What's New: E-Documents (2024 release wave 2)
E-Documents in Business Central 2024 release wave 2: framework stabilization, new partner connectors (Avalara and others, eight default by end of wave), attachments in XML, improved search, and country formats. Includes demos of sending invoices with Avalara and receiving documents by scheduled import.
- Introduction and E-Documents Overview
- E-Documents Framework and Purpose
- B2G and B2B Regulatory Requirements
- Global Mandate Timeline and Voluntary Usage
- Framework Improvements and New Connectors
- Attachments, Search, API, and Localizations
- E-Documents Localizations and Country Rollout
- Demo: Sending Invoices with Avalara
- Demo: Receiving and Processing Documents
- Conclusion and Call to Action
Overview
The video presents the E-Documents framework, which is meant to manage incoming and outgoing documents, with Microsoft’s current focus on electronic invoicing exchange. It explains why B2B mandates (for example in Denmark, Belgium and Italy) drove the work, and says the framework is designed to be extended by ISVs and partners.
For wave 2 it covers stabilization work, new default connectors built with partners, encoded attachments in XML, easier search, and a Peppol format with a data exchange definition as a showcase for custom formats. Later items include an e-documents API (expected around 25.3), UBL/XML for Germany and Fattura PA for Spain in December 2024, and Peppol for Australia and New Zealand after January 2025. Two demos show sending sales invoices through Avalara and receiving documents with an automatic scheduled import.
Key points
- New default connectors named: Avalara, B2B Router, Contineo, Logic Sign, Every and Commerce. Eight default connectors are expected by the end of the wave.
- Not all connectors arrive at once: the first comes with 25.1 and the rest later, because partner-built code goes through Microsoft code review. Commercial terms need separate contracts with each provider.
- Avalara setup needs a client ID, a client secret and an Avalara company ID mapped to the Business Central company. The selected Avalara mandate determines which validation checks are run.
- To send invoices automatically, set a document sending profile on the customer so that posting a sales invoice routes through the e-documents framework. Attachments such as PDFs can be embedded in the Peppol XML.
- Receiving documents can be automated with a scheduled import that checks periodically for incoming vendor documents and creates purchase invoices.
- The e-documents API was postponed to allow improvements and is expected around version 25.3 (approximate timeline).
- Formats for Germany and Spain are planned for December 2024, ahead of mandatory e-invoicing there from early 2025 (format names are garbled in the captions). Peppol for Australia and New Zealand is planned after the new year, by April 2025.
Features
| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| New E-Document Connectors | status not stated, demoed | 3:45 | |
| Attachments as Encoded Objects in XML | status not stated, demoed | 5:26 | |
| Improved Search in E-Documents | status not stated | 6:06 | |
| E-Documents Framework Stabilization | status not stated | 6:06 | |
| E-Documents APIs | status not stated | 6:27 | |
| Peppol Format with Data Exchange Definition | status not stated, demoed | 6:47 | |
| Peppol Format for Australia and New Zealand | announced | 7:20 | “P and Z format for Australia New Zealand will come after new year” (7:40) |
| Avalara Integration | status not stated, demoed | 8:00 | |
| Document Sending Profile for Customers | status not stated, demoed | 10:32 | |
| Automatic Scheduled Import for Receiving Documents | status not stated, demoed | 12:39 |
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.
Not found in BC28-30: page “E documents”, page “E doent services”.
Quotes
- 1:03 “our main focus is to manage all incoming and outcoming documents but current Focus for Microsoft side is still electronic invoicing exchange”
- 1:24 “this framework is designed to be easy extendable and allowing all isvs or other partners to integrate various type of electronic documents”
- 2:24 “B2B mandat being mandatory was a trigger for us so if you look right now this is mandatory in Denmark in Belgium in Italy”
- 4:46 “until the end of this wave we will have eight default connectors so you can choose what you want to use”
- 6:27 “the most probably 25.3 we will deliver e documents API so you can reuse them in a Bo and purchase and sales process”
- 7:40 “in December we will deliver ex and in Germany and fatura a in Spain so uh this country will be a compliance uh from”
- 8:40 “we don’t actually have to add a lot of things we have to provide the client ID and the client SE secet as well”
Disclaimers in the video
- 3:45 coming-later: new default end points they will not be available immediately from this major release so first will come with 25.1 and others will be deliver in this period
- 4:26 coming-later: majority of these connectors are uh made in collaboration with these partners and we are making a review of code so code quality must be the same as Microsoft is delivering so this is why it cannot be delivered immediately but you can expect that very soon you will have all these connectors
- 6:27 coming-later: we decided to postpone because we got some better idea how we can improve this API so we wanted to take some additional time so the most probably 25.3 we will deliver e documents API
- 7:20 coming-later: from December this year until the April 25th we will um deliver this format to be more accurate uh in December we will deliver ex and in Germany and fatura a in Spain
Presenters (as heard): Alexander toic, Magnus.