Reporting Options in Dynamics 365 Business Central
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central includes powerful tools that allow users to extend standard reports and analyze data directly in Excel without customization or development: Excel Report Layouts for virtually all standard reports, Analyze Mode, and Financial Reports. Let’s review the three reporting options.
Excel Report Layouts: Turning Standard Reports into Reusable Excel Dashboards
Excel report layouts allow you to start with a standard Business Central report, enhance it using Excel, and then save it back to Business Central for consistent reuse.
Step 1: Run a Standard Business Central Report
Begin by running an existing report in Business Central and select ‘Send to Excel’ to open the dataset in Excel.
Step 2: Edit the Report in Excel
Clean up the data by removing unnecessary columns, renaming headers, and applying formatting.
Step 3: Add Pivot Tables, Charts, and Visuals
Use Excel features like pivots and charts to transform data into actionable insights.
Step 4: Create a New Excel Report Layout in Business Central
Save the Excel file and register it as a new Excel Report Layout in Business Central.
Step 5: Run the Report Using the Excel Layout
Select the new Excel layout when running the report to reuse the enhanced version.
Analysis Mode: On-the-Fly Reporting Inside Business Central
Analysis Mode enables quick, ad hoc analysis directly on list pages without exporting to Excel.
Any page with rows and columns has the ability to provide Analyze Mode views and their associated export option. Removing fields, subtotalling at multiple levels, and adding fields from other tables are just some of the options available.
Multiple Analyses can be saved and shared and reused. Nice thing is that you are just viewing data so no potential for data corruption.
This article provides several examples of the amazing features of Analysis Mode. Remember that once you have your Analysis Mode view the way you want, you can export to Excel and build more from that! Try Excel’s Copilot, and you’ll be fascinated!
Financial Reporting
Business Central includes expanded row and column definitions, improved formatting, and default Excel templates to enhance financial reporting.
Using Excel templates and a little ingenuity will have you building management financial workbooks quickly without manual intervention. The sky is the limit once you’ve learned some tips and tricks.
Check out #FinancialReportingHeroes on LinkedIn to find videos that breakdown the many features found in standard Business Central financial reporting.
Learn More
If you are interested in a workshop to learn how to utilize these reporting options, please reach out, and we can work to schedule a webinar. Blaine Pennypacker manages webinars; his email is bpennypacker@superiorwalls.com, or you can email me at kdallefeld@centre.tech. If you just want more information, feel free to reach out as well. We are happy to help.
