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Running the Expense Agent in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (Version 28.1)

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Once you've configured the Expense Agent, using it is surprisingly simple. In this example, I'll forward an email containing a PDF receipt attachment to the Expense Agent and walk through the complete workflow—from receipt submission to manager approval. Note: This article is accurate as of Business Central version 28.1 . Step 1: Forward Your Receipt Rather than manually creating an expense report, simply forward the email containing your receipt(s) to the Expense Agent email address. In this example, the receipt is attached as a PDF . The Expense Agent automatically begins processing the attachment after it arrives. Step 2: Receive a Confirmation Email After the Expense Agent finishes processing the receipt, you'll receive a confirmation email letting you know it has successfully received your expense. The email also lets you know: Your receipt has been processed. A draft expense report has been created. Your expense is pending review . You still need to review and submi...

Expense Agent in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: A Step-by-Step Setup Guide (Version 28.1)

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One of the exciting additions to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is the new Expense Agent . Powered by AI, the Expense Agent helps employees submit expenses faster by extracting receipt information, validating expenses against company policies, and routing reports for approval. If you're planning to enable the Expense Agent in your organization, here's a walkthrough of the setup process. Note: The information in this article is accurate as of Business Central version 28.1 . Microsoft continues to enhance Copilot and Agent capabilities, so future versions may include additional functionality or configuration options. Step 1: Activate the Expense Agent Before anyone can begin submitting expenses, you'll need to activate the agent. During setup you'll: Activate the Expense Agent Optionally allow employees access via web app Optionally allow employees to submit receipts via email Tip: If you plan to allow receipt submission by email, configure a dedicate...

Business Central Tip: Using Environment Operations History to Track Version Changes

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One of the questions I frequently receive from clients, auditors, and IT teams is: "How can I see what changes have been made to my Business Central environment?" While Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central doesn't provide a traditional "program changes" report like some legacy ERP systems, it does provide valuable insight through the Environment  Operations history found in the Business Central Admin Center. What is Environment Operations history? Environment Operations history is a log maintained by Microsoft that records activities performed against your Business Central environment. It provides visibility into events such as: Application updates Platform updates Environment creation Environment deletion Sandbox copies Environment restores Extension installation and upgrade activities Other administrative actions This history can be especially useful when troubleshooting issues, validating upgrade timing, or providing evidence during an audit. How to Access...

Master Data Management Setup in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Scenario A client maintains all G/L Accounts, Dimensions, and Dimension Values in one company. That company serves as the source of truth , or Master Records company , while the other companies receive updates through synchronization. This approach ensures: Consistent chart of accounts across companies Standardized dimensions for reporting Reduced manual data entry and maintenance Step 1: Enable Data Synchronization Search for Master Data Management Setup . Select the Source Company . Turn on Enable Data Synchronization . This activates the ability to synchronize master data between companies. Step 2: Add the Tables to Synchronize Open Synchronization Tables . Add the following tables: G/L Account Dimension Dimension Value For each table: Add the table to the list. Set the Status field to Enabled . This activates synchronization for those records. Step 3: Select the Fields to Synchronize For each table you added: Open the Fields configuration....

Automating the sending of the customer statement

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 Here is the Microsoft documentation on setting up the customer statements to be automatically sent. Customer Statement (report) - Business Central | Microsoft Learn   Also, here are my instructions.   Open the Customers list in BC. Click Report > Scheduled Statements   Update your report options. For the start date I picked a few years back because I knew I had invoices still open for that year. I then picked an end date into the future. I did pick the end of 2026 which means that I would have to update the job queue at some point, so my recommendation is to go into the future several years or put 12/31/2999 for example.   Set your Output Options to be Email. Select print if email is missing or invalid.   Click OK. Do you want to set the job queue entry up to run immediately? I said no on this. Open the Job Queue Entries page and search for Customer Statement.   Open the job queue entry card and setup the Earliest Start Date/Time. In my example...

Financial Reports - Column Definition - Include Date in Column Header

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With the release of version 27.0, there’s a fantastic enhancement to Column Definitions : you can now include the date directly in the column header . In my example below, you’ll see that within the column definition for “12 MONTH” , I added every available date option just to show what’s possible. The second screenshot displays the report output using this setup. Tip: If you decide to use the Include Date in Column Header functionality, you may want to skip adding your own custom column header—otherwise, the results can get a little cluttered. Below is a clean example of how I would set this up for a 12-month spread. ------ Kristen Hosman is a Microsoft MVP in Denver. She works with Dynamics 365 Business Central and related technologies. You can also connect with her through this link:  Kristen Hosman | Linktree  

Validating Inventory Balances Using the Health Check Dashboard in Business Central

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When evaluating the integrity of inventory balances in Dynamics 365 Business Central, it’s critical to confirm that the General Ledger and Sub-ledger remain in sync. One helpful tool for this validation is the Health Check Dashboard created by ERP Connect Consulting , which provides a snapshot of potential discrepancies especially around inventory postings and other modules as well. This blog highlights a recent review process and how the system confirmed accuracy through several reconciliation points. Inventory Posting Setup The Health Check Dashboard pulls balances directly from the G/L accounts listed in the Inventory Posting Setup specifically the Inventory Accounts that are tied to inventory transactions. In this case, the total balance for those Inventory Accounts comes to $1,086,229.20, which aligns exactly with the amount shown in the Health Check under the G/L summary. Interim Inventory Account Insight However, it's equally important to factor in the Inventory Account (Int...