From the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central blogs: Advanced Tell Me; Item variant management; Database optimization; Why D365BC AI projects fail

In this week's Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central blogs:

• Feature Management in BC: Advanced Tell Me Search
• Improved item variant management with pictures and attributes
• Database optimization: SQL indexing best practices
• Why most Business Central AI projects will fail

Feature Management in BC: Advanced Tell Me Search

On The Dynamics Mindset, Microsoft MVP David Laster explained that he advises the use of the “Advanced Search” feature now because it’s better than “Tell Me” in several ways and lets users “have BC talk and interact with you on your terms,” rather than relying on keyword searching. 

This benefit is especially important to teams moving from GP to BC, he wrote, since the terminology changes between the ERPs can create hurdles to user adoption. 

If you came to Business Central from Dynamics GP and you've ever hit Alt + Q, typed what you know the thing is called, and gotten back a big fat nothing…you're not crazy. You typed the GP word. BC wanted the BC word. And so you did what we all do - you closed Tell Me and went clicking through the menus like it was GP on a Citrix session in 2009.

In the post, Laster reviews two ways to access Advanced Search, clarifies more about what makes the GP mindset a particular challenge, and specific ways that his recommended approach helps users. He then described how to enable the feature.

How Business Central 2026 improves item variant management with pictures and attributes

Writing on his blog, Saurav Dhyani stated that many organizations sell products that are available in different colors, sizes, materials, packaging, or styles. Instead of creating a separate item for every version, they use item variants to keep the item list simpler.