The world is frozen, and we can't go on vacation, BUT there's a wave we can ride: Release Notes Wave 1, get ready to surf it 😉
Based on the official release notes, I created a resume of the new features coming for Dynamics 365 Human Resources in this wave: April to September 2021. Feel free to scroll to the bottom and find the complete notes.
With the introduction done, let's go to the important points.
🎯 Areas of focus:
1. HCM ecosystem: keep opening it through integration APIs and strategic partnerships.
2. Employee experience: delivering a better experience and migrating it to workflow(s).
3. App unification: simpler and better ALM tooling and extensibility.
Let's review the feature list together:
👉 Benefits Management 👈
Benefits summary statement
Why: To provide Benefits Admin a general overview spend by employee segment or benefits type, in order to support benefits planning.
What: Creating a benefits summary including, coverage by benefit area and plan type, total employee contribution against the benefits area, total employer spend, flex credit spend (if applicable), dependent coverage, and beneficiary details across eligible plan types.
Who: Users by admins, makers, or analysts.
When: PP Jul 2021 | GA Aug 2021
Benefits notifications
Why: To notify employees about key events and enrollment information.
What: Notifying employees about open enrollment, plan updates due to qualifying events, and new hires when they are able to select their benefits.
Who: Users by admins, makers, or analysts.
When: PP Mar 2021 | GA Apr 2021
Custom field support in Benefits management
Why: To support tailored business processes - especially Benefits Management.
What: Adding custom fields including these tables Plans, Plan coverage options, Worker benefit plans, Eligibility rules, and Programs.
Who: Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically.
When: PP Mar 2021 | GA Apr 2021
Custom field support for Eligibility Processing
Why: To support tailored business processes - especially Benefits Management.
What: Adding custom fields for employees, jobs, and positions to be used in eligibility processing. Defining eligibility rules based on custom fields to be used on one or more benefit plans. Viewing whether the employee meets the eligibility rule in the process results viewer.
Who: Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically.
When: PP Apr 2021 | GA May 2021
👉 Integrations and extensibility 👈
Enable simplified integration with payroll providers
Why: To provide a single point of entry for employees to update their data and view earnings statements and tax documents.
What: Using an API to build integrations to a third-party payroll system for employee pay profile, fixed compensation (pay rate), and benefit contributions and deductions - including one-time payouts (bonus, etc.), leave balances, and status. Viewing and updating payroll related information with a single sign-on and embedded experience.
Who: Admins, makers, marketers, or analysts, automatically.
When: PP Feb 2021 | GA Apr 2021
👉 Leave and Absence 👈
Enable an absence manager to manage leave
Why: To support organizations with a different approval process (non-line hierarchy) for Leave and Absence requests.
What: Reviewing and approving time-off based on an alternate hierarchy, view team member balances and, view absence calendar for a team.
Who: Users by admins, makers, or analysts.
When: PP May 2021 | GA Jun 2021
If you want to check release notes for other solutions, check the complete guide here: Microsoft Dynamics 365 2021 release wave 1 plan overview | Microsoft Docs
🚨 Is important to keep in mind that delivery timelines may change 🚨