---
id: video/bCIcq1zESKk
type: video
title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
summary: "Item substitution with Copilot in Business Central (2024 release wave 2): Copilot suggests substitute items from the primary item's description, using an LLM for keywords and embeddings to re-rank with confidence scores. Covers the Suggest with Copilot action, search modes, prompt changes, activation and limits (cloud only, English tested)."
tier: official
language: en
tags:
  - item substitution
  - copilot
  - ai
  - semantic search
  - confidence scoring
  - responsible ai
  - llm
  - embedding
  - product information
system: copilot
review:
  state: reviewed
  by: opus
  at: "2026-10-07T23:04:33.008Z"
  flags: []
generated:
  at: "2026-10-07T23:04:33.046Z"
  pipeline: 0.2.0
  prompts:
    extract-video: 1
    summarize-video: 2
  input_hash: 376f1033a3dd0e63a4759ffcbc903111e82291fef46eae89167f0fe42c4e7c23
evidence:
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=648s
    title: "Sales line suggestion with Copilot: generally available"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 648
    quote: This functionality was released already in the previous wave
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=64s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 64
    quote: Existing item substitution functionality is designed for users to be able to define alternative item in case when the primary item is out of
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=182s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 182
    quote: we are committed to provide results which should be reliable and that's why we are using LLM to do re-ranking of the results
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=295s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 295
    quote: due to very strict and diligent process of verifying feature against the against the reliable AI standards, we had to postpone one one piece
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=562s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 562
    quote: you need to have quite good description of the item so it has a meaning and yeah
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=680s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 680
    quote: All these Copilot features are coming with no cost with existing Business Central license
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=690s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 690
    quote: copilot features are only available in our cloud version of business central while on premise on prem versions are unfortunately without
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=728s
    title: "What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)"
    date: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 728
    quote: for item substitution with Copilot, we spent significantly more time going through different reviews and testing than for development itself
links:
  learn: []
  objects:
    - object/page/5720
  features: []
  topics: []
  localizations: []
  videos: []
  posts: []
  guidelines: []
video_id: bCIcq1zESKk
channel: yt-microsoft
source_name: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube)
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk
published_at: "2024-10-08T15:00:41.000Z"
duration_s: 759
captions: full
audience:
  - functional consultant
  - administrator
  - end user
  - decision maker
chapters:
  - t: 0
    title: Introduction and agenda
  - t: 52
    title: Existing functionality and Copilot enhancement
  - t: 122
    title: Technical design and confidence scoring
  - t: 265
    title: Activation and feature toggle
  - t: 319
    title: Live demo of item substitution
  - t: 562
    title: Limitations and constraints
  - t: 618
    title: Related features and sessions
  - t: 680
    title: Copilot availability, deployment, and safety standards
features:
  - name: Item substitution with Copilot
    status: unclear
    t: 52
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Suggest with Copilot action
    status: unclear
    t: 122
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Search mode options
    status: unclear
    t: 483
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Prompt customization
    status: unclear
    t: 472
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Sales line suggestion with Copilot
    status: ga
    t: 635
    verified: true
    status_source: video
  - name: Data search enhancement
    status: unclear
    t: 648
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Create product information capability toggle
    status: unclear
    t: 265
    verified: false
    status_source: video
objects_mentioned:
  - page item substitutions
  - page Copilot and AI capabilities
quotes:
  - t: 64
    text: Existing item substitution functionality is designed for users to be able to define alternative item in case when the primary item is out of
    check: exact
  - t: 182
    text: we are committed to provide results which should be reliable and that's why we are using LLM to do re-ranking of the results
    check: exact
  - t: 295
    text: due to very strict and diligent process of verifying feature against the against the reliable AI standards, we had to postpone one one piece
    check: exact
  - t: 562
    text: you need to have quite good description of the item so it has a meaning and yeah
    check: fuzzy
  - t: 680
    text: All these Copilot features are coming with no cost with existing Business Central license
    check: exact
  - t: 690
    text: copilot features are only available in our cloud version of business central while on premise on prem versions are unfortunately without
    check: fuzzy
  - t: 728
    text: for item substitution with Copilot, we spent significantly more time going through different reviews and testing than for development itself
    check: exact
---

# What's New: Item Substitution with Copilot (2024 release wave 2)

> Item substitution with Copilot in Business Central (2024 release wave 2): Copilot suggests substitute items from the primary item's description, using an LLM for keywords and embeddings to re-rank with confidence scores. Covers the Suggest with Copilot action, search modes, prompt changes, activation and limits (cloud only, English tested).

[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk) · Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube) · 2024-10-08 · 12:39 · tier official · reviewed (checked by Opus)

## Overview

The video explains how Copilot extends the existing item substitution function, which lets users define alternative items when a primary item is out of stock. Copilot now proposes substitute candidates from the primary item's description. An LLM extracts keywords, a search runs over a consolidated table, and embeddings re-rank the results with confidence scores.

A live demo shows the Suggest with Copilot action on the item substitutions page, the three search modes, and prompt adjustment such as adding a color. The session also covers enabling the feature on the Copilot and AI capabilities page, limitations, related features such as sales line suggestion, and Copilot availability and responsible AI standards.

## Key points

- The Suggest with Copilot action on the item substitutions page generates substitute item candidates with confidence scores.
- The feature is enabled with the 'create product information' toggle on the Copilot and AI capabilities page. The name is a placeholder for a larger feature set, part of which was postponed to a later release after responsible AI verification.
- Search modes: Balance (default, at least one main search term required), Permissive (any search term is enough), Precise (all search terms required).
- Users can edit the prompt to narrow results, for example by adding a color.
- Results depend on a good item description. The consolidated search table is updated periodically, so delays are possible.
- Tested in English only. It should work in other languages but was not tested.
- Copilot features are cloud only, not available on-premise. They come at no extra cost with an existing Business Central license.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=0s) Introduction and agenda
- [0:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=52s) Existing functionality and Copilot enhancement
- [2:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=122s) Technical design and confidence scoring
- [4:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=265s) Activation and feature toggle
- [5:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=319s) Live demo of item substitution
- [9:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=562s) Limitations and constraints
- [10:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=618s) Related features and sessions
- [11:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=680s) Copilot availability, deployment, and safety standards

## Features

| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item substitution with Copilot | status not stated, demoed | [0:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=52s) |  |
| Suggest with Copilot action | status not stated, demoed | [2:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=122s) |  |
| Search mode options | status not stated, demoed | [8:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=483s) |  |
| Prompt customization | status not stated, demoed | [7:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=472s) |  |
| Sales line suggestion with Copilot | generally available | [10:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=635s) | "This functionality was released already in the previous wave" ([10:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=648s)) |
| Data search enhancement | status not stated | [10:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=648s) |  |
| Create product information capability toggle | status not stated | [4:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=265s) |  |

## AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

- [page 5720 "Item Substitutions"](../objects/page/5720.md) at [5:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=341s)
- page "Copilot and AI capabilities" at [4:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=265s)

Not found in BC28-30: page "Copilot and AI capabilities".

## Quotes

- [1:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=64s) "Existing item substitution functionality is designed for users to be able to define alternative item in case when the primary item is out of"
- [3:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=182s) "we are committed to provide results which should be reliable and that's why we are using LLM to do re-ranking of the results"
- [4:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=295s) "due to very strict and diligent process of verifying feature against the against the reliable AI standards, we had to postpone one one piece"
- [9:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=562s) "you need to have quite good description of the item so it has a meaning and yeah"
- [11:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=680s) "All these Copilot features are coming with no cost with existing Business Central license"
- [11:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=690s) "copilot features are only available in our cloud version of business central while on premise on prem versions are unfortunately without"
- [12:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=728s) "for item substitution with Copilot, we spent significantly more time going through different reviews and testing than for development itself"

## Disclaimers in the video

- [4:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=279s) other: This sentence looks like a bug, but it's actually not. The initial idea was to deliver more functionalities around item substitution
- [4:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=295s) coming-later: due to very strict and diligent process of verifying feature against reliable AI standards, we had to postpone one piece of this functionality for the future
- [9:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=579s) other: we tested it in English only. It should work on all other languages, but just to mention that we did testing only in English
- [11:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCIcq1zESKk&t=690s) other: Copilot features are only available in our cloud version of Business Central, while on-premise on-prem versions are unfortunately without Copilot functionalities

Presenters (as heard): Predrag Maricic, Volodymyr Synchuk.