Nikoo Samadi
Although many teams use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on a daily basis, the majority only use a small portion of its capabilities. Numerous updates that make work faster and cleaner were added in the 2025 release, but many are overlooked. You simply need to activate the built-in Business Central features that increase visibility, reduce manual labor, and streamline reporting.
Five Business Central features that you’re most likely not using are highlighted in this guide. Each one addresses a common problem, such as slow pages, repetitive tasks, or unnecessary clicks. They aren’t flashy tools. Rather, they improve the dependability and efficiency of everyday procedures.
The 2025 Wave 1 release notes from Microsoft and partner insights provided by ArcherPoint, Solsyst, and the Microsoft Dynamics community are the sources of these examples. You’ll discover how each feature functions, when to use it, and its significance. These suggestions can help you make the most of your current system, regardless of whether you oversee operations, sales, or finance.
By the end, you’ll see how minor adjustments, such as resizing a pane or previewing files, can make every task take only a few minutes. Each week, those minutes add up to hours.
Feature #1: Calculate Only Visible FlowFields
In Business Central, performance is frequently the unseen issue. Pages with a lot of calculated fields may become sluggish, particularly as lists get bigger. Microsoft added a new setting in the 2025 release to address this: Calculate only visible FlowFields.
FlowFields are virtual fields that show calculation results, like remaining quantities or sales totals. When you open a page, they compute the data instead of storing it in the table. Business Central used to compute every FlowField on a page, including those hidden behind collapsed columns. Reports and list views may be slowed down by that additional processing.
Only what you see on the screen is now calculated by the system. This results in faster load times and more fluid scrolling, particularly on pages with a lot of FlowFields or role centers. This behavior can be turned on or off in the Feature Management section. Microsoft’s official release notes and community documentation confirm that it is accessible from Dynamics 365 Business Central 2025 Wave 1.
Importantly, without altering users’ workflow, this minor feature increases productivity. In addition, it can speed up and stabilize navigation for teams that depend on lengthy item lists or custom pages.
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Feature #2: Resize the FactBox Pane and Save Per User
Every user in many organizations requires a unique Business Central view. While a sales user only needs quick access to customer data, a finance manager might want to view every detail of the ledger. The FactBox pane, the information panel on the right side of most pages, had a fixed layout until recently.
That changed with the 2025 Wave 1 release. The FactBox pane can now be resized and saved with the user’s desired width. The system remembers it for that user and that page once it is set. This implies that Business Central adapts to people’s actual working methods rather than the other way around.
FactBoxes show relevant information like posted entries, contact details, and item availability. Although they are useful, they can clog the screen, particularly on smaller screens. Resizing enables users to concentrate on the most important data. Although it’s a minor adjustment, it enhances the reading experience and lessens the need to navigate between tabs or scroll.
To test it, open any list page (like Customers or Sales Orders) and drag the divider between the FactBox pane and the list. The width you select will not change when you reopen the page.
Furthermore, this feature demonstrates Microsoft’s emphasis on usability and was highlighted in ArcherPoint’s review of the 2025 updates. As a result, it significantly improves everyday navigation without altering the data model.
Feature #3: Preview PDF Attachments in the Web Client
For a lot of companies, quotes, purchase orders, invoices, and receipts are the foundation of every procedure. Prior to 2025, in order to view attachments in Business Central, you had to download the file and open it in a separate window. Even though it was a tiny step, it was repeated dozens of times every day.
Users can now preview PDF attachments directly in the web client with Business Central 2025 Wave 1. A preview window will appear on the page when you open a record that has a linked file, like a posted invoice. It is not necessary to save the file locally or exit Business Central.
This enhancement can be found in both the ArcherPoint overview of new Business Central features and Microsoft’s official documentation.
This improvement streamlines everyday tasks for teams managing high document volumes, like those in finance or procurement. Although it’s not a standout feature, Microsoft’s shift to efficiency—fewer clicks, a more seamless flow, and less context switching—is evident in this feature.
This and other minor improvements bring Business Central’s features closer to the way users actually use the system.
Feature #4: Track and Rebill Quantity Changes in Subscriptions
Accuracy is essential to subscription-based business models. Billing errors that require hours to correct can be caused by an outdated price or a missed quantity change. Microsoft introduced Dynamics 365 Business Central 2025 Wave 1 with the following new feature to lessen those problems: Track and rebill quantity changes in subscriptions.
This feature enhances the system’s handling of recurring or usage-based items. Business Central can now automatically recalculate and rebill the difference when a customer’s subscription changes, such as adding more licenses, reducing seats, or changing a service quantity. In the past, users had to use external spreadsheets or manually modify invoices.
Even when changes occur in the middle of the cycle, the update maintains consistency in revenue recognition and customer billing. Businesses that sell bundled or tiered products—where quantity influences price—benefit from it as well.
This feature can be activated in the Subscription Management configuration. Any change in quantity during a subscription period after it has become active results in an adjustment entry. The next invoice or credit memo from Business Central then shows the updated amount.
In its official community announcement, Microsoft described this enhancement in detail and linked it to its larger initiative to improve recurring-revenue support.
For companies offering software, maintenance, or service subscriptions, this is a practical way to improve accuracy without extra work. It’s one of those Business Central features that pays off quietly—through fewer manual corrections and more reliable billing.
Feature #5: Import Item Images in Bulk
Although uploading product photos one at a time can take hours, they help users and customers recognize items more quickly. However, Microsoft subtly resolved this issue with a feature that many people overlook—bulk image import.
Using filenames that correspond to item numbers or IDs, you can import multiple item images at once with this Business Central feature. It operates directly from the Item List page and is accessible in the base application. Specifically, you just create an image folder, zip it, and use the Import Item Pictures action to upload it. Then, Business Central automatically attaches each image to the corresponding item record.
As a result, businesses with large inventories save a lot of time, especially when syncing data with supplier catalogs or e-commerce platforms. In addition, users can complete the task in minutes rather than spending a full day manually adding pictures. Furthermore, because each image is automatically mapped to the correct item code, consistency is improved.
Bulk import is one of the most underutilized features in the system, according to Solsyst’s guide to hidden Business Central features. Although it’s not new, many teams avoid it because they believe Power Automate or extensions are necessary for image management.
Overall, this integrated tool simplifies data entry and works right out of the box. Consequently, it demonstrates how Business Central features frequently go unnoticed despite being ready to speed up, simplify, and reduce repetitive daily tasks.
Bonus or Runner-Up Features
In addition to the five primary examples, the 2025 release included a number of smaller Business Central features that enhance departmental usability. These streamline daily processes and lower friction, but they don’t garner much attention.
The field zoom feature is one helpful addition. Business Central now opens a detailed view displaying the data source in that field when users press Ctrl+Alt+F1. It’s a fast way to find the source of numbers without having to flip through several pages.
Workflows for approvals have also been quietly improved. Administrators can now save time when creating variations for various document types by cloning existing workflows. This lowers setup errors and preserves consistency.
The features of the mini CRM are also constantly changing. Smaller teams that do not require the full Dynamics 365 Sales module can benefit from structured relationship tracking provided by the Contact and Interaction tables, which are frequently disregarded.
Last but not least, Microsoft expanded customization choices. Users can move columns, bookmark filtered views, and hide entire sidebars. Each person can better customize Business Central to fit their role with these minor tweaks.
All of these modifications support Microsoft’s continuous objective of making Business Central quicker, more understandable, and simpler to use on a daily basis. They make every task a bit more efficient, but they might not alter the way you operate your company.
How to Discover More Hidden Features
Business Central changes fast. Microsoft releases two major updates each year, known as Wave 1 and Wave 2. Each release brings dozens of new or improved Business Central features, many of which never make it into everyday use because users don’t know they exist.
The best place to track updates is the official Microsoft Learn site and the Dynamics 365 Community blog. These sources publish clear release plans, feature lists, and examples of how to enable new options through the Feature Management page.
Partner blogs, such as ArcherPoint, Solsyst, and the Microsoft Dynamics Community, also summarize new releases in practical terms. They often point out which features are turned off by default, and which are ready to use immediately.
For teams with sandbox environments, it’s worth testing new capabilities early. Many of the most valuable Business Central features—like FlowField optimization or PDF previews—start as optional toggles before becoming standard.
Staying curious and checking those sources a few times a year can reveal features that quietly make your system faster, simpler, and easier to manage.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers more than most users realize. The five features highlighted here—Calculate Only Visible FlowFields, Resizing FactBoxes, PDF previews, Subscription rebilling, and Bulk Image Import—show how small adjustments can save time, reduce errors, and improve daily workflows.
Exploring the system further, testing optional settings, and reviewing release notes can uncover even more hidden value. By taking a few minutes to enable underused Business Central features, teams can work smarter without new software or complex training. Small changes lead to meaningful gains in productivity and accuracy.
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