Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a business management solution that helps organizations manage finance, sales, purchasing, inventory, and other core business processes.
By connecting Business Central to Power BI, organizations can turn their business data into interactive reports and dashboards. Users can analyze sales performance, customer activity, inventory, financial information, purchasing, and other operational data without manually compiling information from different records.
Note: The connection experience can vary depending on whether you are using Business Central Online or Business Central on-premises. Business Central Online provides built-in APIs, while Business Central also supports OData web services. Microsoft recommends API pages and queries for Business Central Online integrations.
What You Need Before Connecting
Before starting, make sure you have:
- Power BI Desktop installed
- Access to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- A Business Central user account with the required permissions
- A Power BI account or license appropriate for your reporting requirements
- Access to the company and data you want to analyze
For Business Central Online, Microsoft provides built-in APIs for common business entities such as customers, items, and sales orders. These APIs can be used as data sources for Power BI without requiring additional API development.
Step 1: Open Power BI Desktop
Open Power BI Desktop.
From the Home tab, select:
Home → Get Data
If the Get Data option is not immediately visible, it can also be accessed through the File menu.
Step 2: Select Dynamics 365 Business Central
In the Get Data window, select:
Online Services → Dynamics 365 Business Central
Then select:
Connect
Microsoft currently lists Dynamics 365 Business Central as supported for Power BI semantic models and Power BI dataflows.
Step 3: Sign In to Business Central
After selecting the Business Central connector, Power BI prompts you to sign in.
Select:
Sign in
Choose the Microsoft account you use to access Business Central.
Use an account that has permission to access the required Business Central company and data.
After signing in, select:
Connect
Microsoft's current guidance recommends using the same account that you use to sign in to Business Central when connecting Business Central Online to Power BI Desktop.
Step 4: Select the Business Central Environment
After authentication, Power BI displays the available Business Central environments.
Select the environment you want to use, such as:
Production
If your organization has multiple environments, select the appropriate environment for the report.
Business Central environments can contain different data and configurations, so make sure you select the environment that contains the information you need.
Step 5: Select the Company
After selecting the environment, Power BI displays the available Business Central companies.
Select the company you want to analyze.
For example:
CRONUS USA, Inc.
The available company names depend on your Business Central environment and permissions.
Tip: Make sure you select the correct company before selecting the data source. The company determines which Business Central business data is loaded into the report.
Step 6: Select the Required Data
Power BI displays the available Business Central APIs and data sources.
Depending on your environment and permissions, you may find information related to:
- Customers
- Vendors
- Items
- Sales invoices
- Sales orders
- Purchase orders
- Employees
- Accounts
- Inventory
- Payments
- Other Business Central entities
Business Central Online includes built-in APIs for common business entities, while organizations can also expose additional data through custom APIs or OData web services.
Select the required data source and choose:
Load
or
Transform Data
For most reporting projects, selecting Transform Data first is useful because it allows you to review and prepare the data before loading it into the Power BI model.
Step 7: Transform Business Central Data Using Power Query
Selecting Transform Data opens the Power Query Editor.
Power Query allows you to prepare the Business Central data before creating your report.
You can perform tasks such as:
- Removing unnecessary columns
- Renaming columns
- Changing data types
- Filtering records
- Removing duplicate records
- Replacing missing values
- Splitting columns
- Combining data
- Creating custom columns
For example, if you are preparing a sales report, you might retain fields such as:
- Posting Date
- Customer Name
- Document Number
- Item
- Quantity
- Unit Price
- Sales Amount
- Salesperson
- Location
Power Query can also help reduce the amount of unnecessary data loaded into the model.
Microsoft notes that the Business Central connector uses OData capabilities behind the scenes and can push certain transformations, such as filtering and column selection, toward the source. This can help improve query performance when the data model is designed efficiently.
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Step 8: Apply the Transformations
After completing the required data preparation, select:
Home → Close & Apply
Power BI applies the transformation steps and loads the prepared Business Central data into the report.
Step 9: Create Relationships Between Data
If your report contains multiple Business Central data sources, create relationships between related information.
For example:
Customers → Sales → Items
A structured data model allows Power BI to correctly filter and analyze information across different entities.
When creating relationships:
- Use compatible data types.
- Select the appropriate relationship type.
- Check for duplicate values in key fields.
- Make sure relationships reflect the actual business process.
- Avoid unnecessary relationships that can create ambiguous filtering.
A well-designed model makes calculations, filtering, and reporting easier to manage.
Step 10: Create Your Power BI Report
After loading and modeling the data, you can create interactive Power BI visuals.
For example, a Business Central sales report could include:
Sales Overview
Display key metrics such as:
- Total Sales
- Total Orders
- Total Customers
- Average Order Value
Sales by Customer
Identify customers contributing the most revenue.
Sales by Product
Analyze product-level sales performance.
Monthly Sales Trends
Track changes in sales over time.
Inventory Analysis
Monitor stock levels and identify products that may require attention.
Purchase Analysis
Compare purchasing activity across suppliers, products, or time periods.
You can combine cards, charts, tables, slicers, and other Power BI visuals to create an interactive business report.
Step 11: Publish the Report to Power BI Service
After completing the report in Power BI Desktop, select:
Home → Publish
Choose the appropriate Power BI workspace.
After publishing, users with the required permissions can access the report through Power BI Service.
Business Central can also display Power BI reports inside the Business Central application. Microsoft provides Power BI integration that allows reports, pages, or visuals to be embedded in Business Central pages that support Power BI content.
Step 12: Configure Data Refresh
Business Central data changes as transactions are created and updated.
To keep Power BI reports current, configure the appropriate refresh settings after publishing the report.
For Business Central Online, Power BI reports created through the Business Central connector can use the Business Central data source for refresh.
Microsoft also notes that newer Business Central Online Power BI reports use a read-only database replica by default, which helps reduce the impact of report refreshes on normal Business Central operations.
Tip: Schedule refreshes according to your reporting requirements and avoid unnecessarily frequent refreshes when the business data does not change frequently.
Connecting Business Central On-Premises
The connection process can be different when using Business Central on-premises.
Microsoft provides a separate Dynamics 365 Business Central (on-premises) connector for Power BI semantic models.
Depending on the environment, data may be exposed through supported Business Central web services or APIs.
If the Business Central server is located within a private network, additional network and gateway configuration may be required when the report is published to Power BI Service.
Before setting up the connection, confirm:
- Business Central server availability
- Web service configuration
- Required API/OData endpoints
- User permissions
- Network accessibility
- Gateway requirements
Common Issues When Connecting Power BI to Business Central
1. Business Central Does Not Appear in Get Data
Make sure you are using a current version of Power BI Desktop and look under:
Get Data → Online Services
Search for:
Dynamics 365 Business Central
Microsoft currently lists Business Central as a supported Power BI connector.
2. Sign-In Failed
If Power BI cannot authenticate your Business Central account:
- Check that you are using the correct Microsoft account.
- Confirm that the account can sign in to Business Central.
- Verify that the account has access to the required company.
- Check whether your organization has additional authentication or access policies.
For Business Central Online, Microsoft recommends using the same account you use to sign in to Business Central.
3. The Required Company Is Not Available
If the company you need does not appear:
- Check your Business Central permissions.
- Confirm that you selected the correct environment.
- Verify that the company exists in that environment.
- Make sure you are using the correct account.
4. Required Data Is Not Available
If the required data does not appear in the Navigator, it may not be exposed through the available API or web service.
Business Central supports both API pages/queries and OData web services for exposing data to Power BI. For Business Central Online, Microsoft recommends API pages and queries for reliable integration scenarios.
If the required information is not available through the standard APIs, your Business Central administrator or developer may need to expose the required data through a supported custom API or web service.
5. Incorrect Data Appears After Refresh
If the report displays unexpected data:
- Verify the selected company.
- Check the selected environment.
- Review Power Query transformations.
- Check relationships between tables.
- Confirm that filters are working as expected.
6. Power BI Cannot Refresh the Report
If the report works in Power BI Desktop but fails during Power BI Service refresh, check:
- Data source credentials
- Gateway configuration, if applicable
- Business Central availability
- Network connectivity
- API or OData permissions
- Refresh settings
For on-premises environments, confirm that the appropriate gateway configuration is available.
7. Read-Only Connection Error
Business Central Online reports generally use a read-only database replica.
In certain custom API scenarios, Power BI may encounter an error such as:
“Can't insert a record. Current connection intent is Read-Only.”
This can happen when a custom API performs database modifications while Power BI is attempting to read data.
Microsoft recommends reviewing the custom API implementation so that read operations do not make database changes.
Best Practices for Power BI and Business Central
Start With the Reporting Requirement
Before selecting data, determine what the report needs to answer.
For example:
- Which customers generate the most revenue?
- What are our monthly sales?
- Which products are performing best?
- What is our current inventory position?
- Which suppliers have the highest purchasing volume?
This helps you select only the data required for the analysis.
Use the Standard APIs Where Appropriate
For Business Central Online, use the built-in APIs for standard business entities whenever they provide the information you need.
Microsoft recommends API pages and queries for Business Central Online integration scenarios.
Load Only the Data You Need
Avoid loading unnecessary fields and records into Power BI.
Selecting only the required columns and filtering data appropriately can help reduce the amount of data transferred and improve report performance. Microsoft specifically recommends performance-focused data loading patterns when working with Business Central APIs and OData endpoints.
Use Power Query for Data Preparation
Use Power Query to clean and transform Business Central data before building visualizations.
This creates a consistent data foundation for your report and makes later analysis easier.
Build a Structured Data Model
When working with multiple Business Central entities, create clear relationships between related information.
For example:
Customers → Sales Transactions → Products
A structured model helps improve filtering, calculations, and report usability.
Plan the Refresh Strategy
Determine how frequently your users need updated Business Central information.
For frequently changing operational reports, configure an appropriate refresh schedule. For less frequently changing reports, a lower refresh frequency may be sufficient.
Conclusion
Connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to Power BI provides a practical way to turn business management data into interactive reports and dashboards.
By connecting Power BI to Business Central, selecting the appropriate company and data sources, preparing the information with Power Query, and creating a structured data model, organizations can analyze sales, customers, inventory, purchasing, finance, and other business information more effectively.
Business Central provides built-in APIs and OData web services that can be used to expose data for Power BI. For Business Central Online, Microsoft recommends API pages and queries for reliable integration scenarios.
With the right data model, visualizations, and refresh strategy, Power BI can turn Business Central data into clear business insights that support better day-to-day decisions.
