29 Oct Shaping the future together with our clients. Key takeaways from BC Customer Day 2024
On October 8th in Warsaw, we gathered for the seventh time with our clients under the BC Customer Day 2024 banner. This exceptional event once again underscored the immense value of exchanging knowledge, sharing experiences, and building an engaged community alongside our clients.
The event spotlighted innovation, artificial intelligence, new functionalities in BC, and regulatory changes in KSeF and JPK CIT, among other topics with a direct impact on your business operations. From the opening session to the evening gathering at the Moxo restaurant, we shared ideas and learned together. Thank you for joining us, for your curiosity, and for inspiring each other to keep innovating.
A look at BC Customer Day 2024
BC Customer Day 2024 was held on October 8, 2024, in Warsaw, bringing together clients from over 60 companies. Through 14 sessions, participants explored the broad applications of Microsoft Copilot across Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft 365, and Power BI. They gained insights into IT.integro’s strategy, future vision, and updates on system functionality, licensing, performance, and the regular update process. We also discussed how to leverage Microsoft AppSource and showcased our latest apps we have added to our portfolio, including Bonuses & Accruals Extension PL, Global Integration Apps, WMS Mobile, and Advanced Product Configurator, along with Polish Localization updates for KSeF and JPK CIT compliance.
For those interested in the technical aspects of migrating their Business Central installations to the Microsoft cloud, we held dedicated sessions as well as demonstrations of little-known system functions and keyboard shortcuts. We wrapped up the day with case studies from two successful, yet distinct, upgrades – one at IT.integro and the other at a client company.
Exploring IT.integro’s strategy during BC Customer Day 2024
Reviewing IT.integro’s strategy and vision for the future is a staple of BC Customer Day. Operating in the dynamic IT industry, we stay focused on real business needs. We have been observing Poland’s digital transformation, rising awareness among business leaders, growing automation, and the significant impact of regulatory and competitive pressures. Currently, 42% of companies treat digital transformation as an IT-only focus. Yet, without a company-wide strategic commitment and cultural shift involving management teams and employees alike, the full benefits cannot be achieved. In this context, we shared our insights on cybersecurity, GDPR, Poland’s New Deal, KSeF, and NIS2 with the BC Customer Day audience.
The future of Microsoft’s and IT.integro’s products
Today, over 40,000 companies globally use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central online. The popularity of this cloud-based ERP is growing rapidly, driven by the flexibility and power of cloud technology and the integrated One Microsoft ecosystem. Each software release brings deeper integration across familiar tools, and with Microsoft Copilot now available in Business Central and across Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook), the advantages of cloud-based work are increasingly clear.
IT.integro has chosen the cloud path as well, fully leveraging Business Central online and all the benefits that come with it.
Microsoft Copilot integrated with Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft 365
Recognizing our clients’ interest in AI solutions, we hosted multiple sessions on Microsoft Copilot at BC Customer Day 2024.
What role does Copilot play in the Microsoft ecosystem? Primarily, it should not be seen as a single, standalone tool. Microsoft offers various Copilots, each tailored to support users across different applications. Copilot functions differently in Business Central, Teams, Excel, Outlook, and Word.
Participants at BC Customer Day explored some of the key AI-driven features and witnessed Microsoft Copilot in action within Dynamics 365 Business Central. Highlights included:
- Copilot Chat – assisting with information retrieval, answering queries, and supporting onboarding processes for new employees.
- Analytics Assistant – enabling users to create data analyses by assisting with configuration, filtering, and data transformation.
- Sales Line Suggestions – streamlining the creation of quotes, invoices, and orders.
Microsoft Copilot is included with the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central online as part of the license price, while Copilot for Microsoft 365 applications comes with an additional fee.
Enhanced reporting in Power BI with AI
Microsoft Copilot is now available in Power BI, a tool for data analysis and visualization, enhancing reporting capabilities with advanced, interactive reports. Copilot serves as an assistant that helps users prepare reports faster and more independently by offering:
- Data model summaries,
- Report topic suggestions,
- Report page creation,
- Summaries and insights from visualizations,
- The ability to ask questions about reports,
- Adding synonyms,
- Descriptions for metrics,
- Writing DAX queries.
New features in Polish Localization related to KSeF and JPK CIT
Polish Localization is a solution with a long development history. It is used by all our clients in Poland, as well as by Polish clients of our partners. No wonder that the guests of BC Customer Day took up this topic with great commitment. We discussed the roadmap for the National e-Invoicing System (KSeF) and JPK PD and covered technical aspects for new features in Polish Localization, including
- account tags for JPK PD,
- support for domestic currency transactions, and
- Credit memos for non-value data.
More detailed information on the development of Polish Localization is available in the Polish Localization documentation.
What’s new in Dynamics 365 Business Central
We also held a session on recent enhancements in Business Central, with IT.integro experts discussing key updates from the last two releases. For a deeper dive into these topics, read our separate article: Innovations and the Future of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP.
What are the benefits of cyclical updates?
The lifecycle for Dynamics 365 Business Central is 18 months. New features are delivered over the first 6 months, followed by 12 months of updates and fixes. After this period, support ends for that version. It is the product lifecycle that shapes the update process.
These principles apply to both on-premises and online versions, though there are some differences in the update process for each. BC Customer Day participants had the opportunity to learn about the system update process for both versions, the benefits of adopting a regular update cycle, the risks of using unsupported system versions as well as the telemetry tool.
Dynamics 365 Business Central online users always have the latest version, because recurring updates occur automatically. For the on-premises version, updates are managed on-demand by the client or partner. Due to the product lifecycle, we recommend regular updates every six months, with a focus on maintaining current support for versions BC 22 and newer.
Business Central performance: The key to efficiency and stability
We understand how crucial system performance is to our clients’ operations. For Business Central, performance is not just about the application itself. It requires attention to several key factors closely tied to performance, and this applies to any ERP system.
During the session, we discussed the root causes of performance issues, such as data growth and its nature, suboptimal use of the application, inefficient code, as well as infrastructure or SQL database concerns. These elements require periodic review to prevent issues from affecting system performance, much like security checks and risk management.
In our session, we shared our approach to optimizing performance at every stage – from solution design and testing to ongoing analysis post-launch. We use various tools – such as AL Profiler, automated testing, telemetry, Data Administration Tool, retention policies, and Page Inspector (zoom) – to monitor and maintain optimal performance, preventing issues before they impact your business.
How to find valuable solutions on Microsoft AppSource?
Developing, expanding, and supporting business applications has become a rapidly growing area of focus for IT.integro in recent years. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an open ERP system, enabling the customization of standard functionality to address specific processes and local regulatory requirements. Microsoft AppSource serves as a global solution platform for all Microsoft business customers, now offering over 6,000 apps and extensions for Dynamics 365 Business Central clients alone, provided by Microsoft partners worldwide, including IT.integro.
At BC Customer Day 2024, we demonstrated how to search for relevant solutions, assess providers, and what to consider before selecting an app.
What’s new in IT.integro’s portfolio?
This past year has brought several additions to IT.integro’s business application portfolio. New Extensions were released for the Electronic Banking Base App (now available in 16 countries), along with new online bank connections. We also published the Bonuses & Accruals Extension PL app, which ensures compliance with the requirements of Poland’s e-Invoicing System (Krajowy System e-Faktur) for period-based bonus settlements. This app is available at no additional cost for clients with a license for the Polish Localization and Bonuses & Accruals applications.
Additionally, we introduced the Fiscalization app on Microsoft AppSource for handling fiscal printers, generating fiscal documents, and managing returns. Clients using our Cash Desk Management app for cash operations can also purchase it directly on AppSource using their company card.
Other IT.integro business apps have been enhanced with new features. You can read more about the latest developments in Advanced Product Configurator, Advanced Cost Allocations, and our Global Integration Apps in the documentation.
In a separate session, we introduced WMS Mobile, a solution currently not available on Microsoft AppSource. This mobile application, designed for warehouse use on devices like tablets or scanners, enables efficient management of warehouse processes.
International business expansion with Business Central and IT.integro
Only few of IT.integro’s Polish clients may realize that our teams have completed projects in over 63 countries, supporting thousands of Business Central and Dynamics NAV users. Over the years, we have witnessed the growth of our international clients, and at BC Customer Day, we shared our insights on the strengths of the ERP system in large-scale global implementations. Drawing on our extensive experience in international projects, we have developed a proprietary methodology tailored to the unique needs of corporate groups.
IT.integro is also the developer of solutions that are highly popular among Microsoft partner clients, including:
- Master Data Management System for managing master data across all companies in a group,
- Advanced Intercompany for handling intercompany trade and transactions,
- Intercompany Insights, providing visibility into inventory and customer balances across group companies,
- and the Electronic Banking suite, supporting electronic banking services in over 16 countries.
Technological foundations for cloud migration
BC Customer Day 2024 naturally featured several technical sessions. As previously noted, cloud technology is a core focus for Microsoft. During the conference, we delved into the technological aspects of migrating Business Central to Microsoft Cloud.
Depending on the system architecture, we can design the implementation using various scenarios, each with different responsibilities:
- On-premises (traditional model) – entirely hosted on company-owned resources,
- Private cloud – deployed on dedicated cloud resources for the company,
- Subscription-based, with Business Central in the SaaS model.
We covered the complete migration process, from on-premises Dynamics NAV to upgrading to on-premises Business Central and finally to the online version.
Participants learned about Microsoft’s services, the structure of Business Central online, and data management tools such as Power Automate, Service Bus, Power Apps, Logic Apps, and Power BI. Data is prioritized during migration, with Microsoft Fabric providing a comprehensive solution for data collection, management, and analysis.
We also explored DevOps methodologies, which support efficient management of the application lifecycle – from planning, coding, and delivery to production and operations.
Tips & tricks for working effectively in Business Central
The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central interface offers many personalization, navigation, and search features, along with additional tools for smoother daily system use. Our clients learned about:
- how to effectively find information, data, and documents using the Tell me what you want to do function,
- how to customize the interface by selecting roles, designing, or personalizing views,
- useful keyboard shortcuts,
- data editing and presentation in Excel integrated with Business Central,
- data filtering and display options in the valuable analysis mode,
- managing attachments, links, and notes.
Case studies at BC Customer Day 2024: Best practices in upgrade processes
Despite proven methodologies, best practices, and similar team competencies, upgrade projects unfold differently in every company. During BC Customer Day, we presented case studies from two unique projects – one at IT.integro and one with a client.
IT.integro has used Navision Financials since 2008, Dynamics NAV since 2016, and now nearly all employees work with the online version of Dynamics 365 Business Central. The upgrade primarily focused on two areas: functionality and data. Automated testing played a crucial role in verifying code conversion accuracy, and we used our proprietary Data Migration Tool to migrate data and we activated the system mid-year. The priority was to migrate the existing functionality, and focus on migration tasks in order to enable further development in later stages.
We also highlighted a different approach taken by a client who initially chose to upgrade due to requirements from the e-Invoicing System (Krajowy System e-Faktur). The initial goal, which was to implement a minimal version with master data and a selection of modifications, evolved during the project. The client recognized new opportunities through the upgrade and implemented ideas from the project team, which lead to building a full environment with production workstations and warehouse terminals. The development of new processes was a trigger to transform the upgrade into a complex implementation project. The upgraded version of Business Central was launched within the year with enhanced functionality and growth potential.
Each upgrade project has its unique features stemming from the company’s requirements, strategy, and business context. Even with similar objectives, the project team must adapt to changing needs and expectations. Monitoring progress and openness to new solutions that may emerge throughout the project are essential for success.
An exceptional evening and the Third Annual IT.integro Customer Awards Gala
In the evening, we gathered with our guests for a memorable night at Moxo Restaurant, where we enjoyed jazz and Asian cuisine while engaging in further discussions. The night also featured the Third Annual IT.integro Customer Awards Gala, where we recognized clients for their exceptional collaboration over the past year.
We extend our gratitude and congratulations!
The awards were presented to:
- Zespół Zarządców Nieruchomościami – in the category of Expanded Implementation Utilizing the Full Potential of the ONE MICROSOFT Ecosystem
- Rajapack – in the category of Courage and Determination in Implementing Digital Innovations
- Adecco Poland – in the category of Extensive Use of IT.integro Applications
- Bidfood Farutex – in the category of Masterful Project Execution in Accordance with Project Methodology and Objectives
- Tomasz Bleks, Business Systems Manager from Gemini Polska – in the category of Business Personality of the Year
Stay connected after BC Customer Day 2024
Thank you for your presence and all the inspiring conversations – let’s keep them going. We look forward to staying in touch and to connecting again soon!
