, reliable, and powerful customer service tool. 

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to expand the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Contact Center. Also, don’t hesitate to provide feedback during this public preview period. We’re here to support your success. 

Learn more

Watch a quick video introduction.

To learn more, read the documentation: Configure a WhatsApp channel through Azure Communication Services (preview) | Microsoft Learn

The post Try the first-party WhatsApp channel in Dynamics 365 Contact Center appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Discover how Copilot for Dynamics 365 Commerce can help you deliver personalized customer experiences, optimize product management, and streamline retail operations for store associates, managers, and back-office staff with AI.

Transformative AI in Dynamics 365 Commerce

The retail industry is facing significant challenges and opportunities in today’s digital world. AI can help you create value for your customers and stand out from your competitors. It can help you solve critical challenges such as improving customer service, refining product management, increasing store associate productivity, and simplifying finances.

Dynamics 365 Commerce now includes Copilot, which helps you improve customer satisfaction, boost sales, increase profit margins, and enhance workforce productivity with automated insights, validations, and summaries that reduce the clicks and searches needed to find information, creating a near “one-click” retail experience.

Watch this brief video to see Copilot in action.

Customer insights

Copilot simplifies the process of understanding your customers. It aggregates data on customer preferences from Dynamics 365 Commerce, giving you an in-depth and comprehensive view of your customers, such as their favorite product categories, preferred price ranges, and lifetime value based on recency, frequency, and monetary metrics. You can view their previous interactions with a quick glance, making it easier to resume conversations or give customized follow-ups for better customer relationships and more personalized and effective engagement. Learn more about Copilot customer insights.

Product insights

Whether you’re introducing new products or welcoming new store employees, keeping everyone informed and prepared is essential. Copilot provides comprehensive product insights, including clear and concise descriptions, key benefits, inventory levels, and discount details, empowering your staff to elevate product sales. Additionally, employees can access information on related items like accessories and bundles, promoting a cross-selling environment that enhances the shopping experience and boosts sales. By equipping store employees with the knowledge and confidence to engage customers effectively, Copilot turns interactions into opportunities, increasing customer satisfaction, sales, and the all-important average order value.

Report insights

Envision a scenario where synthesizing insights to assess the performance of your retail channels becomes seamless. With Copilot, it’s easy. Copilot provides instant insights, generating narrative summaries for channel reports. You’ll receive a precise and succinct overview of critical metrics such as sales, revenue, profit, margin, and overall store performance—right at your fingertips. Copilot’s real-time analysis keeps you ahead, updating summaries as new data arrives, empowering your store associates to communicate results effectively, accurately, instantly. Embrace the future of retail intelligence with Copilot and revolutionize the way you interact with your data. Learn more about Copilot report insights in Dynamics 365 Commerce.

Retail statement insights

Copilot can summarize posted and unposted retail statements, highlighting key insights such as the number of affected transactions, total sales amount, and risks like returns without receipts, expense transactions, and price overrides. These insights into retail statements allow for straightforward and efficient management of financial reports and help you detect and correct discrepancies and risks in your retail statements by providing a clear summary of anomalies in transactional activity. By using Copilot-powered insights, you can identify issues without wading through numerous forms, promptly take corrective measures, and reduce the need for support inquiries to solve problems. Learn more about Copilot retail statement insights in Dynamics 365 Commerce.

Merchandise more efficiently

Merchandising is a complex and time-consuming process that involves configuring products, categories, catalogs, and attributes for each channel. Merchandisers need to ensure that their products are displayed correctly and accurately on the online store, and that they comply with each channel’s business rules and policies. However, manual configuration is prone to human error, and it doesn’t scale for businesses that have millions of products, thousands of attributes, and hundreds of categories and catalogs across hundreds of stores.

Copilot enhances merchandiser efficiency by streamlining merchandising workflows, summarizing product settings, and automating data validation by checking for errors and inconsistencies in your product merchandising data. From the Copilot summaries, you can navigate to a list of issues and act without losing context to address problems promptly and efficiently. Your products are always correctly configured and displayed, enhancing customer satisfaction and boosting sales. Learn more about Copilot merchandising insights in Dynamics 365 Commerce.

Ensuring the ethical use of AI technology 

Microsoft is committed to the ethical deployment of AI technologies. Through our Responsible AI practices, we ensure that all AI-powered features in Dynamics 365 adhere to stringent data privacy laws and ethical AI usage standards, promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability. 

Conclusion

Copilot features for Dynamics 365 Commerce are revolutionizing the retail experience by bringing AI to store associates, store managers, channel managers in the back office, and merchandisers. They’re simplifying complex data analysis, personalizing customer service, optimizing product management, and driving business growth by improving customer loyalty, increasing sales, and enhancing profitability.

If you’re ready to take your retail business to the next level, contact us today to learn more about how Copilot can help you transform your retail business.

Copilot functionalities in Store Commerce are available starting with the following versions:

• 10.0.39, from Proactive Quality Update 4 (PQU-4) onwards (CSU: 9.49.24184.3, Store Commerce App 9.49.24193.1)
• 10.0.40, from Proactive Quality Update 1 (PQU-1) onwards (CSU: 9.50.24184.2, Store Commerce App 9.50.24189.1)

Copilot functionalities in back office (Headquarters) are available starting with the following versions:

•   10.0.38 from Proactive Quality Update 5 (PQU-5) or subsequent updates
•   10.0.39 from Proactive Quality Update 3 (PQU-3) or later versions
•   All editions of Commerce version 10.0.40 onward

Next steps

Learn more about Dynamics 365 Commerce.

Engage with other Dynamics 365 users in our community forums to learn from their experiences and share your own.

Not yet a Dynamics 365 Commerce customer? Take a tour and get a free trial.

The post Copilot for Dynamics 365 Commerce revolutionizes retail with AI appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

We are thrilled to announce the public preview of Approvals management in Dynamics 365 in release 10.0.41. Approvals management is a mobile experience that unifies approval workflows across the Dynamics 365 product family. Along with Approvals management, we are releasing approval workflows for purchase orders and purchase requisitions in Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management.

Add flexibility and efficiency with Approvals management mobile experience

Users who are responsible for approving purchase requisitions and purchase orders are now empowered with a mobile experience, built in Power Apps, that adds flexibility, efficiency, resiliency, and responsiveness to the approval process. Supported activities include approvals related to purchase requisitions, requisition lines, purchase orders, and order lines.

Next steps

Want to learn more about the new Approvals management mobile experience? Check out the release announcement: Approve POs and requisitions from mobile device

Get started today: Approvals Management mobile app overview (preview)

Not yet using Dynamics 365? Take a tour and get a free trial.

The post Approve on the go with Dynamics 365 Approvals management appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

On March 19th, 2024, we announced the end of support of Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation on commercial cloud.

For Project Service Automation customers on US government cloud, we will have a future announcement regarding upgrade and the availability of Project Operations.

Beginning March 31^st, 2025, Microsoft will no longer support PSA on commercial cloud environments. There will not be any feature enhancements, updates, bug fixes, or other updates to this offering. Any support ticket logged for the PSA commercial cloud will be closed with instructions to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Project Operations.   

We strongly encourage all customers of PSA commercial cloud to start planning your upgrade process as soon as possible so you can to take advantage of many new Project Operations features such as:  

• Integration with Project for the Web with many new advanced scheduling features 
• Project Budgeting and Time-phased forecasting   
• Date Effective price overrides  
• Revision and Activation on Quotes    
• Material usage recording in projects and tasks  
• Subcontract Management  
• Advances and Retained-based contracts  
• Contract not-to-exceed  
• Task and Progress based billing  
• Multi-customer contracts  
• AI and Copilot based experiences.  

Upgrade documentation and FAQ links 

Upgrade from Project Service Automation to Project Operations | Microsoft Learn 

Project Service Automation end of life FAQ | Microsoft Learn   

Feature changes from Project Service Automation to Project Operations | Microsoft Learn 

Project Service Automation to Project Operations project scheduling conversion process | Microsoft Learn 

Plan your work in Microsoft Project with the Project Operations add-in | Microsoft Learn 

Learn more about Dynamics 365 Project Operations 

Project Operations was first released in October 2020 as a comprehensive product to manage Projects from inception to close by bringing together the strengths of Dataverse, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, and Project for the web assets.

Want to learn more about Project Operations? Check this link and navigate to our detailed documentation!  

Want to try Project Operations? Click here and sign up for a 30-day trial!  

The post Announcing End of Support for Dynamics 365 Project Service Automation (PSA) appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

[Available for iOS only, Android support coming soon]

If you already have a Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 Guides, and/or Dynamics 365 Remote Assist license, you can access the new remote assistance capabilities in your mobile Teams app automatically upon release at no additional cost.

Previously, Remote Assist capabilities required a standalone mobile app or a HoloLens 2 device. Now frontline workers can benefit from using the Spatial Annotations feature inside their Teams mobile app.  

Turn any mobile device into a mixed reality collaboration platform

Today, frontline workers use Teams within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Guides applications to collaborate with spatial annotations. The Remote Assist mobile app is a popular choice for workers on the go because it’s fast and easy to get anyone on a call, show the task in front of you, and ink your space.

Now, those same workers can quickly access this core functionality directly from the Teams mobile app as long you have Dynamics 365 Field Service license. For workers who are often on the move, having all their core collaboration capabilities in a single app makes the job easier. It eliminates the need to switch apps, while making sure all your collaboration capabilities from Teams are at your fingertips.

No more context switching—stay within the flow of work 

Using this feature is as straightforward as joining a Teams meeting or making a call. With the front-facing camera, users can share their view with remote participants. This allows real-time collaboration relying on 3D annotations overlayed on physical objects to enhance comprehension.

Just like with the Remote Assist app, users can move and change angles without losing track of annotations anchored to their environment. This advanced level of interaction empowers Teams mobile users to share insights and reduce miscommunications that could lead to rework.

Reduce app sprawl by eliminating the need to manage another app

If your company already leverages Teams to facilitate communication and collaboration, why not make it cover more collaborative use cases for frontline workers too? IT administrators don’t need to manage another app to enable remote assistance capabilities for their mobile workforce. 

Bringing Spatial Annotations to the Teams mobile app means fewer apps for IT teams to provision, update, and audit. Companies can benefit from Teams’ ability to support end-to-end encryption, data loss prevention, and compliance certifications, adding additional security measures protecting against unauthorized access to confidential company information. 

How can I access Spatial Annotations on my mobile Teams app? 

The public preview for iOS users is currently rolling out, with public preview for Android users coming later this summer. General availability will come later in 2024.   

Infusing mixed reality capabilities into apps workers are already using, on devices they already have in their pockets, is just one way we’re working to bring mixed reality to frontline workers. We’re excited with this next step democratizing mixed reality and bringing leading-edge mixed reality solutions to more people across industries. 

Copyright © 2024 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. 

The post Enable Spatial annotations for your frontline technicians using Dynamics 365 Field Service & Teams appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Introduction 

In fast-paced, complex supply chain environments, ensuring product quality throughout the journey from supplier to customer is more critical than ever. We’re excited to address this with a powerful new feature in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management Landed Cost module, enabling quality control for goods in-transit orders. 

Addressing a Critical Gap in Supply Chain Management 

Traditionally, quality control measures in supply chain management focus on initial stages of production and receipt of purchase orders at their final destination. We see a growing need for more comprehensive quality assurance processes covering all phases, including the in-transit phase. Now, businesses can conduct quality checks on goods while they are in transit. This new feature ensures product integrity throughout the entire supply chain journey. 

How it works 

The quality control for goods in-transit feature is seamlessly integrated into the Dynamics 365 SCM framework. Here’s how it enhances the supply chain process: 

Setup of Goods in transit order in Quality associations: Businesses can now define goods in-transit order as a new quality association type with pre-defined event blocking approach.  This proactive measure ensures any potential quality issues can be identified and addressed before the goods reach their final destination.

Automatic Quality order creation: During the Goods in-transit order registration/receive operation, depends on the previous step’s configuration, the corresponding quality order will automatically create to reflect the quality control.

Order control and release: Depending on the configuration, the quality order completeness will block the downstream business operation if it’s not passed. This control makes it easy for businesses to adopt and implement without significant changes to their current quality control processes for Goods in-transit order.

Benefits of Quality Control for Goods In-Transit

While the enhanced return receiving process in Dynamics 365 SCM represents a significant leap forward, transparency is key. We have multiple planned backlogs coming soon, such as:

Implementing quality control for goods in-transit offers several significant advantages:

• Enhanced Supply Chain Reliability: By ensuring quality at every stage, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of receiving defective or non-compliant goods.
• Cost Efficiency: Early detection of quality issues minimizes the need for costly rework or returns, leading to substantial cost savings.
• Regulatory Compliance: The feature supports compliance with various regulatory standards, ensuring that products meet all necessary legal requirements.
• Improved Customer Satisfaction: Delivering high-quality products consistently enhances customer trust and satisfaction, ultimately driving business growth.

Conclusion

The introduction of quality control for goods in-transit orders in Microsoft Dynamics 365 SCM represents a significant advancement in supply chain management. It empowers businesses to ensure product quality at every stage of the supply chain, from production to final delivery. By adopting this feature, companies can enhance their supply chain integrity, reduce costs, comply with regulatory standards, and deliver superior products to their customers.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to innovate and expand the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 SCM to meet the evolving needs of the global supply chain.

Call to action

Enable the feature: Turn on the Landed cost module and related features for your system – Supply Chain Management | Dynamics 365 | Microsoft Learn

Learning Article:   Quality orders – Supply Chain Management | Dynamics 365 | Microsoft Learn

The post Enhancing Supply Chain Integrity: introducing quality control for goods in-transit orders in Dynamics 365 SCM  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Leaving the schedule board today can be cumbersome because you have to re-enter your preferred settings every time you come back. You may also find it frustrating that your admin has the power to override your choices and reset the board to the default settings. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could save your personal preferences and have them ready when you need them? The schedule board now boasts improved navigation patterns to help YOU manage your schedules more efficiently!

Remember my board

The schedule board now works with your computer’s local cache to reload with the last accessed parameters as chosen by you, no configuration necessary! That means you can leave the schedule board to check on your resources, update requirements, or even grab a hot cuppa, all while your board stays the way you left it.

 The cache will save and reload the following parameters automatically: 

1. Last accessed tab: Save time by not having to reload the tab its relevant resources and bookings 

2. Map panel open/closed: Map remains in the state that you left it in 

3. Viewtype: Gantt/list view – Schedule board  

4. Viewmode: hourly/daily/weekly 

5. BoardStartDate: Continue with the last accessed date range, resets to today’s date after 15min 

6. Columnwidth: zoom level of the board stays the way you want it 

Many of our users have told us about their struggles trying to return to today’s date when switching between date ranges. We’ve thus added a new “Today” button next to the date range control, that helps you quickly return to today’s date range, wherever you may be. 

Shareable links, as Easy as 1 2 3 

What if you want to share your settings with others or add a bookmark of your settings to your browser? We’ve added a new one-click button that helps you generate a URL link that captures all the following schedule board parameters: 

1. Last accessed tab 

2. Map panel open/closed 

3. Viewtype: Gantt/list view 

4. Viewmode: hourly/daily/weekly 

5. Columnwidth: zoom level of the board

Saving and sharing your favorite board setup has never been easier! 

Step 1: Click on the “…” more button at the top right of the schedule board 

Step 2: Click on “Copy link” button 

Step 3: The generated link has been saved to your clipboard.

The use cases are numerous, for example:

1. Add the copied link to a bookmark in your browser. Whenever you click on this bookmarked link, the browser will launch the board with your preferred parameters 

2. Share the link with your colleagues/team to share a setup that works for you, and teach them optimize their workflow  

You can also configure Schedule Board URLs manually: Open the schedule board from a URL | Microsoft Learn 

More details on schedule board caching and URL addressability can be found here: Learn more about schedule board

The post Your Board, Your Way – Optimize schedule board navigation patterns in Universal Resource Scheduling appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

The modern rich text editor is now our advanced editor for an end-to-end enhanced authoring experience. As part of this advancement, we are phasing out the current rich text editor and integrating its capabilities into the modern rich text editor. 

Key dates

• Disclosure date: August 9, 2024
  The modern rich text editor for non-customized controls was delivered in April. By October, the modern rich text editor for customized controls will also be delivered.
• End of support: October 31, 2024
  After this date, no new enhancements will be done to the current rich text editor and the modern rich text editor will be generally available.
• End of life: April 30, 2025
  After this date, the current rich text editor will be taken out of service.

Next Steps

We strongly encourage customers to leverage the modern rich text editor, which will be enriched with all the editor experiences. The modern rich text editor is designed to align with the familiar and intuitive interfaces of Microsoft applications such as Outlook, Word, and OneNote. This update introduces a modern design, dark mode and new Copilot features to enhance your text editing capabilities. This ensures reliability and alignment with our commitment to cost-efficiency and user-centric innovation. Learn more about the modern rich text editor.  

Please contact your Success Manager, FastTrack representative, or Microsoft Support if you have any additional questions.  

The post Use the modern rich text editor in Dynamics 365 Customer Service appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Effective financial reporting is crucial for finance professionals to ensure accuracy, compliance, and strategic decision-making. Financial reports are the backbone of organizational transparency, offering insights that drive timely business decisions. However, managing financial reporting across multiple environments can be a daunting task, often leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies.

To address these challenges, the latest update to Dynamics 365 Finance introduces the financial reporting add-in, a powerful tool designed to streamline financial reporting processes, enhance data accuracy, and provide comprehensive business insights. With this change, Financial reporting is no longer deployed by default in all environments. 

Comprehensive Yet Configurable and Easy-to-Use Financial Reporting 

The financial reporting add-in for Dynamics 365 Finance offers a robust suite of functionalities and capabilities that make it both powerful and user-friendly: 

• Flexible Report Design: Create custom financial statements tailored to your organization’s needs using a drag-and-drop interface. 

• Real-Time Data Integration: Access real-time financial data, ensuring that reports reflect the latest financial position. 

• Collaboration and Sharing: Easily share reports and collaborate with team members, facilitating efficient communication and decision-making. 

• Secure Access: Ensure sensitive financial information protection by maintaining data security with role-based access controls.

• Get Started Quickly with 22 Reporting Templates: Generate standard financial reports efficiently by using a variety of pre-built templates. This saves time and ensures consistency across your financial data.

These features provide finance professionals with the tools they need to generate accurate and insightful financial reports without the complexity often associated with financial reporting systems. 

Consistent and Efficient Financial Reporting Across Environments 

Financial reporting often involves juggling multiple environments, each with unique configurations and requirements. This can lead to inconsistencies and inefficiencies, especially when moving data between production and sandbox environments. The financial reporting add-in for Dynamics 365 ensures a standardized approach to financial reporting across all environments. This reduces the time and effort required to set up and maintain reporting systems.  

Ensuring Availability Across Existing and New Environments 

For users currently utilizing financial reporting, there will be no changes to your existing environments. The financial reporting add-in remains accessible through lifecycle services (LCS), ensuring seamless access and continuity. The add-in continues to be available within the Dynamics 365 Finance menu, maintaining user familiarity and ease of use. 
 
Users not currently utilizing financial reporting should have received communication about its removal from your LCS environment. (Reinstall via LCS if needed.) The financial reporting menu item will always be accessible within Dynamics Finance. 

Financial reporting is not deployed by default in newly created environments. However, easy installation via LCS is available, if needed. This provides users the flexibility to customize their environment setup based on specific reporting needs. This optional deployment feature empowers users to manage and configure their reporting tools according to their requirements. This in turn streamlines operations and reduces unnecessary pre-installations. 

Streamlined Data Management for Multi-Environment Setups 

For customers managing multiple production and sandbox environments, please note financial reporting may be used in some environments but not others. When moving data, the financial reporting database will only transfer if both the source and target environments have it installed. To ensure smooth transitions, we recommend pre-installing financial reporting in both source and target environments to include it in data migrations. 

This selective deployment capability ensures operational continuity, avoiding disruptions during data migrations and maintaining financial reporting capabilities. The flexibility to tailor environment setups based on specific operational needs, creates a more efficient and effective financial reporting process. 

Enhanced Simplicity and Improved Efficiency 

By integrating the financial reporting add-in for Dynamics 365 Finance, organizations can achieve significant business outcomes. The streamlined financial reporting processes reduce complexity and administrative overhead, leading to enhanced simplicity in managing financial data. Faster setup and maintenance of reporting systems contribute to improved operational efficiency. IT resources are freed up and finance professionals can focus on strategic tasks rather than manual reporting processes. 

Better Financial Insights and Informed Decision-Making 

Consistent and accurate reporting across environments provides reliable data for informed decision-making. The financial reporting add-in provides finance professionals access to precise insights, enabling strategic decisions driving business growth and success. With these enhanced reporting capabilities, organizations can better navigate the complexities of financial management and achieve their business objectives. 

Expanding Regional Availability 

The financial reporting add-in is now generally available. All regions supported by Dynamics 365 Finance will find access to these enhanced capabilities. Organizations worldwide can leverage the benefits of streamlined financial reporting, driving greater efficiency and accuracy in their financial operations. 

Get Started Today!

We believe these improvements will significantly enhance your financial reporting processes. We also believe they will deliver tangible business value and support your strategic financial goals. Visit the financial reporting documentation for more information and installation instructions. 

The post Enhancing and Streamlining Financial Reporting with Dynamics 365 Finance appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.