Nikoo Samadi
Sales orders are often messy. Emails come in. Someone copies the details. You check inventory manually. You enter everything into Business Central. Mistakes happen. Orders get delayed. The process is slow, repetitive, and easy to get wrong. Microsoft is introducing a new feature called Sales Order Agent to help with this.
It’s built into the latest update of Business Central and designed to reduce the manual work behind order entry. Instead of typing each line or switching between screens, the system takes on more of the work.
In this blog, you’ll learn what this new Sales Order Agent is, how it works, and what changes once you start using it. If your order management process feels stuck, this may be the step forward you need.
What Is the Sales Order Agent in Business Central?
The Sales Order Agent in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a new feature introduced in 2025 Release Wave 1 (version 26). It automates order intake using AI and is available in Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
The copilot sales order agent connects to a shared mailbox and monitors incoming customer emails requesting quotes or orders. When it detects an inquiry, it:
- Identifies the customer in Business Central
- Checks item availability and pricing
- Drafts a quote, attaches it as a PDF, and sends it for approval
- Converts the confirmed quote into a sales order and emails confirmation to the customer
The system handles back-and-forth emails if details are missing, asking for clarification or updating the quote. It tracks every step in a timeline view visible in the Copilot pane. Users review and confirm actions before final order creation.
It’s described as a production-ready preview feature that reduces manual data entry, speeds up processing, and lowers errors while keeping users in control.
The Problem – Manual Chaos in Sales Order Management
Without a tool like the sales order agent, this kind of manual process eats up valuable time. In many companies, the workflow still depends on a chain of manual tasks. A customer sends an email. Someone reads it, copies the details into Business Central, checks product availability, then creates a quote or order.
This process is slow. It ties up time, especially when staff have to double-check product codes, inventory, or pricing. A missed detail or wrong entry can delay delivery, confuse the customer, or require rework later.
It’s not just about speed, it’s about consistency. Every manual step adds the risk of small mistakes, especially when the workload grows or multiple people handle the same order. It also makes it harder to track what’s been done and what’s still pending.
Example:
A small e-commerce company shared that processing a single sales order manually would take around 15–20 minutes. That included copying email details, verifying product availability, pricing, and sending confirmation. After implementing the sales order agent, they reported a 30% drop in processing time and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction, allowing their team to focus on closing deals instead of data entry.
The result is frustration for the team managing orders and for customers waiting on them.
How the Sales Order Agent Solves It
The Dynamics 365 sales order agent changes how sales orders are handled by taking over repetitive tasks. Instead of relying on someone to read emails and retype everything, the agent scans the message, identifies the customer, matches the products, and checks inventory and prices. It then prepares a draft quote and all inside Business Central.
You still review and approve each quote, but the system handles the heavy lifting. It also keeps a record of the steps it takes, so you can see what it did and why. This adds transparency without creating more admin work.
If any details are unclear, the agent can send a follow-up email asking for missing information before continuing. Once everything is confirmed, the quote turns into a sales order, and the customer gets a confirmation, without delays.
What Makes This Different from Past Features?
Compared to previous solutions, the sales order agent introduces end-to-end automation without needing custom code. It automates sales order tasks, reading emails, finding customers, checking availability, drafting quotes, and converting orders while keeping you in control. That’s a step up from previous tools, which left most of those tasks to be done manually.
Key differences from older order tools:
True end-to-end automation
The sales order agent handles everything from email intake to order creation. Older tools required humans to enter data at each stage.
AI-based email processing
It can read incoming messages, extract order details, and even handle clarifying follow-ups if information is missing or ambiguous.
Built-in user oversight
The sales order agent pauses at key steps so you can review quotes or order drafts. It logs all actions in a timeline within the Copilot pane. You see exactly what happened and why before approving.
No custom coding required
Setup is done through Business Central’s interface. You link a shared mailbox, assign permissions, and define whether the agent should send emails, generate quotes, or convert orders and it’s ready to go.
Flexible and adaptive
Instead of hard-coded logic, the agent uses UI metadata and AI to dynamically interact with standard and custom fields even error messages and adjust its behavior accordingly.
These improvements make the Sales Order Agent a major advance over older “manual-plus-template” tools. It delivers automation, accuracy, and transparency, all built inside Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Simplify Your Decision with GEM365
Get in touch with GEM365 to guide you through the process and get consultation for free.
How to Get Started with the Sales Order Agent
Setting up the Sales Order Agent is straightforward. Here’s how you get started:
- Confirm your Business Central version 26 environment is in a supported region:
Canada, the U.S., UK, Australia, or New Zealand. - Set up a Microsoft 365 mailbox (shared or user mailbox) to receive sales requests. Grant the agent full access and send permissions on that mailbox.
- In Business Central, activate the agent:
- Go to Copilot & agent capabilities
- Enable Sales Order Agent under the previews section
- Once enabled, an icon appears in the Role Center.
- Configure the agent:
- Open the agent icon, click Activate
- Toggle Monitor incoming information
- Select the mailbox to monitor
- Choose which steps need user review—such as quote creation or order conversion
- Turn on the Active toggle to launch the agent.
- Assign user permissions:
- Only one agent per company is allowed, but you can grant multiple users access
- Add users under Manage user access, with roles for configuring or reviewing tasks.
- Optional sandbox setting:
- In test environments, turn on the Allow HttpClient Requests toggle in Sales Order Agent extension settings to ensure full functionality.
Once set up, the agent runs in the background, monitoring the mailbox every 20 seconds. It identifies sales requests, creates tasks and timelines in the Copilot pane, and handles email workflows, automating quotes and orders as configured.
Final Thoughts
Manual sales order entry slows down teams and increases the risk of mistakes. The new Sales Order Agent in Business Central offers a way to reduce that friction. It automates routine steps, keeps the process visible, and leaves you in control of key decisions.
You don’t need to change your entire system to use it. The agent fits into your current setup, works with shared mailboxes, and respects your existing workflows.
If your team spends too much time on admin, this tool gives them a better way to manage orders. It’s simple to set up, easy to monitor, and flexible enough to handle real business needs.
Table of Contents
Read more
Forbes Reveals the Best Cloud ERP: Here’s Why Business Central Wins
How the Microsoft Power Apps Platform Transforms Manual Processes
Top Power Automate Workflows Every Business Should Use in 2025
