Business Central version 28

AI has moved into the core processes 

The biggest change in version 28 is that AI has stopped being an extra layer on top of the system. It is now part of it. 

Specifically, AI agents can help with: 

• Handling of supplier invoices 

• Creation of sales orders 

• Automation of procurement flows 

In addition, companies can build their own AI agents via MCP (Model Context Protocol), which provides access to Business Central data through secure APIs. 

Example: A finance employee receives 100 supplier invoices daily. With an AI agent, the system can automatically read the invoices, match them with purchase orders and suggest bookkeeping without manual processing of the individual invoice. 

What should you pay attention to?
The pricing model behind the AI functionality is settled per purchase line – not per document. This means that invoices with many lines can quickly become expensive to process automatically. The more complex the invoices, the greater the ongoing AI costs. 

Furthermore, the AI is only as precise as the setup and data structures it works with. The function is there. The winnings – and the cost – depend on the foundation.

Reporting: From month-end to ongoing overview 

The classic model, where you draw a report, work with it and repeat it next week, is being replaced by something more dynamic. 

This is done via analysis views with pivot-like functionality, improved Excel reports and stronger Power BI integration with better performance. 

Example: A CFO who previously drew a liquidity report once a week can now work directly in an updated analysis view, filtered by department, project or dimension, without waiting for someone to draw an extract. 

What does it mean?  

Reporting is not a report anymore. It is a work tool. Most companies have technical access to these views, but have not yet linked them to the dimensions that make sense for them. It's the difference between having a tool and using it. 

Finance and compliance: Less manual, more control 

Version 28 brings a number of concrete financial automation: AI-assisted creditor management (Payables Agent), Copilot-supported bank reconciliation, automated accounting period management via date formulas, and better support for taxes and withholding tax. 

Example: Monthly change usually requires someone to remember to update the posting period manually. With date formulas, the system does it itself. For enterprises in the food or production sector, excise duties based on weight or volume can now be calculated directly in the system. 

What does it mean?  

Fewer manual steps provide fewer errors and better documentation if someone asks. 

Workflows and approval: Control without friction 

Version 28 provides more granular control over approval processes: approval on shopping and merchandise drafts, automatic locking of drafts during approval, and better governance in general. 

Example: A buyer creates a product journal with major inventory adjustments. The system locks the draft so that no one can change it while it awaits approval. The bookkeeping is only carried out when the manager has approved. 

What does it mean?  

Critical actions are validated and documented without requiring extra manual follow-up. It raises the level of documentation without making the workflow heavier. 

Supply chain: From manual assessments to data-driven proposals 

Procurement and inventory management get a significant boost: AI-based reordering proposals, better visibility in inventory data, simplified drop shipping processes and more flexible warehouse setup. 

Example: A company with many item numbers can use AI to automatically suggest reorders based on historical consumption and seasonal variations instead of the planner having to review data himself one item group at a time. Drop shipping is also simplified so that a purchase order can be created directly from a sales order. 

What does it mean?  

Supply chain is becoming more data-driven and less dependent on the right person being at work on the right day. 

Platform: Parallel bookkeeping, new APIs and an EU decision that can't wait 

At the platform level, there have been improvements that are primarily felt when there are many people on the system: parallel accounting of product, project and resource records, new read-only APIs for rights sets, workflows and approvals, and improved performance in general. Note that parallel posting requires three manual activations in Setting up functions — it does not happen automatically. 

Example: During month shutdown, when the pressure is greatest, the team can post in parallel without creating bottlenecks. The new audit APIs allow automated access controls to be run directly via Power BI or Copilot Studio. 

A decision everyone should decide on: From 17 April 2026, Copilot Flex Routing is active. This means that AI treatment during periods of high load can take place outside the EU's data limit. The setting must be actively reviewed in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: it is not a technical detail, but a compliance decision. Companies with data processing requirements within the EU should decide on this now. 

What does it mean?  

The system scales better with the business. But it requires that the setup follows, including active choices about where your data may be processed. 

Continia: Important news and one deadline 

For companies using Continia, version 28 is also an update with practical consequences. 

Document Capture now supports new e-document formats – CII, FA(3), SimplerInvoicing and OIOUBL 3.0 – and XML validation as well as rounding control have been significantly improved. Item tracking data is now supported, which strengthens the storage processes and their documentation. 

Expense Management gets improved match between receipts and transactions, better currency and VAT logic and an updated mobile app. The module has also been prepared for integration with Microsoft's upcoming Expense Agent, which is expected to be released at the next major release in autumn 2026. 

Payment Management and Banking: Here's a deadline that needs attention. All cloud customers must have Payment Management and Banking upgraded by September 30, 2026. It is not a recommendation, but a requirement. 

What does it mean? The Continia updates are predominantly improvements, but the payment file deadline is concrete and time-bound. This is a good time to verify that the upgrade plan is in place. 

ESG: From page gain to core data 

In version 28, ESG data has moved into the ERP system itself. It is not a function that can wait. 

New options include CO2 footprints directly in e-invoices, ESG data linked to sales documents and financial data, and new APIs for ESG reporting. 

Example: A company can include CO2 footprints on its invoices to customers: a requirement that already appears in supplier agreements and that only becomes more widespread in line with CSRD implementation. 

What does it mean? Companies waiting to connect ESG to ERP risk ending up with parallel data silos that are expensive to consolidate afterwards. It is one of those places where it is significantly cheaper to do it right from the start. 

What are you taking home? 

Version 28 is not another feature release. It is a shift in what the ERP system is expected to do. 

Manual processes are replaced by automation. Classic reports are replaced by real-time overviews. And the system moves from being a place where you store data to being an active participant in how the company works. 

The most important question is not whether version 28 contains anything relevant to you – it most likely does. The question is whether your current setup is geared to reap the rewards.