By Nic Baker, General Manager, epic ERP
I recently spent a few days in Paris at Directions EMEA 2026, alongside more than 3,400 members of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central community from 57 countries. Paris is never a bad place to spend a few days, but I came home excited about considerably more than the baguettes and wine (…or beer in my case).
If Directions is anything to go by, we’re entering a particularly exciting period for ERP.
The big theme was artificial intelligence, with Microsoft focusing on practical examples of how Copilot and AI agents are starting to change the way people use ERP.
According to research presented by Microsoft, nine out of ten organisations use AI in at least one business function, yet only 6% say it has made a meaningful contribution to profitability. Those seeing real returns have redesigned their processes around what AI makes possible.
Installing new technology is one thing. Changing how a business operates to take advantage of it is quite another.
Less clicking, more asking
One demonstration showed Copilot taking a product image and using it to create the relevant products, supplier and purchase order in Business Central, leaving the user to review the proposed changes.
For years, ERP users have had to learn how the system works. Which screen? Which field? What goes where? We’re moving towards users telling the system what they’re trying to achieve and letting the technology help them get there.
Edit with Copilot allows Copilot to create and modify records and perform actions within Business Central, while respecting the user’s existing security permissions. Business Skills lets companies teach Copilot their own procedures and rules, such as how they register suppliers.
That means AI can work within the context of how a particular company operates, which is far more interesting than adding an AI button to an ERP screen.
People shouldn’t be the middleware
Today, people often act as the connection between systems. We read an email, interpret it, capture something in ERP, export to Excel, send another email and repeat. Microsoft’s vision is for Copilot and AI agents to handle more of these loops, with people stepping in where judgement and approval are needed.
Microsoft demonstrated enhancements to its Sales Order Agent and Payables Agent, which process customer orders and supplier invoices with less manual intervention. One customer using the Payables Agent reportedly reduced administration by 30%. An Expense Agent processed receipts photographed on a phone, categorised them and checked them against company policy, flagging a minibar charge that wasn’t reimbursable.
Of course, this raises questions about control, accountability and governance. Getting that right will be every bit as important as the technology.
Business Central is becoming much bigger than ERP
What excites me most is how Business Central fits into the wider Microsoft ecosystem. One demonstration showed Copilot using Business Central information to prepare a briefing on a supplier disruption, create a PowerPoint presentation and draft an email, all in a single conversation.
Another significant announcement was native mirroring of Business Central data into Microsoft Fabric. Businesses will be able to replicate selected data into Microsoft’s analytics platform for easier analysis in Power BI and other tools.
Microsoft also showed Copilot turning a business requirement expressed in ordinary language into a working Business Central extension. It took about a minute. We won’t stop needing developers, but the time between identifying a requirement and testing a solution could become dramatically shorter.
From automation to intelligent business processes
Microsoft emphasised what it calls agentic business processes, where AI agents manage more of the steps in a business task rather than responding to individual instructions.
Take accounts receivable collections. An agent could analyse outstanding debt, identify accounts needing attention, recommend a course of action, initiate communication and check the outcome, with people involved where decisions or exceptions arise. Success would be measured against business outcomes, such as faster collections or fewer disputes.
But businesses need to understand their processes before automating them. There’s little point in using sophisticated technology to make an inefficient process run faster.
So where does that leave ERP partners?
Hopefully not looking for another career! Actually, I think the opposite.
As the technology becomes easier to use, our job becomes less about configuring screens and more about understanding how customers can use technology to run their businesses better. Microsoft’s message to partners was that the opportunity is shifting towards process redesign, AI advisory, integration and helping customers deploy and govern agents.
At epic ERP, we’ve always believed successful implementation starts with understanding the customer’s business. AI makes that even more important. Customers will need guidance on which processes to automate, where AI delivers meaningful returns and how to introduce it without compromising security or control.
What’s coming next?
Not everything Microsoft showed in Paris is available today. Copilot in Business Central is in public preview, with general availability planned for January 2027. Edit with Copilot is in early access for partners, while Business Skills and other agent capabilities will roll out through 2027.
But just because something can be done doesn’t mean every business should rush to implement it. Data quality, security, governance, licensing, integration and organisational readiness all need consideration.
Our approach will be to assess the practical value of these developments and help customers adopt what makes sense for them. The point isn’t AI for the sake of AI.
A different future for ERP
I went to Paris expecting to learn what was next for Business Central. I came back thinking about what might be next for ERP itself.
Business Central is no longer simply becoming a better ERP system. It’s becoming a far more intelligent business platform, and that’s an opportunity for us to help customers make the most of it.
Now I just need to work out how to lose the three kilograms I picked up in Paris. And – diet or no diet – it’s probably the most exciting time to be in ERP!
