Inventory Analytics Updates in Business Central v.28

Not every update makes it into a demo. Some improvements are quieter than that, but they solve real problems that clients have been asking about for years. Business Central version 28 brings a handful of those kinds of updates to inventory analytics. If you’re managing stock on a daily basis, these are worth paying attention to.

UG Expert Jason Chance walks through two of the most impactful changes: a new ABC analysis setup that feeds directly into the Power BI inventory app, and a fresh take on item aging reports with Excel-based layouts that are actually built for analysis, not just printing.

Key Takeaways

• ABC analysis is now configurable and connected to Power BI: Version 28 introduces a dedicated ABC analysis setup page where you define your own percentage thresholds. Your A items might be the top 65% of cumulative sales, B the next 25%, and C the bottom 10%. Those thresholds then drive the behavior of the inventory Power BI app, so the report reflects your business logic, not a one-size-fits-all default.
• The Power BI inventory app has a new version built for v.28: There’s an older version still floating around in the app source. The new one is the one you want. It includes a dedicated ABC analysis tab that didn’t exist before, and it breaks down which items are carrying the most weight in your sales mix. If you’re looking to get more from your Power BI setup, unlocking BI insights with AI apps for Business Central is a solid companion read.
• ABC classification has real inventory management implications: Your A items need to stay in stock because they drive the bulk of your revenue. Your C items are worth questioning entirely. Does a product representing 2% of your sales justify warehouse space? Should it become a drop-ship item? ABC analysis gives you a framework to ask those questions with data behind them.
• The old item age composition reports are now obsolete. The quantity and value versions have both been tagged as legacy. The new item age composition report replaces both, with an Excel layout as the default. This aligns with the broader direction Microsoft is heading with report design across Business Central.
• Excel layouts now ship with both print tabs and analysis tabs: The print tabs are designed to actually fit on paper and recreate the familiar report format. The analysis tabs go wider, put value and quantity side by side across aging buckets, and include slicers for filtering by item. If you’ve used analysis mode in Business Central before, this will feel like a natural extension of that workflow.
• You can build on top of the default layouts: The Excel layouts Microsoft ships are a starting point, not a ceiling. You can create your own layout, add slicers, restructure the analysis however you need, and upload it back into Business Central as the new default. It’s a low-barrier way to do ad hoc report building without needing a developer.
• Power BI Pro is still a requirement: Anyone who wants to view or share the inventory Power BI app needs a Power BI Pro license. It’s an additional cost to weigh, but for businesses where inventory decisions drive real dollars, the visibility it provides is usually worth the investment.

These aren’t flashy features, but they are exactly the kind of practical investments that make day-to-day operations cleaner. If you’re on version 28, these are ready to use today.