At a Glance

Upgrading to Business Central improves reporting, but only if dimensions, data quality, structures and training are handled correctly. This guide outlines the five common, but avoidable, reporting pitfalls and how Brookland Solutions helps businesses achieve smooth, accurate, and future-ready financial reporting.

Reporting Problems When Upgrading to Business Central

Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC is seen as a major enhancement to connecting operations in a unified manner. Its powerful features allow the modernisation of financial workflows, better organisation of operations, and improvement of business performance. But many organisations can face challenges in one area that may hamper the expected value: Reporting.

More than a technical ERP, a Business Central upgrade presents an opportunity for your startup or SME to improve data quality and enhance reporting capabilities, which older systems may struggle to match up to. By overlooking reporting, you risk old problems resurfacing, even with a new ERP upgrade.

Fortunately, it is possible to avoid reporting problems when upgrading to Business Central by carefully planning and designing migration and reporting. With the right guidance and support from Brookland Solutions, a long-standing BC partner, it becomes simpler to minimise these issues. 

In this guide, we explore the five potential reporting failures to avoid when upgrading Business Central.

Why Reporting Matters in a Business Central Upgrade

Reporting and analytics in Business Central are one of its most powerful features when configured correctly. They support:

  • Dimensional reporting
  • Real-time ledger updation
  • Built-in Excel integrations
  • Embedded Power BI
  • Customisable user dashboards
  • Automated workflows and insights
  • Customisable user dashboards

However, these features deliver their intended value only when reporting in Business Central is designed intentionally. By not prioritising reporting, businesses may struggle with inefficient month-end reporting, overreliance on spreadsheets, unreliable dashboards, and confusion around KPIs and financial structures.

A carefully planned and executed Business Central upgrade with the correct setup can potentially give finance and operations teams more control over reporting. This added control can then lead to more confident decision-making.

5 Common but Avoidable Mistakes in Reporting and Data Migration

Here are the 5 most frequent but avoidable reporting issues during a Business Central upgrade.

1. Missing or Misconfigured Dimensions

Dimensions are Business Central’s significant reporting asset, provided they are planned and implemented correctly. However, unclear dimension rules or too few or too many dimensions can complicate financial reporting in Business Central.

It’s important to design a dimension structure that simplifies reporting in BC.

2. Copying Old Reporting Structures into New Systems

Teams may make the common mistake of copying the outdated chart of accounts structure, reporting hierarchies, or legacy KPIs. This may reduce accuracy and increase manual effort.

Instead, make the most of BC’s multi-dimensional reporting with dimensions, analysis views, and role-specific dashboards.

3. Poor Data Quality in Migration

Data migration is a critical step that is often understated. Migrating poor quality data can lead to a host of problems, including duplication of vendors and customers, incomplete opening balances, errors in dimension values and historic transactions.

When data is migrated without data quality checks, it can directly influence reporting integrity, reconciliation, and audits. 

4. Overlooking User Training

It’s common for users to wrongly assume BC works like Excel or other legacy systems. This assumption may lead to poor adoption rates after the upgrade.

Without giving enough emphasis to training, companies risk underutilising beneficial BC features, such as Power BI, and increasing inconsistencies in financial reports. If you’re struggling to make the best use of BC’s features, the team at Brookland Solutions can help. Leveraging our comprehensive training and support ensures your team will have the confidence to navigate and manage reporting effectively.

5. Ignoring Future Reporting Needs

Changing regulations and business growth can impact reporting needs. When new entities open, projects expand, or changes in ESG or compliance reporting occur, more granular reporting becomes necessary.

Upgrade Version Considerations & Compatibility for UK Deployments

Understand Your Version

Different Business Central waves bring in upgrades and improvements in financial reporting, dimension handling, Power BI integrations, and HMRC, VAT, and MTD-related requirements.

Choosing the right version allows your teams to enable compatibility with UK VAT processes, banking integrations, MTD for VAT, and HMRC APIs.

Ensure UK Localisation

It’s important to ensure that the system has UK-specific features. This includes being properly set up with MTD integrations, bank reconciliation formats, local VAT posting setups, payroll integrations, and statutory reporting packs.

Extension Compatibility

If your Business Central upgrade includes custom extensions and ISV solutions, ensure their compatibility with BC’s reporting framework. Unsupported or missing extensions can impact financial reports, project reports, consolidation, and inventory value reports.

Designing Your Post-Upgrade Reporting with Brookland Solutions

A reporting strategy needs to be designed in a way that it upgrades existing frameworks and supports business’ goals. 

For companies looking to transition from a legacy Microsoft ERP or simply upgrade to the latest BC version, Brookland Solutions can facilitate a smooth transition. Our team of Microsoft consultants formulate strategies to design, implement, and support a smooth Business Central transition.

We’ve helped UK SMEs of all sizes and operating in diverse industries with end-to-end Business Central ERP services, from consulting to post-live support. We also make sure reporting requirements are taken into account.

When you partner with us, you gain:

  • A comprehensive upgradation strategy and guidance
  • Training and support
  • Extensions & integrations

Contact us today to learn how we can help you overcome reporting challenges in a Business Central upgrade.