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Past issues
Every issue we’ve sent, in order. Miss one, catch up here.
Archive entry: August 2026
Subject: AI Readiness + Planning Long Term Success for Your Business Teaser: AI roadmap previews, smoother upgrades, Success Plans explained, reporting tips, faster payments, fall events, and a squirrel-powered office rescue.
AI corner: make sure AI is useful, safe, and ready
AI is not a someday conversation anymore. The Expense Agent can read receipts. The MCP Server lets agents reach Dynamics 365 data. Copilot is sitting inside the Office apps your team already uses. The real question is not “should we use AI?” It is “where should we use it first, what data can it touch, and what should stay locked down?”
Featured AI webinar: Analyzing your Organization for AI Readiness, August 27. A practical look at where AI fits in your stack, what to turn on first, and what to lock down before you do. Not hype, not a product parade, a real readiness conversation. You’ll also get a first look at our new AI Roadmap offerings: a structured way to identify where AI actually helps, prioritize use cases, estimate value, and set governance guardrails before shadow AI becomes everyone’s unofficial strategy. Register →
Dynamics 365 can now talk to AI. Microsoft is opening new ways for agents to connect to Dynamics 365 data using MCP, including Sales and Business Central. Out of the box, Business Central is read-only. Letting an agent create or change records is a deliberate setup step, which is exactly how it should be. Translation: this is a governance decision as much as a technical one. Learn more about the MCP server for Sales → · Learn more about the MCP server for Business Central →
Copilot quick hits: agents built on the MCP standard now run directly inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on the web. Microsoft 365 Copilot now runs on OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 models, tuned for document and spreadsheet work. Copilot Studio and the Sales, Finance, and Service agent roadmaps now live on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. Browse what Microsoft has planned →
What’s changing next year, in plain terms
We went deep on this last issue. Here’s the short version: a few Microsoft changes land in 2027. None are urgent today. All of them reward a little planning now.
BC connections: older connection methods are going away. If another system talks to Business Central through a standard screen, it needs to move to a supported method before 2027. Custom-built connections are fine.
Azure Key Vault: older management APIs retire. Tools that manage vaults storing your keys and secrets need updating before February 27, 2027 if they’re pinned to older versions.
We’re already reviewing this for the clients we support. Want to know if it affects you? Talk to us.
Test the business-critical pieces before the update window closes
Business Central, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform all move through Microsoft release waves. That means the flows, approvals, integrations, reports, and month-end steps your team depends on deserve a test plan before the update window closes.
Pick the processes that would cause real pain if they stopped working: approvals, notifications, customer handoffs, invoice steps, reporting, automations, or anything with “we’ll fix it later” energy. Then test them before the update, not during it.
The easiest upgrade is the one you planned for. Our Success Plans can include upgrade support, proactive reviews, training, and advisory time so updates feel less like a scramble and more like a rhythm. Bring questions to Power Platform Office Hours →
Success Plans: support built for steady progress, not just emergencies
A Success Plan is our service support subscription for clients who want a steady relationship with TruNova instead of a scramble every time something changes. It combines support hours, a dedicated Account Executive, system reviews, training, and advisory help so your environment stays stable, understood, and moving forward.
- Foundation: dependable ongoing support, annual system touchpoints, training, and refreshers for active environments.
- Momentum: deeper oversight with quarterly reviews, optimization reporting, expanded training, and included Business Central Upgrade Management.
- Partnership: priority response, proactive monitoring, dedicated technical and project support, and strategic help for mission-critical environments.
- Trial: a 30-day way to experience support first-hand before committing.
The goal is simple: fewer fire drills, better upgrade readiness, and a support rhythm that helps your Microsoft systems keep pace with the business. Ask about Success Plans →
Tip from Dave: stop exporting just to look at your data
On any Business Central list page, open the Analyze tab to pivot, group, and filter right in the browser. You can answer questions like “sales by customer this quarter” without building a report or opening Excel.
Tip from David Rhue, BC Pre-Sales.
Want the bigger picture on getting data out of Business Central without creating a spreadsheet swamp? Join the September 22 webinar, Get Data Out of Business Central: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job. Register →
Office hours nudge: find one flow you cannot afford to break
Before Power Platform Wave 2 lands, pick one business-critical flow and trace what it does: trigger, approvals, notifications, data updates, and who gets stuck if it stops. If the answer is “month-end gets weird,” that flow belongs on your test list.
Bring your questions to Power Platform Office Hours on September 17. Join Power Platform Office Hours →
Webinars and office hours
| Session | When |
|---|---|
| Analyzing your Organization for AI Readiness | Aug 27, 2026 |
| Introducing the New Expense Module and Expense Agent for BC | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Business Central Office Hours | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Power Platform Office Hours | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Get Data Out of Business Central: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job | Sep 22, 2026 |
| Confidentiality and MNPI Controls in Dynamics 365 for Private Equity Firms | Sep 29, 2026 |
Client payment portal: autopay for recurring invoices
If your TruNova invoice shows up every month like clockwork, your payment can now do the same. The client payment portal supports autopay for recurring invoices: one less reminder, one less manual step, one less “wait, did we already handle that” moment.
No processing fees when you pay through the portal. Portal payments mark the invoice paid in Business Central as soon as payment is processed.
Have questions about how to access your portal or set up autopay? Talk to your Account Executive and they’ll point you in the right direction. Talk to your Account Executive →
Where to find us this fall
Featured event: Community Summit NA 2026. October 11 to 15, 2026, Nashville, Tennessee. The largest independent Microsoft Business Applications user conference. Sessions across Business Central, Power Platform, and Dynamics that are worth the trip on their own. Our team will be there. Save 15% with code TruNorthDy15. Register →
Small Business Expos, this fall
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV. Event details → |
| Sep 18, 2026 | San Diego, CA. Event details → |
| Sep 30, 2026 | LA / Pasadena, CA. Event details → |
ISV showcase: Hubdrive
If your HR still lives in a separate system, this one is worth a look. Hubdrive is a complete HR management solution built right inside Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform: recruiting and onboarding from applicant tracking to the first day, staff administration with digital employee files, contracts, and leave, and time and attendance, employee self-service, and talent management. For a business already committed to Microsoft, the appeal is simple: one less disconnected silo. Learn more about Hubdrive →
TruNovela: our monthly workplace drama
Every office has a saga. Missing invoices. Mystery approvals. A spreadsheet that somehow knows too much. This month, the TruNovela crew faces the kind of operational chaos that starts with “this can’t be happening” and ends with connected data, automated approvals, and a much happier team. Episode 1: Crisis resolved, starring Dynamics 365, Power Platform, real-time insights, and several emotionally invested squirrels.
Joke of the month
Why did the squirrel love Power Automate? Because it finally stopped chasing the same approval around the tree.
Archive entry: July 2026
Subject: Meet TruNova Teaser: A new name, an Expense Agent worth watching, two 2027 deadlines to put on the calendar now, and a small automation that saved one client’s month-end.
A note from Ole
Hi everyone,
I hope the first half of your fiscal year has been a good one. Summer means sunshine, vacations, busy calendars, and at least one “I’ll be out next week” email hiding in every inbox.
As your teams cruise through summer mode, know that we’re still here and ready to support you. Whether your office is fully staffed, half staffed, or running on iced coffee and auto-replies, we’re available when you need us.
We also have some news to share: we’re transitioning to a new name, TruNova. We’re happy about this next chapter, and you’ll start seeing the TruNova name appear as we move through the rebrand. Same team, same commitment, fresh name, brighter future. More on that below.
Thank you, as always, for trusting us and letting us be part of your Microsoft journey.
Wishing you a successful second half of the year, a few well-earned days off, and at least one meeting that could have been an email actually becoming an email.
Warmly, Ole Gjerde, CEO
Meet TruNova: same team, bigger mission
We’re excited to share that we’re becoming TruNova.
Tru is the part you already know: real partnership, real direction, real people who care about getting the work right. Nova is the spark: new energy, fresh thinking, and a new chapter for the work we’re building with you.
What’s changing: a clearer brand and a sharper focus on Microsoft enablement. What’s not: your support, contacts, active projects, phone numbers, contracts, invoices, or the people who know your environment.
Our work has grown beyond being just another consulting firm. We’re focused on becoming your Microsoft enablement partner, the team that helps you connect the dots across Business Central, Power Platform, reporting, automation, security, and the everyday operational moments where technology either helps or gets in the way.
You’ll see TruNova appear gradually through the rebrand. During the transition, you’ll see us as “TruNova, powered by TruNorth Dynamics.” TruNorth Dynamics remains the legal entity, so contracts, invoices, and agreements are unaffected.
Good to know: you can pay invoices online with no fees. The link is on your invoice, or your Account Executive can get you set up.
Feature spotlight: Expense Management, now with an Expense Agent
Business Central is rolling out Expense Management, and the headline is the Expense Agent. An employee uploads a receipt in the web app, and the agent reads it, categorizes it, and creates the expense, receipt to recorded expense, with almost no typing required.
It handles the parts that usually cause friction: receipts attached as images or PDFs with a preview on the expense card, itemizations for line-by-line breakdowns, participants for categories like business meals, mileage and per diem calculated from configured rates, and billable expenses that turn into a customer sales invoice when the report posts.
It’s a production-ready preview today, so you can start testing ahead of general availability. Register for the webinar → for a live look.
Roadmap watch: Microsoft publishes its release plans in the open, so you can see what’s landing across Business Central, Power Platform, and the rest of the stack before it ships. Browse upcoming features →
Upcoming events and activities
Featured event: Community Summit NA 2026 October 11 to 15, 2026, Nashville, Tennessee. The largest independent Microsoft Business Applications user conference, with sessions across Business Central, Power Platform, and Dynamics. Our team will be there. Register →
Small Business Expos, this fall
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV |
| Sep 18, 2026 | San Diego, CA |
| Sep 30, 2026 | LA / Pasadena, CA |
Webinars and office hours
| Session | When (Central) |
|---|---|
| Introducing the Payables Agent for Business Central | Aug 4, 2026, 12:00 PM |
| Power Platform Office Hours | Aug 5, 2026, 12:00 PM |
| Business Central Office Hours | Aug 12, 2026, 12:00 PM |
| Analyzing Your Organization for AI Readiness | Aug 27, 2026, 11:30 AM |
| Introducing the New Expense Management Module and Expense Agent | Sep 1, 2026, 11:30 AM |
On your radar: changes coming to Business Central and Azure
Two deadlines worth putting on the calendar now. Not sure if you’re affected? Reach out to your Account Executive to review.
OData on Microsoft pages is going away, April 2027 (Business Central v30). After that, only custom pages your developers build can be published as OData. Microsoft-authored pages won’t support it. SOAP endpoints are already blocked by default in v26 and removed entirely in v29 (October 2026). Any integration reading or writing data through a standard BC page will stop working once the deadline hits. What to do now: audit your web services for incoming OData calls, move integrations to standard BC APIs where one exists, build a custom API page in AL where none fits, and test before the deadline.
Azure Key Vault: RBAC becomes the default, old API versions retire, February 27, 2027. Every Key Vault control plane API version before 2026-02-01 retires that date. Vaults keep existing, but only manageable with the newer API. New vaults default to RBAC starting with that version; existing vaults and access policies stay as they are until changed. What to do now: inventory your vaults, update infrastructure templates and scripts to the current API version, and consider migrating access-policy vaults to RBAC.
The real fix: manual problem, right-sized automation
Every month, one Business Central client had to import a batch of entries from another system by hand. The usual options weren’t great: Excel meant someone babysitting a spreadsheet, a full API integration meant a big build for a small job.
So we built the small thing that actually fit: a Power Automate flow that checks a SharePoint folder every 15 minutes, imports new entries into the general ledger, and archives the file once the import succeeds. Nobody has to remember to run it. The fix is rarely the biggest tool. It’s the right-sized one.
Got a monthly task that shouldn’t still be manual? Tell us what it is →
Closing line
Want more than once a month? The blog has everything, updated as it happens.
