Dynamics Business Central : 1st wave of 2025

A new update strategy, smarter features, and major improvements for manufacturers — here’s what to take away from version 26 of Business Central.

On June 4, 2025, Samuel Champoux hosted a detailed walkthrough of the latest Dynamics 365 Business Central release. The 2025 Wave 1 (v26) update brings key functional improvements and a major shift in how updates are managed. Below is the recording of this webinar.

A smarter update cycle: predictable, tested, and easier to manage

The biggest change in this release doesn’t come from the product — it comes from how we deliver it.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Only two major updates per year: one in the spring (April) and one in the fall (October), each followed by a 2.5-month testing period.
• Minor updates are now optional: unless there’s a critical issue or a must-have feature, they won’t be rolled out automatically.
• Sandbox environments now launch with the minor version: instead of appearing on day one, sandboxes will be created a few weeks later — around June and December — once the update has stabilized.

The goal? Fewer disruptions, less pressure on your team, and more time to test what matters.

What’s new in Business Central v26

While this release doesn’t introduce groundbreaking features, it brings several solid, real-world improvements for finance teams, daily users, and manufacturers alike.

Key enhancements for every business

Usability and control improvements

• Edit price lists in Excel
  You can now make changes directly in Excel, no more copy-paste acrobatics.
• Improved cost adjustment tools
  A new diagnostic panel helps identify anomalies and speed up inventory cost processing.
• AI-powered field suggestions with Copilot
  Fields now offer suggested values based on your internal data — like credit limits per customer. Smart, but always double-check.
• New validation fields on purchase invoices
  You can now enter the invoice total in the header, and the system will flag mismatches with the line total. More accuracy, less risk.
• More advanced inventory analysis
  Additional fields are available in item ledger entries, and a new “Inventory Analysis by Location” query makes it easier to dig into stock by site, city, country, and more.
• Enhanced financial reporting options
  New formula functions expand what’s possible in Business Central’s native financial reports.
• Resizable FactBox
  You can now adjust the width of the sidebar — finally.

Major updates for manufacturers

Manufacturers and distributors have a lot to look forward to in Wave 1. Here’s what stands out.

Smoother production processes

• Excel-first production reporting
  Microsoft is shifting from legacy reports to Excel-based layouts — easier analysis, built-in charts, flexible formatting.
• Parallel stock transactions
  Multiple users can now post inventory transactions at the same time, improving performance in busy environments.
• Project item receiving via warehouse functions
  You can now receive project-linked items directly through advanced warehouse receipts.
• Reverse production orders with consumption
  It’s now possible to cancel production orders and their related consumption postings in one click.
• Close a production order without output
  The system can now auto-adjust WIP through inventory adjustment accounts — no more manual workarounds.
• Reopen finished production orders (with limitations)
  You can reopen an order once, and only if no output was posted. It’s a start.
• Bulk update production order statuses
  Select multiple orders and change their statuses in one go.
• Edit routing link codes
  You can now directly edit these codes within the routing steps.
• Over-pick items for production
  You can now pick more than required, use what you need, and return the rest to inventory.
• More precise standard cost calculations
  Includes better handling of locations, variants, and non-inventoried components.
• Include non-inventory items in production
  Great for accounting for external services or indirect materials.
• Optional warehouse pick for manual consumption
  You no longer need to create a pick document for manual consumption, with the right config.
• Block production for specific items or variants
  You can now prevent selected items from being consumed in production orders.
• Warehouse put-away for production output
  Outputs can now be handled with advanced put-away workflows.
• Edit consumption and item journals in Excel
  Including lot and serial number tracking — perfect for high-volume operations.

What about AI?

AI agents are coming — slowly but surely

• Vendor agent (coming soon): will scan purchase documents, extract data, create draft invoices, and even send confirmation emails.
• Sales agent (already available): demoed last fall and ready to explore.

These agents combine multiple AI models to interpret documents, trigger workflows, and automate decisions across the board.

The best part: they’re included with your existing licenses — no third-party tools required.

Final thoughts

Business Central 2025 Wave 1 reflects a clear direction:

• Microsoft wants to simplify your upgrade journey.
• AI and automation are becoming more embedded in everyday tasks.
• Manufacturers benefit from continuous improvements to production management.

At Gestisoft, we’re here to guide you through every upgrade and help you get the most out of what’s new — at your pace.

Need help testing, upgrading, or exploring the new features?
Reach out through the portal or get in touch with your Gestisoft consultant.