Copilot Agents: The Smart Power Behind Your Workday
We are on the brink of a new technological revolution. Just as we now look back in amazement at the world before the PC, soon we will wonder how we ever managed to work without AI. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is leading the way in this development with integrated AI features such as Copilot and autonomous Agents. These tools streamline workflows and have the potential to boost both creativity and productivity.
They also help medium-sized companies achieve more with less effort. For businesses in industries such as fashion, the smart use of Agents is a golden opportunity to stay one step ahead of the competition.
What are Copilot Agents?
AI has become a technological phenomenon with a broad societal impact, influencing how we shop, work, and travel. Instead of wandering through a city for hours in search of the best sights and restaurants, we now plan routes and shortlist favorites using apps powered by AI functionalities. Ignoring AI is no longer an option for companies that want to remain relevant in today’s “digital-first” era. Tech giant Microsoft is also moving rapidly by integrating AI (Copilot and Agents) across its ecosystem.
Copilot is an AI assistant integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem. Copilot Agents take it a step further, offering even more AI capabilities: they are specialized, task-oriented AI solutions within Microsoft’s portfolio designed to execute business processes independently, quickly, and flawlessly. These Agents are fully embedded in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, where they can completely automate processes.
Copilot and Copilot Agents in action
Several Agents are already available, or will be released soon, to support various business processes. In addition, Copilot Studio allows organizations to develop custom Agents tailored to their specific processes or workflows. Here are a few examples:
The Sales Order Agent: Processing Orders from Emails
Does your sales team regularly receive orders or requests for quotes via email? The Sales Order Agent automatically reads such emails, identifies the customer in the system, and, if necessary, initiates a dialogue to request missing details or suggest alternatives. It then checks the stock availability of the requested items and generates a complete quote in PDF format, including all agreed details such as quantities, prices, delivery times, and references. The Agent even drafts the accompanying email—you just need to review and send it.
The Sales Order Agent works in the background but never acts without human approval. This gives you the best of both worlds: speed and fewer errors through intelligent automation, combined with human expertise as the final check.
The Payables Agent: Automating Invoice Processing
Finance departments also benefit from advanced AI. The new Payables Agent—expected in preview in 2025—automates time-consuming tasks related to vendor invoices. This digital assistant continuously searches for incoming invoices, whether sent to a dedicated AP email address or stored in SharePoint. The Agent imports each invoice in PDF format into Business Central, where Azure Document Intelligence (OCR technology) extracts the relevant data. Based on this information, the Payables Agent automatically creates a posting suggestion, using your company’s historical purchasing data and posting rules to ensure costs are allocated correctly. A finance team member only needs to review the proposal and approve the invoice with a single click.
The advantages are clear: less time spent manually retyping invoice data, reduced risk of errors, and a finance department that can focus on exceptions and analysis instead of routine data entry.
Identifying Leads & Collaboration
Agents can also act as valuable digital assistants for your sales team. By automatically researching and identifying potential leads and analyzing which have the highest chance of conversion, the AI assistant saves sales professionals significant preparation time. This allows them to focus on meaningful conversations and relationship building.
Individual Agents can also collaborate to form complete processes. For example, one Agent scans all email traffic, another drafts quotes, while a third prepares the accompanying email for you to send. Together, they make the entire process smarter and far less time- and labor-intensive.
Reaping the Benefits of Copilot Agents
The pace of technological development and adoption is accelerating—from PCs to the internet, mobile phones, cloud computing, and now AI. Medium-sized businesses can no longer afford to ignore these innovations, as Agents are increasingly transforming the way ERP software is used.
The smartest approach? Start small and experiment, so you can experience firsthand what Copilot and autonomous Agents have to offer. Identify suitable processes, and invest sufficient time in education and adoption to ensure smooth collaboration between people and virtual assistants. At TCOG, we recognize the impact of AI and remain closely aligned with Microsoft. Companies that embrace and apply today’s and tomorrow’s AI developments will be better prepared for the future and stand out in a competitive market. As an experienced implementation partner with in-depth industry knowledge, TCOG is ready to help you make the most of Copilot and Agent technology within your trusted Business Central environment.
Want to know more and explore the exciting world of Copilot and Copilot Agents with us?
Feel free to contact our experts for more information.