BC Copilot for finance — what UK SMB FDs should actually expect

Copilot is now built into Business Central online. This guide sets out what Microsoft says Copilot is, which features matter most to a UK finance director, and where to be careful.

Key PointCopilot can only see what the user can already see. Permissions you set for people apply to Copilot too.

What Copilot in Business Central is

Microsoft's Copilot FAQ answers the questions finance teams ask first:

• Cost. Copilot is included with your Business Central licence at no extra cost, although Microsoft says fair-use policies, quotas or pricing might be introduced later.
• Where it runs. Copilot is only available in Business Central online, not on-premises.
• Data access. Copilot inherits the user's permissions and cannot read any more data than that user already can.
• Availability. Each feature has its own supported regions and languages, listed on Microsoft's availability page.

Features that matter to finance

Microsoft documents a growing list of Copilot features. These are the ones most finance teams look at first:

• Reconcile bank accounts with Copilot. Our article on bank reconciliation in Business Central covers the wider process.
• Map e-documents to purchase order lines with Copilot.
• The Payables Agent, which watches a mailbox for vendor invoices and drafts purchase invoices for a person to review. Unlike the core Copilot features, agents use Copilot Credits, which can incur charges.
• Analysis assist, which helps you analyse data in lists.
• Summarise with Copilot, for a quick overview of a record.

Pro TipCheck the availability page for each feature before you plan around it. Regions and languages differ by feature.

Copilot in Business Central versus Copilot for Finance

Microsoft draws a line between the two. Copilot in Business Central works inside Business Central and is unaware of your Microsoft 365 data.

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Finance is a separate product that works in the Microsoft 365 apps and can connect to Business Central for scenarios such as collecting outstanding balances.

Where to be careful

Copilot's output is a draft, not a finished answer. A finance team should review it before it goes into a report, a payment or a customer message.

The quality of what Copilot works with matters too. Clean master data and consistent dimensions make every Business Central feature more useful, Copilot included.

If Copilot will handle personal data, the ICO's guidance on AI and data protection sets out what to consider.

Watch OutTreat every Copilot output as a draft. Review it before it reaches a report, a payment or a customer.

Next steps

Start with one feature that saves real time, such as bank reconciliation, and measure it before switching on the rest. Our article on the Expense Agent looks at another of Microsoft's agents.

For independent guidance on finance technology, see the ICAEW technology resources. To talk through Copilot in your own Business Central setup, start with our free Business Central review.