Workflows are often underutilized and overlooked in Business Central, yet they hold significant potential for enhancing efficiency and streamlining operations. When implemented correctly, workflows can seamlessly connect tasks across different users, incorporate system tasks, and ensure that crucial processes such as requesting and granting approvals are handled efficiently. However, as the saying goes, "With great power comes the need for great knowledge." Without careful setup and management, workflows can become a source of frustration, potentially leading to stalled projects or inefficiencies.

To help you avoid these pitfalls, I've compiled the top five reasons your workflow might not flow as smoothly as it should.

1. Approver Setup

A common mistake in the early stages of setting up a workflow is failing to configure the approval hierarchy properly. If approval tasks are not assigned to the correct users or approval limits are not set accurately, it can lead to significant delays or breakdowns.

Tip: Take a moment to review the approval user setup. Ensure that the right individuals are assigned to approve specific tasks and their approval limits are clearly defined.

2. Setting Up Workflow Conditions

Another frequent oversight is failing to define clear conditions that trigger the workflow. If conditions are too vague or not specified, your workflow may trigger too often, leading to confusion and inefficiency.

Tip: Clearly define the conditions that should initiate the workflow, such as when a record is created, modified, or deleted. Precise conditions will ensure that the workflow activates at the right time, every time.

3. Managing Workflow Versions

It's easy to lose track of different workflow versions, especially if changes have been made over time. If the wrong version is activated or changes must be rolled back, this can cause confusion and errors.

Tip: Implement version control to manage workflow changes effectively. This will ensure that the correct version is always active and that previous versions can be referenced or restored.

4. Configuring Workflow Time Limits

Overlooking the importance of setting time limits for tasks or approvals can lead to unnecessary delays and bottlenecks in the workflow process. Without time constraints, tasks may linger in the system, slowing the entire process.

Tip: Set realistic time limits for each step in the workflow. This will help keep the process moving smoothly and prevent delays.

5. Aligning Workflows with Business Processes

One of the most critical aspects of workflow design is ensuring that it aligns with your existing business processes. Implementing workflows without considering the broader business context can lead to inefficiencies or even conflicts within the organization.

Tip: Design workflows in consultation with key stakeholders to ensure they align with your overall business strategy and processes. This alignment will help avoid potential conflicts and ensure that workflows enhance, rather than hinder, business operations.

Conclusion

Addressing these often-overlooked areas can create more effective and reliable workflows in Business Central. Properly configured workflows lead to smoother operations, better compliance with business rules, and a more efficient and productive organization. Take the time to set up and manage your workflows carefully, and you'll find they can be a powerful tool in your Business Central toolkit.

Effective service contract management is crucial for businesses that provide ongoing support and maintenance services to their clients. Tracking these contracts can often become a cumbersome task, especially as the number of clients and service agreements grows. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, combined with the powerful Graphical Scheduler from InsightWorks, offers a robust solution to streamline this process, enhancing efficiency and visibility.

What is the Graphical Scheduler?

The Graphical Scheduler is an add-on for Business Central developed by InsightWorks, designed to provide a visual representation of schedules, tasks, and resources. It allows users to plan and manage workloads efficiently, ensuring optimal resource utilization and timely service delivery.

Where Did This Idea Come From?

The idea behind this approach came when a customer was having to use a variety of spreadsheets and calendars to track contract dates. Unfortunately, there would be scenarios where work orders were generated, and services performed, while the customer's contract had lapsed. This left the front office scrambling to renegotiate the terms of the previous contract, and the ability to charge competitive rates was not an option.

Benefits of Using the Graphical Scheduler for Service Contracts

1. Enhanced Visibility

The Graphical Scheduler provides a visual timeline of all service contracts, making it easy to see which contracts are active, upcoming, or nearing their expiration dates. This enhanced visibility helps in proactive management, preventing any lapses in service delivery.

2. Efficient Resource Allocation

Service contracts often require specific resources, whether it's personnel, equipment, or spare parts. The Graphical Scheduler enables you to allocate these resources efficiently, ensuring that you have the right people and tools available when needed. This minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity.

3. Improved Customer Satisfaction

By effectively tracking and managing service contracts, businesses can ensure that they meet their commitments to clients. Timely service delivery and proactive contract management lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

4. Real-Time Updates

The integration of the Graphical Scheduler with Business Central ensures that any changes in schedules or contracts are updated in real-time. This synchronization helps avoid any miscommunication or scheduling conflicts.

Implementing the Graphical Scheduler in Business Central

Integrating the Graphical Scheduler with Business Central is straightforward, thanks to the seamless compatibility between the two platforms. InsightWorks provides detailed documentation and support to assist with the integration process.

   Let's walk through the setup

 

In conclusion, the InsightWorks Graphical Scheduler is more than just a tool—it's a game-changer for managing service contracts within Business Central. With its advanced visibility features, streamlined resource allocation, and intuitive scheduling capabilities, it empowers businesses to elevate their service delivery and boost customer satisfaction. For those seeking to optimize service contract management, integrating the Graphical Scheduler with Business Central is not just a smart choice, but a strategic investment in your operational efficiency and client relationships.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an all-in-one business management solution for small to medium-sized businesses.  It helps organizations streamline their operations by integrating various business processes into a single, unified platform, including finance, sales, service, and supply chain management.  As impressive as that sounds, a program is only as good as the data you enter.  Entering or maintaining clean data is of utmost importance for accurate financial reporting and calculation of projections.  This brings us to the discussion of which tool is superior for Data Management. To draw that conclusion, let’s review each tool.

Configuration Packages: Bulk Data Management with Precision

Configuration Packages are designed to handle bulk data imports and exports, making them particularly useful during the initial setup of Business Central or when executing large-scale data changes. Here's why Configuration Packages might be your go-to tool for specific scenarios:

  1. Complex Data Structures: Configuration Packages excel at managing multiple tables and complex data structures. This makes them ideal for comprehensive data operations that involve numerous data points and intricate relationships.
  2. Built-In Validation and Error Handling: One key advantage of Configuration Packages is their robust validation and error handling mechanisms. They ensure that the data being imported or exported adheres to the predefined rules, helping to minimize errors and maintain data integrity.
  3. Efficiency for Bulk Operations: Configuration Packages are significantly faster when dealing with large volumes of data. They allow for efficient processing of bulk data operations, a significant advantage for tasks such as migrating large datasets or performing mass updates.

However, Configuration Packages require some setup and technical knowledge. They can be daunting, especially for users unfamiliar with Business Central’s data structure.

Edit in Excel: Real-Time, User-Friendly Data Updates

The Edit in Excel feature provides a more intuitive approach to data management by allowing users to open Business Central data in Excel, make changes, and then publish those changes back to Business Central in real time. Here’s why you might prefer this tool for specific tasks:

  1. User-Friendly Interface: Edit in Excel offers a familiar and accessible interface for users comfortable with Excel. It simplifies data editing by allowing users to work in a spreadsheet format they are accustomed to.
  2. Real-Time Data Editing: This feature enables real-time data updates, making it perfect for quick adjustments and small-scale data changes. It is beneficial for scenarios where users must make immediate updates without going through complex processes.
  3. Seamless Integration with Excel: The integration with Excel is seamless, allowing users to leverage Excel’s powerful data manipulation features while ensuring changes are reflected in Business Central in real time.

While Edit in Excel is straightforward and ideal for smaller tasks, it has limitations for more complex operations. Its error-handling capabilities are also less robust than Configuration Packages, relying more on user accuracy.

Real-World Application: A Balanced Approach

From my experience, each tool has its place, and understanding when to use each can significantly impact the efficiency of your data management process. For instance, new customers or those transitioning to Business Central might find Configuration Packages overwhelming. Seeing a spreadsheet with dozens of columns and unfamiliar terminology can be daunting.

In these cases, introducing customers to Business Central's interface early on can make a big difference. Users can become more comfortable with the system by demonstrating how data is entered and managed within Business Central and highlighting the Edit in Excel feature. Once they understand how their legacy data fits into the new system, Configuration Packages become less intimidating and more manageable for larger data uploads.

Summary

Both Configuration Packages and the Edit in Excel feature offer valuable advantages for data management in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Configuration Packages are robust and suited for large-scale, complex data operations with built-in validation and error handling. On the other hand, editing in Excel is ideal for quick, user-friendly updates and real-time data editing. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each tool and considering your specific needs, you can choose the most appropriate tool for effective data management. Additionally, engaging customers and helping them navigate these tools can lead to a smoother transition and better data-handling practices.

Choose wisely based on your data management needs and remember that combining both tools might sometimes be the best approach to achieve optimal results.

The combination of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Power BI is a powerful tool for businesses to gain insights into their operations. In this blog, we will walk through the steps of gathering the information needed to create a dashboard that reflects project costs versus budget. This will enable project managers and stakeholders to monitor project performance, costs, and other key metrics in an easily digestible format.

Step 1: Setting Up Data Sources in Business Central

First, ensure you have the necessary permissions to access the Projects module in Business Central. You'll need to set up an OData web service to enable Power BI to pull data from Business Central.

  1. Enable Web Services:
    • Navigate to the Web Services page in Business Central.
    • You can either create a new OData V4 web service for the Projects module and select the relevant page or query for your project data, or you can search from the pre-populated options and find relevant pages to use in Power BI.

Step 2: Connecting Power BI to Business Central

Power BI offers two ways to connect to Business Central. You can either get data through the OData function and copy and paste the SOAP URL into Power BI, or you can connect Business Central to Power BI via Online Services.

  1. To Connect Power BI via Online Services:
    • Go to "Get Data" in Power BI, and select "More" from the drop-down menu.
    • A new box will pop up. Click on "Online Services" and search for "Business Central" in the right-hand column.
    • Once you have selected the Business Central icon, click the "Connect" button. A list of accessible environments will appear on the left-hand side of the pop-up box. Search for the correct environment from which you will be pulling data.
    • For this demonstration, we chose Web Services, the legacy link, and selected the coordinating APIs for Projects, Project Tasks, Accounts Receivable, and Sales Invoices.

Step 3: Transforming Data in Power BI

Before creating visualizations, you may need to transform and clean the data. Taking the time to remove unnecessary columns and rename columns will help you clearly decipher and determine what information ends up on the dashboard and any potential filters you may need.

Step 4: Creating Visualizations

Now, let's create visualizations to summarize your projects. For example, in our scenario, our customer needed to see costs versus budget. Ultimately, we modeled our canvas to be interactive based on the Project Number, but you could choose to use drop-down functions or even basic charts to convey this information.

Step 5: Creating the Dashboard

Arrange your visualizations on the report canvas to be both accessible and appealing for the user. Add titles, labels, and other design elements to enhance readability, but also ensure the dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of the information you're trying to convey. Add slicers to make your dashboard interactive as well as informative.

 

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Step 6: Publishing and Sharing

Once you are finished with the cosmetic appearance of your dashboard, publish it to your workspace. Now that it is in your workspace, open the Business Central home page, scroll to the bottom, and access the Power BI report drop-down menu to select "Add Report." This will pop open a box that will link your workspace to Business Central. You can now select the dashboard you have created in Power BI to appear on your Business Central home page.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create a powerful Power BI dashboard that provides a comprehensive summary of the Projects module in Business Central. This dashboard will help you monitor project performance, control costs, and make informed decisions. Embrace the power of data visualization to drive your project management to new heights!

Are you struggling with Business Central's out-of-the-box Sales Tax Collected report? You're not alone.    Many businesses find it challenging to navigate and abandon the report due to its inability to meet their needs quickly.  Accurate and easy-to-use sales tax reports are crucial for compliance and efficient financial management. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a robust solution, but it often requires some customization to make the most of it.  In this post, we'll guide you through the process of transforming the standard Sales Tax Collected report into a more user-friendly and insightful tool.

For this example, our customer was a Canadian Company and needed to be able to quickly report the Total Sales in CAD as well as in CAD, and accurately report the taxes from those sales. 

The out-of-the-box sales tax report when printed as a PDF will show you each Tax Jurisdiction individually, which didn’t give my customers the totals they were looking for.  Our next step was to find the data, I knew the Sales Tax Collected Report had the information I needed but it was delivering it in a manner my customer didn’t like. 

The “fix” was to run the report but change the file type to export as “Microsoft Excel Document (data only)”.  Once I was able to review the data, I created pivot tables that resulted in the information my customer needed on a basic level.  I filtered those pivot tables down to NON-Tax Sales in USD and Taxable Sales, which delivered their Sales Total.   I created another set of pivot tables to narrow down the taxes collected, the taxes paid as well as the taxes paid by a brokerage and displayed it as a small color coordinated table that resulted in the amount the company would either need to pay or be set to receive in return.

Figure 1

After confirming this solved their dilemma, I went back to Business Central to the Report Layouts area and created a copy of report ID 24 – Sales Tax Collected.  I imported in my version of the report and set it to be the default report in Report Layout Selections.  Now, when my customer wants to run the company's Sales Tax Collected Report it will deliver to them the exact report I created.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Revamping the Sales Tax Collected report in Business Central involves understanding the default report, preparing for customization, and following a series of steps to improve its usability.  Give your sales tax report a makeover today and experience the benefits of a more intuitive and accurate reporting tool.

Extending Business Central with Power Platform

We are thrilled to share the announcement with you today. The wait is finally over, as we proudly announce our very first book, co-authored by yours truly and the amazing Kim Congleton. It's been an incredible journey, and we're beyond excited to introduce our creation.

The past few months have been an exhilarating whirlwind of inspiration, collaboration, and hard work. Countless hours of research, writing and editing have culminated in a masterpiece that we're immensely proud of. Just yesterday, I received the first physical copy of the book, and let me tell you, holding the tangible result of our efforts was a surreal experience, still can't believe it! Even though we've poured our hearts and minds into every chapter, the felling of flipping through the pages of a real book was simply indescribable.

Now, let's talk about what's inside. We have broken it into 4 parts:

Part 1- Part Fundamentals

Part 2- Doing the work of Designing, Building, and Implementing

Part 3- Common Business Cases in Business Central for the Power Platform

Part 4- Tips and Tricks for Common Issues

The target audience of this book is Business Central Power Users and technical consultants who want to expand their capabilities using the Power Platform. Basic familiarity with Business Central is needed: however, you need not have any technical expertise in programming or software development.

If you're as thrilled as we are and eager to get your hands on a copy of our book, you're in luck! Extending Business Central with Power Platform is now available on Amazon. Head over to our book's page and secure your copy today.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has supported us on this remarkable journey.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating this monumental achievement. Here's to learning, growing, and mastering Business Central and Power Platform together!

Keep learning,

Shawn

Celebration Cookie

How do I manage my EDI projects and especially if I have more than one trading partner?  The best advice I can give you is micro-manage the whole process from start to finish.

 

TEST, TEST, TEST

Embedding your reports into your presentations is a great way to keep all the data and reports refreshed in all your presentations.  Let’s say you do a slide document monthly with several different Power BI reports, you can embed the report into the slide deck and every month just refresh the data, so you have real-time data.  The report is completely interactive and in the bottom left corner you will see when the report was last refreshed

Install Microsoft Power BI Add-in.  On the ribbon-Select Insert-Get Add-ins-Search for Microsoft Power BI -Add-Continue

 

Paste report URL-Insert

I am often asked about the differences between all the settings on the location card and have been engaged in making changes after a client has gone live with Business Central.

We have three levels: the first one with no dedicated warehouse activities. This is the simplest of the three, and all the receiving and shipping happens on the purchase order, sales order, and transfer orders; you can have bins turned on, and the user would need to specify the bin on the order before posting.  This option is excellent if you have a simple warehouse and minimal staff or the person entering orders is the same as the person receiving and shipping. 

The second level is basic, and you have a couple of options, require receipt and/or require ship, the process creates a separate document, and it allows the warehouse staff to avoid having to open or be in the orders for receiving and shipping. This also provides the option to use bins.  You can use this one to consolidate receiving and shipping for posting multiple orders simultaneously.  This is helpful for the segregation of duties.  Basic order by order, and you can require a Putaway and Pick; this one matches the warehouse and system processes.  You would also do what you physically do in the warehouse in the system.

The last option is advanced. This option comes with several different settings and processes.  On the location card, you set the required receipt and Putaway and need to ship and pick.  You don’t have to select all four options, but it is usually all or nothing when using this setting.  The other option to consider is directed Pick and Putaway; when you use this complexity, the system can suggest bins to put the product into when receiving and where to pick.  The system will require additional documents on the production order and consumption journal if you manufacture and use production orders.  This option is usually used in combination with barcoding and handheld devices.

The cross-dock functionality is another area to discuss.  If you have a short turnaround and receive a product that needs to be shipped that day, consider using the cross-dock.  This process will save you time in the warehouse.

Here is a chart for each of the options:

It started about six years ago when my dad asked if I could install the Angus App on his tablet. So, of course, I said yes, not realizing at the time this would become a part-time job for me. My daughter and I went to the farm that summer to visit and help work the cattle, and it brought back memories of my childhood in Kansas. As a child we lived in town but spent as much time as we could on the farm, I loved spending time in the house with grandma and was always the kitchen helper.  Grandma was an amazing cook and I loved to help. When I got old enough to drive, I would volunteer to take tea & sandwiches to the guys working in the field. Guess my point is, I spent all my time being a cook & Uber delivery driver, not actually outdoors doing physical work with the cows. Our favorite time of year was the calving season, they were so fun to watch play around, and we would laugh as we watched them play king of the mountain. So, this time coming back to the farm with my daughter for our trip, I found that dad had two tablets, he thought one was broken, however, it just needed to be charged, but he had bought a second one because of this. I got both charged and running, and away I went with my task at hand. I installed Angus’s App on all his devices.  I am sure you see where I am going with this, it was a hot mess express. So, when I left him and traveled back to California, I started the process. As the months went by, he needed help to get his Angus cows entered and registered. What that meant was the computer lady needed to get them registered. I quickly made friends with a customer support woman at Angus, and she helped me figure out the mess.  Next was the task of keeping it updated.

• • •

This cattleman has spent his life farming and working cattle and is responsible for raising great, genital cows. He writes everything down on paper in his calving book and has no issues using his iPhone to easily see that the needed information is correct. Stay tuned to future blogs as I go through the process of becoming the computer lady and working with an old farmer who has become a well-known Angus cattleman in Kansas.

Thank you for reading!

Signed The Computer Lady

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