How to keep track of wave releases and what is planned, coming soon, and available to "try now" for each update of Business Central?

Problem:

I thought that new thing in Business Central I just read about was going to be in this big wave release. Where is it? Or maybe, you are asking why you can no longer use the bank reconciliation method you have always used. When did they make the change to a different method and why was I not aware of it?

Solution:

What I think many don't realize is that not everything publicized to be in a wave release is in the first update we get for that wave. Each wave release is just that, a wave. Think of the big first batch of changes included in the release the first month of a release as the crest of a real wave. It is larger than the rest of the wave, but there is more to the wave than just a crest. Any enhancements or changes not included in the first month of a wave release are slowly incorporated in the following months up to when the next wave is coming. These additional releases are the rest of the wave as it makes its way on to shore.

Microsoft Release Planner is here!

Microsoft Release planner (dynamics.com)

This great tool is a browser-based app that presents all the release plans for Dynamics 365 applications including what is planned, coming soon and available to try now in a more user-friendly format. In addition to viewing all the changes, you can manage a list of coming functionalities in your very own release plan.

To get started, sign in with a personal or work account. Once signed in, you can select the features you would like to track by adding them to your own release plan. You will be able to follow the proposed features as they move along from Planned, Coming Soon and finally to Try now. For example, if I want to track “Search in Company Data”, I can select to add it to my plan.

When I select “My release plans” at the top of the planner, the results are filtered to only the features I have selected to monitor by adding them to my plan. This allows each user to track only what is important to them. You can remove features from your release plan as easily as you can add them.

As you view the information about each new feature, don’t forget to check out how the feature is enabled. Some features will be immediately available, however features that might have a more significant impact or require an update to data may require enabling by an administrator through Feature Management. This information and more can be found for each new feature.

I have been using this for the last few months, and I am so much more confident about what is and will be happening in Business Central. Am I able to keep it all straight in my head? No. But I know where to go to get answers. I have this page favorited in my browser and visit it frequently as I work with customers and for keeping the New View Strategies training programs up to date.

I hope this new information speeds you along on your journey to using BC The Righter Way^TM