Managing Complexities with D365 Business Central Integration

One of six Executive Roundtables at this year’s Community Summit NA, “Managing Complexities with D365 Business Central Integration,” allowed a select group of attendees to learn and share their experiences with integration challenges, workflow efficiency, and the growing role of AI in business operations.

Representing Microsoft was Kennie Pontoppidan, Principal Program Manager at the company, while Scott Vaughan, Chief Market Officer and Dynamic Communities Consultant, moderated the discussion. Syvantis was the underwriter of the program.

Many attendees were preparing to migrate from Dynamics GP to Dynamics 365 Business Central and wanted practical guidance on planning a successful shift and connecting systems effectively. The audience spanned many industries, including a dump truck brokerage company, Medieval Times, and school boards, with finance professionals particularly well represented.

While the discussion was certainly varied, participants highlighted four recurring integration challenges. These included handoffs between users, error management, data dispersion, and data validation.

AI Adoption and Governance

Vaughan asked attendees how their organizations were approaching AI. Some were optimistic about their ChatGPT experience but keen to explore more development-focused tools. However, a common stumbling block was securing approval for solutions beyond more widely accessible tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot. Others described establishing separate AI user and governance groups.

The discussion highlighted the need for clear policies and accountability, with Vaughan warning against letting adoption advocates drive AI governance exclusively. Drawing on key points from previous Roundtables, he advised keeping governance practical, capturing discussions efficiently, and avoiding oversized committees that add complexity without delivering results.

Attendees also highlighted that AI should be treated as a tool — not a universal solution. Organizations still need subject-matter experts who understand their processes and can determine where AI adds value.

Choosing the Right Approach to AI

A recurring concern was client pressure to “use AI” without defining the problem, desired outcomes, or business value. The group stressed that adoption should begin with a clear business need. Again, as this was a familiar conclusion in previous sessions, the group agreed that predictable, repeatable processes require conventional automation, which is more appropriate than AI. The right approach depends on the task, its risks, and the outcomes required.

One attendee shared an example of an accounts payable process where AI automation removed human review, leading to major errors. The lesson was clear: Don’t assume AI outputs are accurate, especially in critical financial workflows.

At the same time, AI can broaden access to development, letting employees outside IT contribute to process improvements. However, that opportunity must be balanced with appropriate security controls, governance, and human oversight.

Building Tools, Not Unnecessary Complexity

Pontoppidan highlighted an alternative approach: use AI to generate code for deterministic tools rather than allowing AI to execute sensitive operations directly. This can help address inefficient processes while limiting exposure to sensitive data and reducing risk.

He described a “build and throw away” approach, in which teams create temporary, task-specific tools and discard them once the job is complete.

AI can now help people create, use, and discard code more quickly. Technical expertise remains valuable, but teams may no longer need to build and maintain a permanent solution for every issue.

The session’s overarching message was that successful integration and effective AI adoption both depend on first understanding the business problem and identifying the most appropriate solution.

However, this and all the other Executive Roundtables had another standout feature: peer collaboration. Attendees shared experiences and practical advice beyond the contributions of the official speakers. Clearly, many of these conversations will continue beyond the formal meeting suite, through one-to-one discussions between attendees — capturing the true essence of community at Community Summit.