Microsoft Dynamics 365 is part of almost every business today. Whether it is sales, finance, customer service, or anything else, D365 seems to be the top choice. However, most business executives feel the release waves as a challenge. First of all, going through the complete document of dynamics 2024 release waves is itself a daunting task. So, many of them skimp through it, missing all the major parts.
So, it is advisable to consult your Dynamics 365 provider for useful insights and tips on how to prepare for Microsoft Dynamics 365 2024 Release Waves. In this article, we will help you navigate the key tips and benefits for preparing for the Microsoft Dynamics 2024 Release Waves.
What are MS Dynamics 2024 Release Waves?
Microsoft delivers major upgrades (also known as “Release Waves”) twice a year, from April to September and October to March. These updates include hundreds of new capabilities that affect numerous Dynamics 365 applications and industries, including marketing, sales, customer service, healthcare, financial services, and others.
Each release wave includes amazing new features for Microsoft Dynamics 2024 that allow enterprises to alter their business processes. The update contains hundreds of new capabilities for Dynamics 365 applications, such as Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Human Resource, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, and many more.
This year, Microsoft Cloud will also see noteworthy advancements in the Healthcare, Financial Services, Sustainability, and Nonprofit sectors.
What the Releseas Include?
Dynamics 365’s 2024 release wave 1 includes numerous new features and modifications to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, and CRM applications (including Dynamics 365 Sales).
Some of the upgrades for each product relate to Copilot AI functionality, while others involve the addition of automation, improved tracking, or other features.
Note that some of the features detailed below have already been released while others have not, and wave release information is subject to change.
Key Highlights Include:
Dynamics 365’s 2024 release wave 1 includes numerous new features and modifications to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, and CRM applications (including Dynamics 365 Sales).
Some of the upgrades for each product relate to Copilot AI functionality, while others involve the addition of automation, improved tracking, or other features.
Note that some of the features detailed below have already been released while others have not, and wave release information is subject to change.
- Sales: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales continues enhancing customer engagement with timely data and AI-powered insights. Copilot for Sales is expanding, offering more advanced generative AI tools to assist sellers both in office and on-the-go via Outlook and Teams integrations.
- Customer Service: New AI capabilities, such as Copilot, help agents deliver better responses and diagnostics, while routing and prioritization have been refined for more efficient case management.
- Field Service: This module gains deeper integration with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations, along with modernized experiences and Microsoft 365 tools to streamline service operations.
- Finance: Dynamics 365 Finance focuses on autonomous finance, enhancing analytics and planning processes. AI tools now help with tasks like bank reconciliation and financial dimensioning, while tax automation and global coverage improve scalability.
- Supply Chain Management: AI-driven demand forecasting and enhanced warehouse optimization are central to improving supply chain agility and operational efficiency.
- Commerce: Investments in omnichannel retail, with innovations such as Tap to Pay for iOS and improved offline store capabilities, cater to evolving retail needs, especially for mobile point-of-sale experiences.
- Business Central: Copilot-driven improvements enable streamlined workflows, financial management, and reporting. Additionally, the platform enhances compliance, privacy, and governance tools to better manage business operations.
- Project Operations: The focus is on usability and scalability, offering better project planning, invoicing, and resource reconciliation features, with mobile capabilities to manage large-scale projects.
Dynamics 365’s 2024 release wave 2 introduces new innovations that provide considerable capabilities to alter your business. The release includes hundreds of new features for Dynamics 365 applications, each built around AI functionality.
Overall, the releases are just to help you scale your business and move toward success.
Tips to Prepare for Microsoft Dynamics Updates
When you are trying to achieve the best of your operational efficiency, you need to be on top of how you scale up your platforms. Therefore, take full control over it and manage the most out of Dynamics 365 release wave benefits. While you reach out to a professional, you must know the basic tips to be ready for the change.
This is the most significant step you can take. Yes, you might not be able to go through the minor and major details of the document, but you must at least get the major insights, and consultants can be quite helpful for this. As soon as early access updates are available, review the release plans to understand new features.
Once you do, you can identify the features suitable to your business and prioritize them. This can help you be more strategic about your digital transformation process
To test and properly leverage Dynamics 2024 updates, make a duplicate of your production environment in a sandbox. This enables you to test new features without compromising your production system. Configure your sandbox environment to match the settings of your production system closely.
This ensures that any tests or validations performed in the sandbox appropriately reflect possible outcomes in the live environment.
Enable early access updates in sandbox environments before moving to production. This minimizes disruptions and allows you to test thoroughly. After evaluating the upgrades in the sandbox, consider a phased deployment to production.
This decreases risk by letting specific teams or departments test the upgrades before implementing them throughout the enterprise. By phasing the rollout, you can track its impact and make changes as needed.
Plan updates during off-hours to avoid interruptions, as the process can slow down systems. Make sure you have backups in place in case the update creates unforeseen system issues.
Backup systems, a rollback mechanism (while upgrades cannot be reversed, alternate solutions exist), or temporarily transferring users to unaffected sections of the platform.
Ensure critical business processes work correctly after the update in the sandbox environment before applying the update to production. Organize user acceptance testing sessions in which key stakeholders and end users complete their everyday chores in the updated environment.
Their feedback is critical in spotting any problems that the technical team may overlook. Before releasing new features to production, ensure that consumers are comfortable with them.
Bottom Line
Microsoft publishes a comprehensive PDF document detailing all upcoming features and changes prior to each release like MS Dynamics 2024 release waves. You can review the document or simply contact your vendor for consultations on your needs.
Harnessing the full potential of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform systems is crucial for maintaining optimal business performance.
At DHRP, our developers work closely with your teams to ensure smooth implementation and Dynamics 365 upgrade of the much-needed updates from the releases.
If your business needs attention regarding Dynamics 365 implementation, let us be your savior. Contact us at any time for a detailed discussion.
