Emerging Microsoft AI agents for ERP systems automate core financial processes including reconciliation, variance analysis, and financial reporting. Emerging software for automating these functions includes first-party, third-party, and custom-built agents that collectively aim to streamline the record-to-report (R2R) process in Dynamics 365.
The R2R process can be extremely time consuming, whether the functions are matching transactions between subledgers and general ledgers or reconciling bank statements and intercompany balances. Agents can reduce the manual effort involved in such processes while also improving finance teams’ readiness for audits.
First-Party Agents
Microsoft’s new first-party agents perform:
- Account reconciliation
- Financial reconciliation and variance analysis
- Time and expense management
Users can initiate reconciliation directly from Excel, define logic for matching transactions, apply tolerances, and generate detailed reports using the Account Reconciliation Agent, which can be triggered by events such as file uploads or scheduled runs.
Performing variance analysis with new agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot will help finance pros understand deviations between actuals and forecasts. The variance analysis capabilities enable finance teams to perform multi-dimensional analysis across products, regions, and time periods using both natural language queries and structured prompts. They can generate executive summaries and actionable insights.
The Time and Expense Agent in Dynamics 365 autonomously manages time entry, expense tracking, and approval workflows, streamlining administrative tasks for project managers and finance pros. This helps keep projects on time and within budget.
These role-based agents from Microsoft should be particularly useful during month-end closes, budgeting cycles, and performance reviews, Microsoft said in detailing the agents.
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Third-Party Agents
Third-party agents are partner-developed, operating within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 ecosystems while delivering industry- or function-specific expertise.
Specific examples include a Lease Agent developed by Crowe, which automates lease data extraction and validation, while integrating with Dynamics 365 Finance in order to enhance accounting processes related to leases.
Another new agent is the Payflow Agent from HSO, which can overcome the repetitive task of responding to vendor payment inquiries. It analyzes incoming emails, retrieves real-time data from Dynamics 365 Finance, and delivers accurate responses within seconds.
Third-party agents must meet compliance and governance requirements; this includes Microsoft 365 certification, data protection policies, and administrative controls.
Custom Agent Opportunities
First and third-party agents can be complemented by custom agents built using Microsoft Copilot Studio or Azure AI Foundry, which can automate functions including:
- Connecting to external systems through Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers or APIs
- Performing operations including ERP journal entries
- Orchestrating multi-step workflows
- Complying with security and governance standards
Custom agents are ideal for complex workflow automation or handling complex business logic. Examples include agents that monitor service disruptions, generate alerts, and initiate corrective actions.
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