Challenge:

One of the biggest tips Microsoft talks about in the "Prepare Your Organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot" is to have good data governance where you should remove "rot", or "Redundant, outdated, and trivial content".

Right now, we're about to start getting Autofill with Copilot in Business Central, but we have limited data tooling for ROT management, since it's an ERP system where record keeping is critical.

For example, a long lived BC installation might have dozens or hundreds of 'blocked' Master Data (e.g. Vendors, Bank Accounts, Customers, and Items) or setup values (VAT Posting Groups, Dimensions, Dimension Values).

This gives a massive pool of "ROT" for Copilot to read as potentially older data, as well as produce a very common request by users to "Hide Blocked" from lists.

Requested Feature

What would be ideal is if there is a way to classify content as 'archived' (just a boolean, likely, but maybe enum for future proofing).

• This would then involve routines to mark inactive master data as the state of 'Archived'.
• Master Data scanning by related entries. Example: Mark all customers "Archived" if no transactions in 7 years (a dateformula UI, no default required).
• Mark all related entries as Archived as well. Customer Ledger Entries, Dtld Vend Ledg, Bank Account Entries, etc.
• By default, all users in all scenarios would then have the lists, dropdowns, cards, everywhere - hide the Archived data via filtering.
• In the User Settings, next to Teaching Tips, add an option to 'Show Archived Data'.

Benefits of Feature

This creates a natural data lifecycle for users to easily understand, while preserving records for data use as needed.

• Users will have an easy way to understand how to "remove" data from the UI, as well as an easy way to "show" the data
• Copilot toolings will have an easy way to understand more 'relevant' data for customers who may have been working with BC since it was "Financials"
• Additional data toolings, such as making data available to APIs or available via Fabric, would then have an easier methodology to understand which data can be ignored
• PowerBI Reports will also be able to surface data that is more relevant.
• (This I'm less sure of) - it might be easier to gain performance as Archived data can be ignored as default, so things like system wide runs (Adjust costs, inventory, planning) will run for a smaller set of data.
• One may also be able to 'sunset' history data such as ILE, Value Entries, Whse Entries, making older data naturally irrelevant.