How AI Automation Simplifies Business Processes

AI automation has become one of the most practical ways for businesses to simplify how work gets done, especially when it’s built right into the tools your team already uses.

I’ve sat in enough conference rooms to notice a pattern: when someone mentions “process improvement,” half the room leans in—and the other half starts scrolling through their phones.

It’s not that people don’t care about efficiency. It’s that most process changes sound like more work, not less.

That’s exactly why AI automation has become such a game-changer for teams trying to make real progress without adding more to their plates.

With Microsoft Copilot in Business Central, the improvements actually feel easier: less manual entry, fewer report runs, fewer “who updated this?” moments. It’s the rare kind of technology that simplifies your day without adding a new system to learn.

In this blog, I’ll answer some of the questions I hear most about how Copilot works inside Business Central, the processes it can improve right now, and how to get started without needing a full digital overhaul.

How do I use Microsoft Copilot within Dynamics 365 Business Central to automate routine tasks?

First things first: what is Microsoft Copilot exactly?

Copilot is your built-in assistant across Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 apps, ready to help simplify daily work.

It’s not another standalone AI tool to manage, as it’s already woven into platforms your team uses every day, including Business Central, Outlook, Excel, and Teams.

In Business Central, Copilot can help with the small but time-consuming tasks that fill up a workday, such as:

• Suggesting text for customer emails

• Assisting with bank reconciliations

• Summarizing transactions so finance teams can close the books faster.

When used with AI automation tools like Power Automate, these capabilities can trigger additional actions (still under human supervision) to keep processes flowing smoothly.

And because it’s part of the broader Microsoft ecosystem, AI in Business Central reduces context-switching.

You can ask Copilot to summarize a record or highlight key data trends directly in your workspace without jumping between multiple screens or spreadsheets.

To learn more, check out Work Smarter with Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Business Central.

What business processes can Copilot automate, and which ones should I not rely on it for?

Let’s start with where business processes improved by AI agents shine.

Copilot can help with tasks like reconciling transactions, generating first-draft sales quotes, reviewing documents, or scheduling routine workflows.

These are repetitive areas where AI automation software makes things faster and more consistent.

But there are limits—and they matter.

Copilot can suggest a quote, but you’ll still want a salesperson to confirm pricing. It can summarize emails or transactions, but approvals, negotiations, and judgment calls still need human input.

McKinsey research shows that the organizations getting the best results from AI aren’t just adding tools; they’re redesigning workflows to make human-AI collaboration smoother. In other words, automation works best when it helps people focus on decisions, not data entry.

So no, Microsoft Copilot won’t negotiate vendor pricing or fake enthusiasm in Monday meetings, but it will clear your inbox faster.

How does Copilot handle data security and permissions when fetching information from my ERP system?

Security is a valid concern... and one that Copilot was built specifically to address.

Within Microsoft Copilot in Business Central, data visibility always respects the same role-based access controls already configured in your ERP system.

That means Copilot can only surface the information a user already has permission to view, so there’s no “AI-gone-rogue” happening behind the scenes.

Copilot also operates within Microsoft’s enterprise-grade compliance framework, including GDPR, SOC, and other international standards.

In practice, this means suggestions and responses stay within your organization’s trusted cloud environment.

For companies pursuing a business process improvement initiative, evaluating governance and security settings should be one of the first steps.

This is something we often help clients with at Key Partner Solutions, making sure the technology supports safe, practical change before anything goes live.

How do I get started with Copilot in Business Central — What are prerequisites, licensing, and configuration steps?

Getting started with AI for business process improvement doesn’t require a full-blown overhaul - just some smart planning.

Begin by identifying business process improvement examples that are repetitive and rule-based, like report generation, email summaries, or document drafts.

If you’re running Business Central online, Copilot is already included with your Business Central license at no extra cost—there’s no separate Copilot license to purchase these built-in features.

Work with your Microsoft partner to confirm you’re on a supported release and that Copilot is enabled in your environment. 

From there, review the built-in AI automation features that already come with Business Central before exploring custom extensions.

Curious how AI is already transforming real-world operations? Check out my related post: The Future of AI in Manufacturing: What to Know.

Once your foundation is set, the next steps are simple:

• Identify opportunities for automation.

• Enable the built-in Copilot features most relevant to your workflows.

• Train your teams to use Copilot as a helper—not a replacement for their expertise.

These small, low-risk steps can reveal where business process improvement software offers the biggest payoff without disrupting operations.

What’s next for AI automation in Business Central

This isn’t the end of the story. It’s the start of a smarter way to work.

AI automation is evolving quickly—blink, and there’s another feature you didn’t know you had.

And each new Microsoft release adds more context-aware features that make collaboration, forecasting, and reporting faster and easier.

My next post will dig into how Sales Agents extend these capabilities even further, helping organizations connect data, people, and decisions in new ways.

But for now, the takeaway is simple: AI automation isn’t hype. It’s the quiet, practical upgrade that helps businesses simplify processes, save time, and make smarter decisions.

From hype to real help

AI automation and Microsoft Copilot in Business Central are redefining what business process improvement looks like: streamlining workflows, reducing manual effort, and helping teams focus on strategy instead of repetition.

Think of it less as hiring a robot and more as finally getting an assistant who reads every email.

Ready to explore what AI automation could look like in your organization? Contact Key Partner Solutions to start simplifying your business processes.

About Matt Keyes

Matt Keyes is a visionary leader, founder, and CTO of Key Partner Solutions. With over two decades of experience in Microsoft Dynamics, he is passionate about driving digital transformation for businesses through innovative technology solutions.

His deep technical expertise, combined with a strategic approach to solving business challenges, makes him a sought-after thought leader in the industry.

Today, Matt is focused on empowering companies to unlock new levels of growth and efficiency through cutting-edge software development and consulting.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.