Power BI consultant for Business Central dashboards people act on
A Business Central Power BI consultant is useful only if the dashboards answer questions your managers ask every week. We start with those questions. Then we build a data model on top of Business Central that finance agrees with. We deliver reports for cash, margin, inventory and production that refresh on their own.
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A Business Central Power BI consultant starts with questions
We interview the people who will open the reports. The owner wants the cash position. Margin by customer matters to the sales manager. Late orders worry the operations lead. Each question becomes a measure with an agreed definition.
Agreeing that gross margin includes freight sounds small. So does agreeing that an order is late once the promised date passes. Yet that is what stops two managers from arguing over two different numbers in the same meeting.
Tell us your questions →
- ✓The questions each role asks
- ✓One definition per measure
- ✓Dimensions to slice by
- ✓Refresh timing
- ✓Who can see what
A data model finance agrees with
Microsoft publishes Power BI apps for Business Central finance, sales, purchasing, inventory and projects. It also offers a Power BI connector that reads Business Central API pages. For many clients, the apps are a good start. So we extend them, not rebuild them.
Where you need more, we build a star-schema model. It has fact tables for ledger entries and documents, shared dimensions, and your Business Central dimensions carried through. We tie the totals back to the trial balance before anyone sees a dashboard.
Plan your data model →- ✓General ledger and budgets
- ✓Sales and purchase documents
- ✓Item and value entries
- ✓Your BC dimensions
- ✓Tie-out to the trial balance
Dashboards for cash, margin, inventory and production
Typical first reports are a cash and receivables view and margin by customer and item. Inventory aging with slow movers is another. For manufacturers, we add production output against plan. Each page has a clear purpose and a short note on how to read it.
Each report is published to a workspace in the Power BI service with its own refresh schedule. We keep the first set small, so people learn to rely on a few pages before more are added.
See what a first set could be →
- ✓Cash and receivables
- ✓Margin by customer and item
- ✓Inventory aging and slow movers
- ✓Sales against budget
- ✓Production output against plan
Power BI inside Business Central and Teams
Power BI reports can sit where people already work. Business Central shows them as parts on role centers and as FactBoxes on list pages, filtered to the record in view. Reports can also be pinned as tabs in Teams channels.
We decide with you which report belongs on which page. A sales manager sees margin on the customer list. A buyer sees slow movers on the item list. Formal financial statements stay in Business Central financial reports, which our financial reporting page covers.
Plan where reports appear →- ✓Role center report parts
- ✓List page FactBoxes
- ✓Teams channel tabs
- ✓Power BI service apps
- ✓Mobile Power BI views
Reports your team can keep up
We document every measure in plain language inside the model. Next, a power user on your team learns how to add a visual or a filter safely. Refresh schedules, workspace access and row-level security live in the Power BI service. Nothing stays on a laptop.
When a new question comes up later, you can build it yourselves or ask us. The model underneath is ready for it. That is what a good Business Central Power BI consultant leaves behind.
Plan the handover →
- ✓Documented measures
- ✓Scheduled refresh
- ✓Workspace and app setup
- ✓Row-level security
- ✓A trained power user
Business Central Power BI consultant questions
What does a Business Central Power BI consultant do?
They turn Business Central data into a reliable reporting model and dashboards. They agree measure definitions with finance. Refresh and security get set up too, so reports keep working without manual effort. We add training for a power user on your side. That way your team can handle small changes without waiting for outside help.
Does Business Central come with Power BI reports?
Yes. Microsoft offers Power BI apps for Business Central that cover finance, sales, purchasing, inventory and projects. They are a good starting point. A Business Central Power BI consultant then extends them for your dimensions and questions. We show you which standard pages already fit and which need work before we build anything.
Do we need Power BI Pro licenses?
People who publish or share reports in the Power BI service generally need a paid Power BI license. We look at who will create reports and who will only view them. Then we explain the licensing options before you buy. Microsoft's site lists the current terms. So you plan your user list with clear facts.
Can a Business Central Power BI consultant add outside data?
Yes. A model can combine Business Central with CRM, ecommerce or spreadsheet budgets. Each source needs a clear owner and a key to join on. We check those two points first. Then we build the links and test the totals against each source system. That way everyone trusts the combined figures.
Should financial statements be in Power BI?
Usually not. Business Central financial reports handle statements well and stay in sync with posting. Power BI is better for trends, drill-downs and data from several systems. So we often use both. Statements come from Business Central, and your managers explore the numbers behind them in Power BI.
Book a discovery call
Let's talk through your move to Business Central.
A focused call with a senior consultant. We learn how your business runs today, give you an honest view on whether Business Central fits, and outline scope and next steps before you commit to anything.
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