Copilot in Business Central: What It Does Well

Confession time: if Copilot in Business Central could mow my lawn or assemble IKEA furniture without spare parts left over, I’d be first in line.

So far, it can’t (yet), but what it does do is far more practical for businesses.

It takes the painful, repetitive tasks like statement matching, data entry, and juggling sales orders, and makes them faster, easier, and far less error prone.

That’s where the real magic is: not replacing us, but giving us back time and sanity.

And because I hear the same questions again and again about Copilot, I’ll also answer the ones that come up most—things like cost, security, and whether it works on-prem.

What Is Copilot in Business Central and What Benefits Does It Offer?

Microsoft describes Copilot as a tool to “help spark creativity, boost productivity, and eliminate tedious tasks.”

In practice, it’s the first AI-powered assistant embedded directly into Business Central that’s designed to help everyone, not just IT or finance, work more effectively.

Here’s where it’s already making a difference:

• Finance: Automates bank reconciliation and statement matching, reducing close time.

• Sales: Uses the Business Central Sales Order Agent to create documents from unstructured data, speeding up the sales process.

• Operations: Improves inventory management and demand forecasting, preventing stockouts and excess inventory.

• Marketing: Generates product descriptions and campaign text, freeing up time for strategy.

For a deeper dive into Microsoft’s vision, check out Work smarter with Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Of course, reading about AI is one thing. But watching it banish your least favorite tasks from your plate? That’s where the fun begins. Here are a few examples:

Repetitive Task Automation

Think of those endless copy-paste marathons: entering invoices, pulling numbers into reports, or summarizing long lists.

Copilot now handles much of that.

By letting AI take over automation of repetitive tasks, teams can focus on decisions and analysis rather than manual clicks. Less grunt work, more brain work.

Enhanced Bank Reconciliation

Ask any finance team about their least favorite task, and month-end close will likely be near the top.

Copilot lightens the load by automatically suggesting statement matching between bank feeds and ledger entries.

This doesn’t just save time; it reduces errors and makes reconciliations far less stressful.

Suddenly ‘month-end close’ sounds less like a horror movie title and more like a regular Tuesday.

Streamlined Sales Processes with AI Agents

Sales teams live in email threads and attachments.

That’s where the Sales Order Agent comes in. It’s an example of how AI agents work inside Business Central: parsing unstructured data, turning it into usable orders, and feeding it directly into your system.

Basically, an AI agent is a task-focused digital assistant.

It’s not there to close the deal—that’s still up to the sales team—but it does eliminate the back-and-forth of data entry and speed up the paperwork so deals move faster.

Supports Marketing Content Creation

Your marketing team won’t hand over creative control to Copilot anytime soon, but it’s a lifesaver for the routine stuff: product descriptions, web copy, and campaign text.

It may not be Pulitzer-worthy, but it’s great at breaking through blank-page paralysis, giving teams draft text they can refine rather than starting from scratch.

Improves Inventory Management and Demand Forecasting

Nobody wants to make the choice between too much stock gathering dust and not enough product to meet demand.

Copilot helps by analyzing past sales data for better demand forecasting.

That means more accurate inventory management, fewer shortages, and less wasted cash on excess.

Frequently Asked Questions About Copilot in Business Central

Can I Use Copilot with On-Premises or Private-Cloud Deployments of Business Central?

This one’s straightforward: No. Copilot is only available in Business Central Online.

Microsoft focuses its innovations in the cloud, where users benefit from faster updates, built-in integrations, and stronger security.

For businesses still on-prem, this is one more reason to consider moving online.

Does Copilot Require Initial Training on My Company’s Data to Function?

Unlike traditional AI projects that demand weeks of setup, Copilot doesn’t need to be trained on your data.

It works out of the box, powered by Microsoft’s foundational AI models, making it much easier to start using without IT bottlenecks or lengthy onboarding.

How Does Copilot Handle Security, Privacy, and Compliance—Especially Regarding Sensitive Data?

Microsoft designed Copilot to respect the same permissions and boundaries already built into Business Central.

It inherits user access roles, doesn’t use customer data for training without consent, and maintains residency restrictions like the EU data boundary. In short: security is baked in, not an afterthought.

Is Copilot Included with Business Central, and Is It Available at No Extra Cost?

Yes.

Copilot comes built into Business Central Online licensing at no additional cost.

While Microsoft may apply fair-use policies in the future, the bottom line is that you get immediate value without extra budget approval.

Why Automating Repetitive Tasks Matters Now

It’s not just about saving time, it’s about resilience. Automating repetitive tasks helps businesses reduce costs, improve accuracy, and keep teams focused on growth instead of busywork.

As Forbes points out in The Power Of Automation: How Businesses Can Work Smarter, Not Harder, automation is becoming essential for companies that want to stay competitive.

Embracing it now will put you ahead of the curve tomorrow.

Built-In, Ready-to-Use Features

One of Copilot’s biggest advantages is accessibility.

Features like Chat and Bank Reconciliation come ready to use with minimal setup.

You don’t need to be a developer—or even particularly tech-savvy—to benefit (if you can find the attachment in an email, you’ll be just fine).

And that lowers the barrier to adoption and spreads the benefits across the organization.

So, Where Does This Leave Us?

The takeaway is simple: Copilot in Business Central already adds practical value across finance, sales, operations, and marketing.

It’s not here to replace anyone, it’s here to make the everyday stuff less painful.

I’ll share more in my next article about Sales Agents, but for now?

Enjoy the idea of a month-end close that doesn’t make you question your career choices.

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.