Embed User Instructions in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations with Copilot

Training users is one of the most important and challenging parts of any ERP implementation. In Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, a new feature lets you create custom in-app help prompts and instructions for your users with Copilot.

This will make it much easier to train staff and help them recall what to do in each situation.

So when I learned about this feature at a Microsoft conference, I quickly researched it, tested it, and created documentation for it, so I could create instructions to share with my teammates at Encore and customers like you.

Table of Contents

• Benefits of Custom Instructions with Copilot in Dynamics 365 F&O
• How to Add Custom Instructions (via Topics)
• How to Add Custom Instructions (via Knowledge Base)
• Copilot Sidecar and Security Access
• Best Practices

Note: Even though most customers, commentators, and consultants still call it Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations or D365FO, Microsoft now technically licenses it as Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.

What Is Copilot Sidecar in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations?

Copilot Sidecar in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations is an in-app feature that provides users with contextual help and guidance tailored to their company’s specific processes and configurations. This tool leverages natural language processing to answer user questions and deliver relevant documentation directly within the application.

What Are the Benefits of Adding Custom Instructions to Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations?

Every ERP project I’ve ever been involved in has a knowledge repository. But it’s usually a collection of Word documents, maybe printed out in a training binder for the shop floor or the finance office. This new Copilot feature empowers supervisors, shop floor owners, and even business analysts to create instructions that are available inside the app, and can be accessed by frontline workers using natural-language questions.

Although Finance & Operations comes with Copilot assistance by default, that default assistance is trained on general documentation for the ERP, not on the specific configurations and processes for your company and implementation. That often doesn’t quite fit what your workers need to get their jobs done quickly and without errors.

Adding information to Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations will allow you to insert questions and answers specific to your company.

How to Add Custom Instructions to Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (via Topics)

1. Navigate to Copilot Studio for Multiverse, then sign in (or create a free trial).

In the upper left corner, make sure to choose which environment you wish to add a Copilot knowledge base to. Keep in mind that different environment types, by default, will have different Copilot agents available to them.

2. On the left-hand menu, select “Agents”. This will open the default data sources for the Copilot agents. Select Copilot for Finance & Operations Apps.

3. In the top menu, select “Topics” to create your own custom knowledge topic. Click Add a topic > From blank. At this point the Copilot prompt workspace will open. In the upper left corner, you will see the workspace by default is called “Untitled.” This is where you will want to enter a name for your topic.

In this example, I will walk through how to create a Sidecar prompt for “How To Create a Purchase Order.”

3. In the middle of the workspace, you can see the trigger section. This is where you can enter prompt phrases that can be used to bring up the knowledge documentation in the Copilot Sidecar. For example, if a purchasing agent has just been hired, and is being trained, an administrator or manager could tell the agent to enter a phrase such as “Create a PO” into the Sidecar and it will return the steps for how to create a purchase order directly in Finance & Operations.

Under the trigger Phrase box, click the “+” to select what the Copilot Sidecar should do next. You can set it up so it will respond with a follow up question, simple text, or a link to documentation.

There are more complex options available as responses, such as conditional responses, automatic actions, or even authentication requests. These can all be used to assist the user in their daily activities.

For example, imagine we were trying to do something more complicated than simply create documentation for “How to Create a Purchase Order.” If, for instance, the purchasing agent needed to submit a group of purchase orders for approval from a manager, we could configure Copilot to automatically submit purchase orders for approval via workflow. Or, by asking follow-up questions, Copilot could determine if the user is eligible to increase the dollar amount of their purchase orders.

For our example, we will select “Send a message.” Enter the text you want to respond to the prompt phrase with.

In this case, we could write out the specific navigation for how to create a new purchase order, and the exact button to click.

You can then test your prompt phrase and see the result. In the upper right corner, click “Test your agent.” This will open the Sidecar in your workspace, where you can enter your prompt phrases and see the result. The expectation is that it will return the text you entered.

When you are finished, click Save in the upper right-hand corner. Anyone with appropriate permissions can then come in here and modify and update your knowledge base if needed.

In order for your trigger phrases and corresponding notes to show up in the F&O environment, it will need to be published. Once you’ve saved your work, you can click “Publish” in the upper right-hand corner.

If you navigate back to the topics list, you should now see your custom topic in the list. You can see that it’s enabled, and make changes to it here if need be.

To view your trigger phrases and the new knowledge base directly in the application, go directly into the Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations application. Open the Finance & Operations Sidecar by clicking on the Copilot icon in the upper right-hand corner. Enter your trigger phrase.

How to Add Custom Instructions to Copilot in Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (via Knowledge Base)

From the same place, in Copilot Studio, instead of entering topics for the Sidecar to be used as prompts in F&O, you can add links or documentation from a huge range of external sources, including custom documentation with screenshots.

The knowledge added here can be directly referenced by the Copilot Sidecar in the application via links provided to users, even if you don’t create a topic for it. This option is simply extending the Knowledge Base of the Copilot within this specific environment.

NOTE: If you don’t create a specific topic for it, when a user searches in Copilot, your documentation may combine with other data sources provided by the out-of-the-box AI engine. If you want to return only your knowledge sources, create a topic and set the specific trigger and it will return only those results.

To add custom documentation or knowledge to the existing knowledge base, from the Copilot Studio, select Add Knowledge and choose a source. In my example, I’ve chosen Word, and uploaded the document.

Within my document I have detailed notes specific to this business, with screenshots to help users.

If you navigate back to the Finance & Operations application, and test Copoilot, you can see the returned results based on the knowledge I’ve added. The name of my Document was “Adjust Auto Size in PowerPoint.” In the screenshot, you can see that I simply typed “AutoSize” into the Copilot Sidecar and it returned the steps contained in the document I uploaded.

Microsoft Copilot will always use the most specific documentation before sourcing from general Microsoft Learn documents. Meaning, if you upload documents, and users enter search triggers that are similar, it will return the local knowledge sources before seeking general ones.

Copilot Sidecar and Security Access

Note that security access within the F&O application will apply to the navigation per user, despite the returned information from the Copilot Sidecar.

For example, in your knowledge base you might have documentation for the Accounts Payable Department to issue checks. Someone without adequate security roles in the system will not be able to access the areas of the system to allow them to issue checks. However, they will still be able to see the steps for how to do so returned in the Sidecar.

Best Practices for Configuring Copilot Sidecar for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations

Make sure your power users, system admins, and IT users are trained on the steps in this article for adding and altering information in Copilot for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.

They will need this training when they need to make changes to update documentation. This will be useful if the business expands or adds new processes that require the onboarding of a new team. The Sidecar can be a single-source-of-truth repository for all standard ERP processes for your business.

It’s also important to have a regular routine to review the instructions you’ve put in Copilot, because accuracy is key to the success of this tool. It should become habit to ensure Copilot documentation remains up to date and accurate. Inaccurate documentation can often do more harm than good.

Your Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations Partner has an important role to play in this process.

1. During implementation, they should already have documented detailed requirements and processes. Those can now be embedded directly in your application as part of the final steps in implementation, to simplify training and reduce error rates.
2. They should also train a subset of your users on how and when to add or change the instructions in Copilot.

Training and Support for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations

Copilot Sidecar’s ability to let users access documentation in real time without having to navigate away from the system is a huge step up for any business.

Effective and timely training is a crucial part of business success. Empowering users to access documentation and find answers to questions on their own also contributes to user satisfaction.

If you want to learn more about getting support, training, implementations, and integrations from a Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations Partner, learn more about Encore Business Solutions. If you’re already a customer of ours, and you want more guidance on using Copilot to enhance efficiency in your business, just reach out to your account manager.