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Staying on Top of Dynamics 365 Updates

Microsoft releases major updates for its family of Dynamics 365 business applications twice a year and provides minor incremental updates throughout the year. These updates can include completely new functionality as well as enhancements to existing functionality. For example, recent updates to Microsoft’s ERP products (Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain Management, and Business Central) have included a wide variety of new and enhanced capabilities, such as:  

  • New financial dashboards and additional reporting templates for Excel 

  • Enhancements to make it easier to manage service contracts, warranties, and service order processing 

  • Streamlined and automated intercompany postings and consolidations 

  • Enhancements in warehouse automation, bin management, and inventory tracking. 

  • New tools for production planning, capacity management, and shop floor control. 

  • Enhancements to ensure compliance with regional data protection regulations (for example, GDPR and CCPA)  

  • New or improved administrative tools to manage the application lifecycle 

  • Security enhancements to not only address security vulnerabilities but also add granular role-based privileges to secure the application. 

For cloud subscribers, Microsoft Dynamics 365 updates are automatic. Automatic updates ensure that companies are always running the latest version of the software, giving them access to new features as they are released and the assurance that security vulnerabilities are addressed as they are discovered 

Missing out on new features 

Unfortunately, many system administrators and IT staff have been slow to update business software because it can be complex. As a result, these companies have missed out on utilizing the new features and being protected by security patches. 

Even in companies that have updated their software, some system administrators are slow to turn on new features because they either don’t understand or know about them. Microsoft publishes release notes describing the changes included in upcoming software releases. Still, it can be challenging to keep up with every change and understand the impact each change will have on the company. 

Take the guesswork out of updates 

Dynamics 365 products are complex applications. Western Computer specializes in knowing everything we can about the software. And we know that, for you, software is just a tool to help you run your business. 

That’s why we offer Western Computer’s Managed Support Services. We take all the guesswork out of updates so your team can focus on more important tasks, like running the company. 

Our Managed Support Services will:  

  • Offer guidance on new features that will benefit your company. 

  • Analyze the new release for potential impacts on your operations. 

  • Set up a testing sandbox for cloud deployments so your users can test the new update 

  • Work with your team to develop a test plan to resolve any code conflicts and remediate any issues resulting from the update. 

  • Work with third-party software vendors if the update impacts any software added onto Dynamics 365. 

  • Offer training for your users and administrators on new features and functions included in the update. 

  • Provide technical support to solve production incidents that result from the update. 

Stay on top of new releases with Western Computer’s Managed Support Services. We combine our knowledge of the software with our understanding of your environment to ensure a stress-free update experience every time. 

Contact Western Computer today to learn more about our Managed Support Services. 

About the Author

As Director of Marketing at Western Computer, Amanda Sherry brings a wealth of knowledge from her nine-year tenure in the Microsoft Dynamics space. A seasoned professional who has worked extensively on the partner side, Amanda offers insights into Microsoft Dynamics applications' transformative impact on businesses.

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