Why Does Reporting in Business Central Still Feel Difficult?

For many manufacturers and distributors, reporting in Dynamics 365 Business Central has traditionally felt harder than it should be. Old style RDLC layouts were tricky, data structures felt overwhelming and even small changes often meant waiting on a partner to build a new layout.

But here’s the good news: that’s no longer the world we’re working in. Business Central’s reporting tools have come a long way - they’re now more intuitive, flexible and designed to put you in control. Yet lots of businesses are still experiencing the same frustrations simply because they’re using the system the way they always have.

So, let’s dig into the questions we hear most often and highlight what’s changed, what’s improved and why reporting doesn’t have to be a pain anymore.

Why Don’t Our Reports in Business Central Work the Way We Expect?

In short: old habits.

Many teams still rely on processes they learned at go live and haven’t revisited since. Reporting has evolved massively and today’s tools - like Analyse Mode, Excel layouts and enhanced Financial Reports - are miles ahead of what you may have used a few years ago.

Whether you're digging into production variances or analysing customer profitability, you can now build insight driven reports in minutes. No specialist skills needed. But if you haven’t explored what’s new since implementation, you’re almost certainly missing out.

What’s So Important About Business Central Dimensions?

Dimensions are one of the most powerful features in Business Central - and one of the easiest to get wrong.

Done well, they give you clean, meaningful insight without extra manual effort:

• Contribution margin by customer
• Profitability by product line
• Efficiency by cost centre
…and plenty more.

But a poor setup can create confusion quickly. Some businesses end up with too many dimensions; others barely use them at all. And because restructuring them later can be tricky, planning is everything.

A clear, well thought out dimension strategy is one of the fastest ways manufacturers and distributors can improve reporting accuracy and clarity.

Do We Need Third Party Reporting Tools?

Sometimes, but not as often as you might think.

Tools like Jet Reports, Cosmos, Power BI and full data warehouse solutions all have their place. But before investing in extra software, it’s worth asking: “Are we making the most of what Business Central already offers?”

In many cases, the answer is no.

Business Central’s native reporting features are far more capable than people realise. Only when you need:

• multi system consolidation
• large scale analytics
• or cross platform reporting
…should you start exploring additional tools.

Why Are We Still Struggling with Reporting in Business Central?

Most of the time, the system isn’t the problem - training is.

Business Central continues to evolve, but users rarely get the same opportunity to keep their knowledge up to date. Teams are busy. New features get overlooked. Reporting methods stay the same even though the system moves on.
That’s why frustrations often come from not knowing what Business Central already can do.

The good news? There are plenty of ways to build capability internally and the best way to do that is training. Investing in your people to better their skills, knowledge and abilities is the first step in driving reporting to the next level. 

Where Do We Start If We Want Better Business Central Reporting?

Modern Business Central reporting is designed to empower your team — not slow them down. If reporting still feels like a battle, it’s likely down to outdated processes, unclear structures or missing knowledge.

Here’s what we recommend:
• Explore Analyse Mode to get instant insights.
• Take advantage of Excel layouts to create accessible, tailored reports.
• Review your dimensions to ensure they support the decisions you want to make.
• Speak with your partner and commit to ongoing training, even if it’s just a few sessions a year. And if you’re a Tecman customer? Don’t forget regular free scheduled training and customer workshops are available to help you every step of the way.

A small amount of time invested now can pay off hugely in faster reporting, cleaner insights and more confident decision making.

For real world examples and some honest conversations about the most common reporting mistakes, check out the Tecman Talks Dynamics episode: “Reporting SOS: Why Business Central isn’t the Problem… You Might Be!”