This article was originally published in August 2025. It was updated in July 2026 to reflect current product features, pricing details, and market changes across Business Central reporting tools. The Hidden Struggles of Financial Reporting with Business Central Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a powerful ERP. Still, its built-in financial reporting tools can quickly fall short, especially for multi-entity businesses, fast-growing companies, and finance teams tired of stitching together data in Excel. As such, many Business Central users find themselves asking the same questions: “Why does every report require so much manual effort?” “Why can’t I consolidate multiple companies or data from multiple sources in one report?” “Why are we still exporting everything to Excel?” “Why is month-end taking several days?” But in a galaxy of Microsoft Dynamics reporting tools out there to choose from the challenge is finding the one that fits your reporting requirements best. Are you in search of a self-service reporting solution that empowers your Business Central users to effortlessly create and modify reports? Perhaps you need a robust system capable of managing a high volume of reports simultaneously? Or a tool that integrates seamlessly with Power BI and other crucial systems? Each reporting tool brings its own strengths to the table, but your choice should be guided by the specific reporting needs of your organization, the ease of use, integration capabilities, and the nature of insights required. If your team is hitting a wall with financial reporting, you’re not alone. This guide walks through: Where native BC reporting tools hit their limits What modern finance teams need instead The top 5 reporting tools for Business Central in 2025 A side-by-side comparison of features, strengths, and fit What to know when selecting a vendor Whether you’re evaluating Cosmos, Jet Reports, Vivid, or sticking with native tools, this guide will help you choose the right fit and avoid months of rework. Why Native Reporting in Business Central Falls Short Business Central offers out-of-the-box tools like Account Schedules, standard reports, Analysis Views, Analysis Mode, Excel exports, and comes equipped with over 521 standard report templates, covering a wide range of domains from finance to sales. These tools and out-of-the-box reports provide a foundational layer for operational insights and are ready to be leveraged for deeper analysis. However, while these native solutions might seem extensive, they can be quite intricate and challenging for users due to their inherent limitations in customization, formatting, and complexity, especially for fast-growing organizations with multi-dimensional data, recurring report cycles, custom layout needs, or complex financial structures. READ: 10 Signs You Need a Third-Party Reporting Tool for Business Central 1. Reports are Hard to Customize Without a Developer Creating board-ready financial statements or adding new KPIs isn’t straightforward in the native Business Central reporting tools. Custom layouts often require modifying RDLC files or writing AL code, which means bringing in specialized technical resources for even basic formatting changes. 2. You’re Limited to a Single Data Source Reporting in Business Central is confined to BC’s environment. There’s no built-in way to merge data across other systems, databases or BC tenants. Pulling everything together typically means manual exporting and stitching things together in Excel. This gap gets even more pronounced when you’re trying to unify BC data with CRM or front-office systems, a challenge covered in more depth here. 3. No Report Scheduling or Automation Business Central does not support native report scheduling or automated delivery. If you need to send recurring reports, like weekly KPIs or monthly close packages, you’ll have to generate, export, and distribute them manually each time. 4. Performance Issues with Large or Complex Reports As data volume increases, reports can become slow or prone to timeouts. The native tools weren’t built for high-volume processing or complex multi-layered data sets, making reporting feel sluggish when you need it most. 5. No Interactive Dashboards for Business Users While you can build static reports inside BC, there’s no native way to create dashboards with filters, drill-down, or visualizations. Business users often rely on external tools or IT teams to get the insights. How to Overcome Business Central’s Top 7 Reporting Challenges Download Free Whitepaper What to Look for in a Dynamics 365 Business Central Reporting Solution Once native BC reporting starts to slow you down, adding a third-party tool seems obvious. But not all reporting platforms are built the same, and many weren’t designed specifically for Business Central. The right solution should do more than pull data. It should: Fit how your finance team already works Scale with your growth Eliminate manual handoffs Give business users (not just IT) the control they need Have high performance, in speed and reliability, in the cloud To address these intricacies and expand the reporting functionality of Business Central, third-party Microsoft Dynamics reporting tools like Cosmos, Jet Reports, Solver, and Power BI have gained prominence. Each tool shines in its own right, innovatively crafted to bridge specific reporting gaps in Business Central. Yet, it’s essential to recognize that they are distinct, not only in function, but in the value they add to your business. Core Business Central Reporting Capabilities to Prioritize When embarking on the journey to select a reporting and analytics solution for your Business Central system, it’s important to assess your reporting needs and identify your critical capabilities. It’s not just about finding a tool that can crunch numbers but choosing a platform that aligns with the specific reporting needs and users of your organization, is easy to integrate and use, and ultimately transforms raw data into actionable insights. Drawing from our own experience and insights from Gartner’s critical capabilities for analytics and business intelligence platforms, here’s what to look for: Usability Excel-based or no-code interface Familiar workflows that don’t require technical support Pre-built templates to accelerate adoption Scalability Built-in support for multiple entities, dimensions, and currencies Performance that holds up as data volumes grow Automation to eliminate repetitive manual work Integration Seamless connectivity to Business Central (SaaS and on-prem) Optional integration with tools like Power BI or other BI platforms Support for combining data from outside BC (CRM, payroll, WMS, budgets, etc.) Flexibility Drill-down to transactions from summary values Dashboards and visualizations for executive business users Financial formatting options for board-ready reports Real-World Example: How Elevated Industrial Solutions Transformed Business Central Financial Reporting Read Full Case Study Here 5 Signs You’ve Outgrown Native BC Reporting For most companies, the realization doesn’t happen all at once, it builds slowly over time with missed deadlines, fragile spreadsheets, frustrated CFOs, and too much dependence on IT for basic changes. If you see these signs, you’re likely overdue for a better reporting solution. 1. You’re Manually Managing Financial Reporting in Excel You’ve effectively built a parallel financial system if your team spends more time in Excel than Business Central. It’s probably slow, inconsistent, and prone to errors. Manual Excel work might include: Stitching reports together across entities Applying custom formulas or formatting Copying and pasting raw exports into templates “Financial reporting in Business Central is not very dynamic and the formatting is minimal at best. I had to export every report into Excel and reformat it, which took a lot of time every month.” — Suzanna Norman, Controller, APEX Companies 2. You Can’t Consolidate Financial Reports Easily Multi-entity reporting in BC requires exporting one company at a time. Add in currency differences, unique charts of accounts, and eliminations, and your “reporting” process becomes a part-time job. Tools like Cosmos and Vivid offer built-in consolidation logic to handle this automatically, allowing you to produce accurate reports across subsidiaries with a single click. “No longer could they manually consolidate data and piece together reports in Excel. If they wanted to provide each branch with up-to-date information… it was time to make a change.” – Yvonn Schomer, Business Systems Analyst, DWF Wholesale 3. Reporting Changes Require IT or Consultants Can’t add a new field or filter without writing AL code? Still asking your Business Central partner to create every new report? Unable to be agile and proactive with reporting? This level of technical dependence slows down decision-making, increases costs, and sabotages efficiency. Modern reporting platforms should empower your finance team to modify reports themselves, quickly, and with no developer help. “Before Cosmos, we were spending thousands of dollars on custom commission reports. It was costing upwards of $10,000 per report.” — Trevor Pantone, CEO, Tidewater Tactical 4. Leadership Wants Dashboards, But You Can’t Deliver Today’s CFOs and CEOs expect more than spreadsheets. They want real-time visibility, dashboards, and self-serve access to KPIs. If you’re struggling to build and maintain visuals for management, it’s a clear sign that your current tools are behind. “We needed better visibility into our procurement pipeline and the ability to share it easily across the whole business.” — Anthony Bramante, President, In Control 5. Your Financial Close Process Is Getting Slower As your company grows, your reporting workload multiplies, but native Business Central tools don’t naturally scale with it. Month-end close becomes a patchwork of exports, validations, and formatting fixes. What should take hours now takes days, and small changes can stall the entire process. One Cosmos partner saw this pattern across their client base: “The previous solution could not match the computation required and, as a result, was often slow and tied up a user’s computer… causing delays in decision-making and reducing operational efficiency.” — Tyson Wiebe, Sr Business Development, Open Door Technology If your finance team spends more time fixing broken reports than analyzing results, it’s a clear sign that your tools have become a bottleneck. Diagnostic Checklist: Are You Ready for a Business Central Reporting Upgrade? Are you exporting to Excel for all financial reports? Do you consolidate multiple entities manually? Are your reports hard to update without IT help? Does it take hours (or days) to answer leadership’s reporting questions? Do you rely on stale data instead of real-time insight? If you answered “yes” to two or more, it’s time to explore a Business Central reporting upgrade. Top 5 Financial Reporting Tools for Business Central in 2026 After working with thousands of Business Central users, we’ve identified the five most popular, effective, scalable, and finance-friendly reporting platforms on the market today. They range from no-code reporting engines to dashboarding tools, each with strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases. And native Business Central reporting still makes the cut for organizations who have low complexity or are not focused on growth. 1. Cosmos – The Best Purpose-Built Reporting Tool for Business Central Best for: Growing businesses that want fast, accurate, finance-owned reporting without any IT bottlenecks. Cosmos is the first, and only, cloud-native reporting platform built exclusively for Business Central. Unlike general-purpose tools that require customization, Cosmos understands BC’s unique structure, companies, dimensions, charts of accounts, and all. Cosmos is installed as an Excel integration, so users can design and run reports in a familiar environment without writing a single formula. But unlike Jet or other legacy tools, Cosmos doesn’t rely on Excel for data processing. Reports are powered by a modern data warehouse in the cloud, built for performance and scale. As AI-assisted analysis becomes part of finance workflows, that cloud foundation matters even more. See why cloud reporting is the missing link between spreadsheets and AI. “The ease of use with Cosmos, even for complex reports, has been a game-changer… less time spent on data preparation and more time on analysis.” — Suzanna Norman, Controller, APEX Companies Standout Business Central Reporting Features: Excel integration with no formulas or coding required Built-in multi-data source consolidation Drill-down to transaction-level detail Dozens of pre-built financial report templates Cloud-hosted data warehouse (no local servers) Power BI integration for visual dashboards Extensive training and dedicated customer support See real Cosmos report templates and layouts built for common BC use cases. Strengths Purpose-built for Business Central, no connectors or adapters needed Lightning-fast report refresh times, even on large datasets Designed for finance teams and business analysts, not developers or consultants Scales easily across entities, dimensions, and departments Considerations Cosmos is SaaS-only and does not support Business Central on-premises. Power BI is required for advanced dashboarding (though Cosmos includes basic native visuals). Cosmos delivers near real-time data—not live query reporting. This improves speed, stability, governance, and accuracy but may not suit individuals expecting second-by-second refreshes. Ideal Fit Finance teams using Business Central Cloud who want fast, self-serve, custom layout reporting across multiple entities without relying on developers or complex formulas. Manufacturers and distributors in particular are seeing fast wins here, as covered in this recent webinar recap. 2. Jet Reports – A Longstanding Excel-Based Reporting Tool for NAV adapted for Business Central Best for: Teams familiar with Excel and Jet formulas, especially those migrating from Dynamics NAV. Jet Reports is a well-established reporting solution in the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. Built initially for NAV and now compatible with Business Central (both on-premises and SaaS), Jet offers flexible Excel-based reporting that connects directly to your BC database. Jet’s approach centers around their proprietary Excel formulas—NL, NF, and NP functions—allowing users to build custom reports using Jet’s logic. It’s powerful for those comfortable with the syntax but requires learning the Jet language to get the most out of the tool. Jet Reports continues to be a go-to Excel-integrated reporting tool for NAV and Business Central, especially for users who are familiar with the platform’s functions and are comfortable with building reports from scratch. “Once you learn how to build Jet Reports, reporting is endless—but there can be a learning curve for novice users.” — Tanya T., Financial Analyst, Non‑Profit (G2 verified review) Key Features Native Excel add-in using Jet-specific functions Live connection to Business Central data Jet Hub for scheduling, sharing, and collaboration Pre-built financial and operational templates Optional Jet Analytics module (data warehouse + cubes) Strengths Broad partner network and large user base Mature product with years of NAV/BC-specific development Works for both BC SaaS and on-prem environments Powerful customization for Excel-savvy users Considerations Steep learning curve for Jet’s formula language Not made, only adapted, for SaaS Report performance can suffer on large datasets without Jet Analytics Still requires significant Excel formula maintenance Less modern UI/UX compared to tools like Cosmos Ideal Fit: Organizations already using NAV or teams with strong Excel experience who are comfortable with formula-based reporting. Also a good fit for hybrid or on-prem BC environments where cloud-native tools may not apply. 3. Vivid Reports – Centralized Logic and Budgeting with Excel as the Interface Best for: Finance teams that want Excel simplicity with server-based performance and built-in budgeting tools. Vivid Reports uses Excel as the user interface, but processes all report logic on a centralized server, removing the need for spreadsheet formulas. This structure improves consistency and scalability, especially for teams managing complex GLs or budgeting workflows. What sets Vivid apart is its CPM-first design. The platform includes budgeting, version control, and workflow approvals, making it attractive for finance teams that need more than just reporting. However, for businesses focused solely on streamlining Business Central financial reporting, the additional complexity may feel like more than they need and the reporting side of things may lack in features they ultimately require. “Advantages of Vivid: Ease of use, implementation, amazing support… Disadvantages: Creating filters takes some time.”— Faraz A., Business Analyst (G2 verified review) Key Features Excel-based front end, no cell formulas required Centralized logic for consistent report output Built-in budgeting, planning, and forecasting tools GL and operational reporting modules SQL Server-based deployment (cloud or on-prem) Strengths Eliminates fragile Excel formulas Combines reporting + budgeting in one platform Fast performance via server-side processing Supports data beyond the GL (sales, inventory, etc.) Considerations CPM-first design may be overkill Requires IT or partner help to configure and maintain Filter setup and initial design can take extra effort Smaller partner ecosystem than Jet or Cosmos Ideal FitMid-market companies with complex budgeting needs, in-house IT resources, or a desire to unify reporting and forecasting workflows in one platform. 4. Power BI – The Go-To Dashboard and Analytics Platform for Business Central Best for: Executive dashboards, KPI tracking, and trend analysis—not formatted financial statements. Power BI, Microsoft’s premier business intelligence tool, integrates directly with Dynamics 365 Business Central. While it’s not a traditional financial reporting tool, it excels at visualizing data, tracking trends, and enabling analytics. Many organizations use Power BI alongside tools like Cosmos or Jet to handle operational dashboards, non-financial reporting, and executive-level insights. “Power BI helps us understand what’s happening in operations every day—but we still need something like Cosmos for audited financials.”— CFO, Manufacturing Firm Key Features Direct BC connector via OData or APIs Pre-built content packs from Microsoft Interactive dashboards with slicers, drill-through, and KPIs Power Query and DAX for advanced modeling Mobile and web access for distributed teams Integration with Teams, SharePoint, and Excel Power BI is especially effective for department-level dashboards like sales, service, and inventory; marketing often uses it to track performance. Some advanced finance teams even use Power BI for cash forecasting and variance analysis when paired with the right data model. Strengths Excellent visual capabilities and interactivity Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure Highly customizable and scalable Affordable: $14–$24/month/user for Pro or Premium Considerations Not ideal for formatted financial statements Requires DAX and Power Query knowledge for advanced use Data management and access can be complex without a pre-built data model or warehouse Doesn’t consolidate entities out of the box Microsoft’s broader Fabric platform is also part of the 2026 licensing conversation. Organizations with a small number of Power BI viewers can stay on per-user Pro or Premium Per User licensing, but larger deployments increasingly evaluate Fabric capacity, which shifts cost from per-seat to reserved compute and can reduce costs once viewer counts scale past a few hundred users. This matters for BC reporting because it affects how many people across finance, ops, and leadership can actually see the dashboards you build. Ideal FitExecutives and department leads who need dashboards, KPIs, and trend analysis. Best used alongside a financial reporting tool like Cosmos to complete the picture. Power BI with Cosmos One of Cosmos’ biggest strengths is how seamlessly it integrates with Power BI. Unlike traditional BI setups that require technically complex manual data modeling or ETL tools, Cosmos automatically builds a fully structured cloud data warehouse hosted on Azure that is tailored for Business Central. This means your Power BI dashboards connect to clean, reliable, finance-ready data without extra setup, \SQL scripts, or guessing. It also means you get warehouse-grade data structure without needing to build or license Fabric capacity separately. With Cosmos feeding trusted data into Power BI, your team can: Visualize up-to-date KPIs, trends, and metrics Eliminate duplication and inconsistencies across tools Maintain a single source of truth across Excel, dashboards, and departments Cosmos also now ships six pre-built, multi-page Power BI dashboards covering Sales, Finance, Inventory, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Purchasing. Each one connects directly to the governed Cosmos data model, so there’s no SQL, no DAX, and no report-building project. This is a meaningful step up from Microsoft’s free Power BI apps for Business Central, which install one company at a time and require forking the underlying .pbix file to make any structural changes. See the pre-built Power BI dashboards in action, including a live, interactive demo of each pack. Cosmos is not just a data connector, it’s a fully managed data foundation that helps you get more out of Power BI, faster. 5. Business Central Native Tools – Basic Reporting for Simple Needs Best for: Small businesses with simple structures, or teams just getting started with Dynamics 365 Business Central. Business Central includes built-in tools for basic financial reporting and data extraction. These include Account Schedules, Standard Reports, Analysis Views, Analysis Mode, and Excel integration. These native tools are often sufficient for early-stage companies with only one legal entity and straightforward reporting requirements. But its limitations become clear as soon as you need multi-entity consolidation, advanced formatting, or self-service dashboards. “Account Schedules worked okay when we had one entity. Now that we’ve grown to four and need consolidated views, we’re spending hours doing manual merges in Excel every month.” — Finance Manager, SaaS Company Key Native Reporting Options Account Schedules: Customizable financial statements like income statements and balance sheets Analysis Views: Basic multi-dimensional analysis using dimensions and filters Analysis Mode: Interact and analyze data on list pages Standard Reports: Predefined reports for modules like Sales, Purchases, and Inventory Excel Integration: Export data to Excel or use the Excel Add-In to refresh report data Strengths Built into Business Central (no additional licensing) Simple interface for GL-based financials Works well for small, single-entity organizations No setup required—ready to use from day one Limitations No native multi-company or multi-currency consolidation Limited formatting and professional presentation options No dashboards or visual analytics Customizations require developer effort (RDLC or AL code) Performance declines with large data volumes Considerations No built-in multi-entity or multi-currency consolidation Limited formatting and custom layout options No dashboards or interactive visuals Custom reports require AL code or developer help Can become slow or error-prone with large data volumes Ideal FitEarly-stage businesses or single-entity organizations with basic reporting needs. Also suitable for teams evaluating Business Central before investing in a dedicated reporting platform. Chart: Compare the Top 5 Financial Reporting Tools for Business Central Note: use bottom scroll to see/compare all solutions Feature / Tool Cosmos Jet Reports Vivid Reports Power BI BC Native Tools Built for BC ✅ Yes, built exclusively for BC ⚠️ No, built for legacy NAV and adapted for BC ⚠️ No, built for legacy NAV and adapted for BC ✅ Connects to BC ✅ Native Excel Interface ✅ Excel add-in, no formulas ✅ Excel add-in with proprietary formulas ✅ Excel front-end, no formulas ⚠️ Limited (data export or add-in only) ❌ Export required No-Code Reporting ✅ Yes ❌ Requires Jet function syntax ✅ Yes ❌ Requires DAX & Power Query ⚠️ Developer support needed for custom reports Multi-Company Consolidation ✅ Built-in ✅ Built-in, best with Jet Analytics ✅ Built-in ❌ Not native ❌ One entity at a time Drill-Down Support ✅ Full transaction-level drill-down ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ⚠️ Limited (visual-based) ✅ Yes, can also access source documents Budgeting & Forecasting ⚠️ Integrates with planning tools ❌ Not included ✅ Built-in CPM module ❌ Not included ❌ Manual via Excel Dashboards / Visuals ✅ Power BI integration + native dashboards ⚠️ Facilitated with Power BI and Jet Analytics ⚠️ Limited ✅ Rich, interactive dashboards ❌ Native format only Cloud-Native Architecture ✅ Fully SaaS, cloud-native ⚠️ Hybrid (on-prem + optional cloud) ❌ On-prem / hosted ✅ Yes ✅ Cloud or on-prem Training & Support ✅ Unlimited included ⚠️ Depends on partner ⚠️ Partner-led ⚠️ Limited to online documentation ❌ None Ideal For Finance teams needing fast, scalable reporting Jet/NAV users with strong Excel skills Teams wanting reporting + budgeting Exec dashboards & analytics Small teams with basic needs Choosing the Right Business Central Reporting Partner (Not Just the Right Tool) The right software matters. But so does the partner behind it. Your reporting solution is only as successful as the team that supports its implementation, training, and ongoing optimization. Many organizations choose tools based on features alone, only to struggle with onboarding, limited documentation, or long-term user adoption. Even the best reporting tool can fall short if it’s not implemented well. The difference between a successful rollout and a frustrating one often comes down to the people behind the software. A good partner doesn’t just install a tool, they help you: Get live fast, with real reports that match your business Train your finance team to be self-sufficient Support evolving needs like new entities, KPIs, and report structures When evaluating tools like Cosmos, Jet, or Vivid, take time to assess the vendor’s approach to customer success, not just their product sheet. “The onboarding process was very fast. The Cosmos team worked with us to build out the exact reports we needed, trained our staff, and made sure we were fully operational in a matter of days.” — Joseph Baggetta, General Manager, Atta Elevators Questions to Ask Every Business Central Reporting Vendor How quickly can we go live with real financial reports using our data? Is training included? Unlimited? One-time? Self-paced? On-demand? Live? Are there online resources for training? What happens when we need help building new reports? How do you support multi-company or international environments? How does the tool handle multi-entity, multi-currency, and dimension-based reporting? Can we try the product with our actual data before committing? What does your support team look like? How often do you release updates and new features and how does that impact users? Red Flags to Watch for in Business Central Reporting Tool Selection Long, consultant-driven implementations. If it takes weeks or months to get your first usable report, that’s a sign of unnecessary complexity. Heavy reliance on IT or developers. Tools that require AL code, SQL, or partner assistance for every report update won’t scale with your finance team. No native understanding of Business Central. If the tool treats BC like a generic data source (instead of recognizing companies, dimensions, and charts of accounts), expect limitations. Training isn’t included or isn’t ongoing. Reporting tools should empower your team, not trap you in a loop of one-time workshops and forgotten PDFs. Support is slow or ticket-based only. When month-end is on the line, waiting days for help isn’t good enough. Look for teams that offer fast, human support. No customer examples in your industry or use case. If the vendor can’t show proof they’ve solved problems like yours, proceed with caution. No transparency on security or compliance practices. If a vendor can’t speak clearly to how they handle data security (like SOC 2 or equivalent certifications), that’s a diligence gap worth pressing on. Third-party validation matters too. Cosmos was recently named a 2026 Leader by Capterra and Software Advice, and has also completed its SOC 2 Type 1 examination, addressing the security and compliance diligence many finance and IT teams now require before signing off on a reporting vendor. The best reporting platforms are built for scale, simplicity, and service, and the best partners ensure you succeed. Final Thoughts: It’s Time to Take Business Central Reporting Challenges Off Your Plate If you’re a Business Central customer, you’ve already made a smart investment in a powerful ERP. But the reporting gap is real and will likely cost your finance team time, accuracy, and insight. Most modern finance leaders don’t want to be stuck formatting spreadsheets. They want clear, consolidated reports, instant visibility, and the power to ask “why?” then find the answer immediately, without having to email IT. This is increasingly an AI-readiness question too, since ungoverned data undermines any AI initiative built on top of it. Tools like Cosmos are helping Business Central users bridge that gap with: Purpose-built financial reporting Fast, no-code report design Multi-company consolidation Seamless Power BI dashboards And best of all, these tools are built for finance, not developers. Ready to See What Better Business Central Reporting Looks Like? Whether you’re just starting your evaluation or know it’s time to upgrade, you don’t have to guess your way through it. Book a personalized demo with Cosmos to see how your reports can be faster, easier, and fully in your control. No more manual exports. No more broken formulas. No more bottlenecks. For more on evaluating BC add-ons, check out our full library of Business Central guides. Book A Demo FAQ: Business Central Reporting Tools Can we build our Business Central reports in Account Schedules? You can, but account schedules are limited in formatting, flexibility, and multi-company capabilities. For anything complex, you’ll likely need outside help and tools. Is exporting to Excel good enough for our Business Central reporting needs? Not once you’re growing. Relying on Excel exports for mission-critical reports adds unnecessary manual effort, results in errors, and introduces report versioning inconsistencies.ng Do we need a reporting platform or a full BI suite? It depends. A reporting-first tool is ideal if your pain points are primarily around financial reports (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, financial performance overviews). If you’re focused on KPIs, trends, and operations, you may also want Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities. How important is Excel integration for Business Central reporting? Very. Excel remains the common language of finance. A tool that extends Excel, rather than replacing it, ensures adoption and reduces learning curves. What’s the difference between “Excel add-in” and “Excel-integrated”? Excel add-ins are bolt-ons that run inside Excel, generally extending the embedded toolbar. Excel-integrated tools may run outside Excel but still use its UI conventions, providing a more stable and scalable experience. How big do we need to be to justify a third-party reporting tool for Business Central? Size isn’t the main factor, complexity is. You’ll benefit from upgrading if you have multiple companies, departments, or any reporting needs beyond the basics. Can we still use native Business Central reports after adding a tool like Cosmos or Jet? Absolutely. These tools extend BC’s capabilities without replacing them. Think of them as a layer of intelligence and efficiency on top of what you already have. Can non-technical users really build their own reports? Yes. Cosmos was designed so that controllers, accountants, and CFOs can build, edit, and run reports independently from developers. There is no coding, no formulas, and no dependency on IT. How long does a Cosmos implementation take? Most customers are live within 30-minutes. Cosmos includes onboarding, pre-built financial templates, and unlimited online, self-paced training to help teams ramp up quickly with minimal disruption. Can Cosmos handle reporting across multiple entities and dimensions? Absolutely. Cosmos was purpose-built for Business Central’s architecture, including multiple companies, dimensions, charts of accounts, and currencies. Multi-entity reporting works out of the box, no manual consolidation or add-ons required. What kind of support and training does Cosmos provide? Every Cosmos subscription includes ongoing online training and access to live support from real people (not just a ticketing system). You also get hands-on onboarding, self-paced training videos, and a full knowledge base for ongoing success. Does Cosmos replace native Business Central reporting? No. Cosmos extends Business Central’s reporting capabilities, but it doesn’t replace it. You can continue using native tools like account schedules alongside Cosmos, but most teams find they prefer Cosmos for speed, consolidation, and ease of use. Is Jet easy to use for non-Excel experts? Not really. While it lives in Excel, building and maintaining reports requires knowledge of Jet’s formula syntax, which many finance users initially find unintuitive. Can Jet consolidate data from multiple Business Central companies? Yes, but with setup. Jet Analytics handles true consolidation best, while Jet Reports can generate multiple reports and aggregate them, but it’s more manual. Is Jet better for on-prem or cloud users? It works for both, but companies using BC on-prem may find Jet particularly valuable while those using BC cloud will likely find speed and performance a downside. It’s one of the few tools still well-supported by hybrid environments. Do you need Jet Analytics? Jet Analytics is a separate product that adds a SQL-based data warehouse, cubes, and ETL tooling. It boosts performance and enables deeper analysis but adds cost and complexity. Some companies need Jet Analytics to handle what Cosmos includes out of the box. How is Vivid different from Jet or Cosmos? Vivid removes the need for Excel formulas entirely, processing all logic through a centralized model. Cosmos also eliminates proprietary formulas but is fully cloud-native. Jet still relies heavily on formula syntax inside Excel. Can Vivid pull in non-financial data (like sales or projects)? Yes. Its “Flex” module allows you to report on any SQL-accessible data source—including sales, inventory, projects, or CRM data. Do I need to use Vivid’s budgeting tools? No, but it’s a strong advantage. You can use Vivid purely for reporting, or expand to budgeting and planning if needed. Can Power BI be used for financial reporting in Business Central? Technically, yes, but it’s not ideal for formatted financial statements. Power BI is a visualization and analytics tool, not a financial reporting engine. Creating accurate P&Ls, balance sheets, or consolidated financials requires significant DAX modeling and data structuring, which can be complex for most finance teams. That’s why many organizations pair it with tools like Cosmos to handle the structured financial layer. What kinds of reporting is Power BI best suited for? Power BI excels at trend analysis, KPI dashboards, and operational metrics. It’s ideal for executives and department leads who need real-time visual insight into performance, but it isn’t effective for producing financial reports that follow strict accounting structures. Does Power BI support multi-company reporting out of the box? No. Power BI doesn’t include built-in logic for entity consolidation. You’ll need to build or import your own data models that handle chart of accounts mapping, currency conversion, and eliminations. Tools like Cosmos can automate this and feed consolidated data into Power BI automatically. How does Cosmos work with Power BI? Cosmos automatically builds a clean, cloud-based data warehouse from your Business Central environment. This means your Power BI dashboards connect to reliable, finance-ready data without manual modeling or data prep. With Cosmos feeding the data layer, Power BI becomes faster, more accurate, and easy for non-technical business users to employ on their own. Can account schedules handle complex financial reporting? Not easily. Account Schedules are useful for basic P&L and balance sheet views, but they don’t support advanced formatting, KPIs, or multi-company consolidation. Customizing them often requires technical help or extensions. Does Business Central support multi-entity reporting out of the box? No. Reports must be run for one legal entity at a time. If you need consolidated reports across subsidiaries or divisions, you’ll need to export and manually merge the data or use a third-party tool like Cosmos. What are Analysis Views in Business Central used for? Analysis Views let you analyze data across dimensions like department or project. However, they’re limited in flexibility, can be slow with large datasets, and lack modern visualization or drill-down features. Can we stick with Business Central native tools long-term? Only if your business stays simple. Most growing companies eventually need faster, more automated, and more flexible reporting to support decision-making and scale. Native tools are a good starting point, but rarely a long-term solution. Anthony Bonaduce Chief Revenue Officer About the Author Latest Posts Anthony Bonaduce brings nearly a decade of sales leadership expertise to the Microsoft Channel, where he has built lasting partnerships and driven significant growth for data analytics solutions. As co-founder of Cosmos Data Technologies, Anthony combines his passion for relationship building with deep industry knowledge gained through executive roles at Jet Reports (now insightsoftware) and Rand Group. Anthony’s business philosophy centers on exceptional customer service and transparent communication—principles he credits as the foundation of his success. His proudest achievement includes expanding Jet’s partner channel to unprecedented levels, earning him the trust of countless Microsoft partners and clients. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from the University of Oregon. When he’s not helping clients unlock their data potential, Anthony enjoys cheering on the Oregon Ducks, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends. How to Get Custom Business Central Inventory Reports in Minutes August 17, 2026 What is Cloud Reporting? Benefits, Tools, and How it Works August 7, 2026 Best Business Central Reporting Tools (2026): Compare Top 5 Excel-Based Options July 27, 2026 Cloud Reporting for Business Central: The Missing Step Between Spreadsheets and AI June 4, 2026 AI Won’t Help Your Ungoverned Data May 11, 2026 Fact Checked & Editorial Guidelines Our Fact Checking Process We prioritize accuracy and integrity in our content. Here's how we maintain high standards: Expert Review: All articles are reviewed by subject matter experts. Source Validation: Information is backed by credible, up-to-date sources. Transparency: We clearly cite references and disclose potential conflicts. Your trust is important. Learn more about our Fact Checking process and editorial policy. Reviewed by: Subject Matter Experts Our Review Board Our content is carefully reviewed by experienced professionals to ensure accuracy and relevance. Qualified Experts: Each article is assessed by specialists with field-specific knowledge. Up-to-date Insights: We incorporate the latest research, trends, and standards. Commitment to Quality: Reviewers ensure clarity, correctness, and completeness. Look for the expert-reviewed label to read content you can trust.
