From Demos to ROI: What Directions EMEA 2025 Means for System Integrators

For System Integrators, the next growth wave is already here.

When Microsoft opened Directions EMEA 2025, the spotlight wasn’t on new features — it was on new value. With AI agents now generally available for Sales Orders, Payments, and Payables, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) launching in early 2026, Business Central partners are entering an era where automation is expected, not experimental.

For System Integrators (SIs), this shift changes everything. AI agents are no longer tools to demo—they’re tools that drive measurable outcomes. The partners who align early around these capabilities will be the ones delivering real, scalable productivity to clients.

Why AI Agents Matter for Partners

The conversations in Poznan were clear: Microsoft is making AI core to Business Central’s daily operations.

That’s a signal to SIs to rethink how they:

• Extend client value beyond standard ERP deployments.
• Monetize expertise through automation and AI-driven workflows.
• Differentiate offerings with industry-specific extensions powered by MCP.

With Business Central surpassing 50,000 global customers, demand for tailored, intelligent automation will accelerate. Clients will look to their partners first - not Microsoft - for advice on which AI tools deliver ROI.

Opportunity: Build Around Productivity, Not Just Integration

Partners have always been trusted to connect systems. Now, they can connect intelligence.

The most successful SIs will:

• Combine ERP + AI + Spend Management to automate finance operations end-to-end.
• Use MCP to create custom or vertical agents that fit unique business workflows.
• Leverage integrations that are already mature—like Payhawk’s native Business Central connection - to speed delivery and reduce build time.

In other words, partners can focus less on writing code and more on delivering business impact.

Preparing for the MCP Era

Microsoft’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), available in January 2026, will make connecting third-party and partner-built agents straightforward. It’s designed to let intelligent agents talk to Business Central and other apps “out of the box.”

To be ready, partners should:

1. Audit current integrations and APIs – ensure data flows cleanly across systems.
2. Test sandbox environments early – validate agent behavior and permissions.
3. Identify vertical opportunities – healthcare, retail, and distribution are early hotspots.
4. Align with ecosystem partners that already deliver AI functionality within BC (for example, Payhawk for spend management).

This groundwork ensures SIs can lead client conversations with authority when MCP launches.

The Bigger Picture: Ecosystem Strength

One of Microsoft’s strongest messages at Directions was about partner momentum. From LS Retail to Aptean, the ecosystem’s growth depends on specialised partners who understand their clients’ industries - and build automation that feels native.

For SIs, this means opportunity isn’t just in deployment - it’s in co-creation. Building and recommending intelligent agents that improve financial visibility, reduce manual work, and create stickier client relationships will define the next generation of partner success.

How Payhawk Supports the Partner Opportunity

Payhawk shares this vision.

Our spend management platform integrates directly with Business Central, giving SIs a proven, ready-to-implement layer of automation for payments, expenses, and reconciliation.

Beyond expense automation, Payhawk also offers corporate cards with sophisticated spend controls, real-time policy enforcement, and automated approval workflows — enabling finance teams to manage company spend at the source, not just after the fact.

By combining Payhawk’s AI-driven workflows and controlled card infrastructure with Business Central’s extensibility, partners can:

• Deliver faster implementations and cleaner financial data flows.
• Build recurring client value through automation that reduces manual finance work.
• Differentiate their offering with a complete, enterprise-ready finance ecosystem that unites spend, policy, and reconciliation in one platform.

It’s a partnership model built around outcomes, not features — where SIs lead the transformation, and Payhawk helps them get there faster.

In Summary

• AI Agents in Business Central are no longer experimental—they’re ready to deploy.
• MCP will unlock new extensibility and co-development options for partners in 2026.
• SIs that align their API and automation strategy now will lead the next wave of ROI-focused implementations.
• Payhawk stands ready to help partners turn intelligent automation into measurable client impact.

Learn more about how Payhawk integrates with Business Central. Explore partnership opportunities and see how automation can help your clients go from demos to ROI.