Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management – 2026 Release Wave 1

AI  AI becomes part of daily finance and supply chain work

AI is no longer an add-on. It supports processes across your entire value chain.

• What’s new:
AI-supported workflows across finance and supply chain
Context-aware insights across transactions, planning, and operations

• What it means:
Finance teams benefit from automated reconciliations and clearer variance explanations
Supply chain teams gain better visibility into demand and supply risks
Less manual analysis across the organization

Impact: You move from reacting to issues to addressing them earlier and with better insight.

A unified workspace for finance and operations

Microsoft introduces a more structured and role-based way of working.

• What’s new:
Personalized dashboards across Finance and Supply Chain Management
Tasks, risks, and insights are highlighted automatically

• What it means:
Finance, planning, and operations teams work from a shared overview

Less need to switch between systems to understand the full situation

More accurate demand planning

Planning becomes more closely linked to real market behavior.

• What’s new:
Improved analysis of how pricing influences demand
More advanced forecasting models

• What it means:
Better alignment between sales, pricing, and supply chain
Reduced risk of overstock and stockouts

Example: Adjust pricing based on actual demand patterns instead of assumptions.

More reliable supply planning

Planning stability improves significantly.

• What’s new:
Protection of confirmed capable-to-promise dates
Improved planning optimization

• What it means:
More reliable delivery commitments
Fewer last-minute changes in planning

This is especially important for companies with complex production or long lead times.

Stronger connection between financial and operational planning

Finance and operations are becoming more closely aligned.

• What’s new:
Better integration between financial forecasting and operational planning
Improved performance management capabilities

• What it means:
Finance is part of decision-making, not just reporting
Plans reflect both financial and operational realities

Impact: More accurate forecasts and better margin control.

Improved supplier collaboration

Collaboration across the value chain becomes more transparent.

• What’s new:
Enhanced supplier communication and integration
Improved collaboration tools

• What it means:
Better visibility into supplier performance
Faster response to disruptions

This is particularly relevant for global and multi-level supply chains.

More efficient warehouse and logistics processes

Daily operations become faster and more reliable.

• What’s new:
Ongoing improvements in warehouse management and logistics
Better execution speed and accuracy

• What it means:
Faster picking, packing, and shipping
Fewer operational errors

Result: Lower costs and improved service levels.

Faster and more structured financial close

Closing processes continue to improve.

• What’s improving:
More automation in closing and reconciliation
Better tracking of closing activities

• What it means:
Shorter closing cycles
Less reliance on spreadsheets
More reliable reporting

This supports a move toward continuous closing processes.

A stronger data foundation across finance and operations

Reliable data becomes the basis for all improvements.

• What’s new:
Improved data consistency across Finance and Supply Chain Management
Better foundation for analytics and automation

• What it means:
One consistent view of data across the business
Faster and more reliable decision-making

This is what enables automation and AI to deliver real value.

End-to-end visibility across the value chain
The most important change is how everything connects.

• What’s new:
Stronger integration across processes
Improved visibility across the entire value chain

• What it means:
From isolated processes to connected operations
Better ability to respond to disruptions

Example: See the financial impact of a supply chain issue immediately.

Where to focus

This release is not about activating every feature. It is about improving how finance and operations work together.

At BE-terna, we recommend:

1. Start with your processes
   Identify where your biggest challenges are, such as planning, closing, warehouse operations, or supplier management.
2. Prioritize AI where it creates value
   Focus on areas like financial close, demand planning, and supply risk management.
3. Align finance and supply chain teams
   The greatest value comes from collaboration across functions, not isolated improvements.
4. Plan for continuous development
   With Microsoft’s release model, improvement is ongoing rather than a one-time project.

Final thoughts

The 2026 Wave 1 release shows a clear direction for Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management:

• From traditional ERP to a platform that supports decisions across the business
• From isolated processes to connected operations
• From manual work to supported and more efficient processes

The opportunity is significant, but only if you focus on what creates real value in your organization.

Links to official release notes from Microsoft: