Hello everyone. I want to share with you a list of 6 + 1 simple and useful tips that can help improve the efficiency and usability of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management ERP system without any customizations or settings. These are simple tips, available to every user, and ones that I personally use in my daily work with the system.

Tip 1. Save your views

Not everyone finds it convenient to use forms in the way they are set up in the system by default. Therefore, Microsoft has provided a flexible and powerful mechanism that allows you to customize forms according to your and each user needs. You can adjust the visibility of fields, enable or disable fields for editing, add new fields, or change the order of fields. Additionally, you can make certain fields mandatory. For example, you cannot create an item without a code, but you can create an item without a name. If you don’t want anyone to create no-names items, you can make this field mandatory on the creation form. No modification or developer intervention is required!

To ensure that every time a user opens a form, they see a version tailored specifically to them, they need to save it and set it as default. The button to save personalized settings is available on every form:

Tip 2. Pin menu to favorites

The second tip is simple but can significantly reduce your workload and improve efficiency when working with the system. If you mainly work with only few forms, you can mark them as Favorites by clicking the star next to the menu item. After that, you won’t need to navigate through the main menu to access them—they will be readily available in the Favorites tab for quick access.

Tip 3. Personalize workspaces

There’s a more advanced version of the previous tip, which makes working with forms even more convenient. If, when accessing a list form, you frequently apply different filters, you can save them in your workspace, so they are always available in one place with a single click.

Creating a workspace is very simple. On the homepage, use the personalization feature and click the "+ Add page" button, enter a name, and click OK.

Adding new blocks and lists to the workspace is easy too. You can add widgets, lists, and even create charts. You can find more details about the available features on the Microsoft Learn portal.

For example, set the filters you are interested in on the sales orders list. Save the current form view, go to the Options tab in the menu, and use the Add to workspace button. Choose the workspace you created from the list and select the display type.

Here’s what the Title and List types look like:

Tip 4. Keyboard Shortcuts

Let’s move on from personalization to other system features that enhance convenience and efficiency. Many actions in the system have keyboard shortcuts, and knowing and using them can make interacting with the system faster and easier.
To view all (almost all, to be honest) available keyboard shortcuts on any form, select the “View shortcuts” menu.

Here are some I regularly use:

• Alt + N: Creates a new record. Of course, this is the most commonly used shortcut.
• Ctrl + G: Opens the filter window for the field where the cursor is located. Unfortunately, it doesn't automatically insert the search text if it was previously selected.
• Alt + Q: Many might not know about this feature, not just the keyboard shortcut. It’s a special search field that helps you find the required button in the menu. It can be very useful and save a lot of time.
• F2: Switches between Edit mode and View mode.
• Esc: Closes the current form and takes you back to the homepage.

Additionally, here are two shortcuts that aren’t in the list, but they might be useful to you:

• Ctrl + F2: Opens a menu with related information (not available on all forms, but you can check the Released products form for an example).
• Ctrl + F3: Opens the filter menu on the right side of the form.

It’s interesting to note that these two combinations don’t have an inverse function, meaning you’ll need to manually close those forms using the on-screen buttons.
A full list of keyboard shortcuts is also available here: Microsoft Learn Shortcut Keys

Tip 5. Excel Add-in for simple data

If you often have to create several records in simple linear reference tables, this tip is for you.
Open the reference table in Excel (e.g., a batch reference table). By the way, there’s a keyboard shortcut for this too, but in my opinion, it’s not very convenient: Ctrl+Shift+E.

The Table will open in Excel, where you can generate the required number of new records using Excel's full range of tools (The most powerful tool ever!) and publish the changes back to the reference table.

This is very convenient, especially if the reference data has sequential numbers or if, for example, you receive a list in Excel from an external system. It can save on integration costs.

Tip 6. Clever guide with Copilot

In version 10.0.42, the ability to train Copilot was introduced. Now, Copilot can respond not only using information from Microsoft but also from documents that you upload.

For example, if you have customized a process or are using the standard process differently than Microsoft recommends, don’t worry—Copilot will still be able to assist. Just describe your process in a document, provide it to Copilot, and it will respond based on the information in your document.

This is very convenient and significantly speeds up the onboarding process for new employees, so they no longer need to dig through manuals to find the right section. 

But be careful—don’t teach Copilot bad habits! 😊

Bonus 6+1 Tip. Activity Tracking

ERP is a complex accounting system that automates key business processes that affect the efficiency of the business. A large number of users increases the risk of errors due to human factors.

Fortunately, the system includes a database log where many changes can be tracked. Sometimes it becomes critically important to understand which actions (user or system-related) led to a particular outcome, to prevent it from happening again.

However, it’s important to note that the more fields are saved in the log, the more it burdens the database and slows down system performance, and the log itself may no longer open in a reasonable amount of time. Moreover, much of the information is saved in a format that is difficult for users to interpret—for example, warehouse and financial analytics are stored as internal system codes. A key parameter like security roles is not saved in the history at all.

Fortunately, on Microsoft AppSource, you can find a simple add-in called ADBL for the database log, which solves these and many other problems. The Advanced Database Log (ADBL) improves the performance of the log and presents the information in a format that is understandable and useful for users and support staff.

That’s it with the tips for today. I hope you found something new in my small tips and that you will now be able to use the most powerful and functional ERP system on the market even more effectively.