Using the Dynamics NAV Data Source Connector in Power BI

Using the Dynamics 365 Business Central Data Source Connector in Power BI

Power BI is a powerful tool that enables organizations to visualize and analyze data from various sources. One such data source is Dynamics 365 Business Central, a comprehensive business management solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses. By integrating Dynamics 365 Business Central with Power BI, users can create insightful reports and dashboards to help drive informed decision-making. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to connect Dynamics 365 Business Central to Power BI, discuss best practices, and provide tips for optimizing your data analysis.

Step-by-Step Guide to Connect Dynamics 365 Business Central to Power BI

1. Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

• An active subscription to Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• A Power BI Pro or Premium license.
• Appropriate permissions to access data in Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• Power BI Desktop installed on your machine.

2. Installing the Power BI Connector for Dynamics 365 Business Central

To begin, you need to ensure that the Dynamics 365 Business Central connector is installed in Power BI. This connector is included by default in Power BI Desktop.

Steps:

1. Open Power BI Desktop.
2. Navigate to the Home tab and click on Get Data.
3. In the Get Data window, search for “Dynamics 365 Business Central” in the search bar.
4. Select Dynamics 365 Business Central from the list and click Connect.

3. Connecting to Your Dynamics 365 Business Central Account

Once the connector is installed, follow these steps to connect Power BI to your Dynamics 365 Business Central account:

Steps:

1. When prompted, enter your Dynamics 365 Business Central credentials. This will typically be your work or school account associated with your Dynamics 365 subscription.
2. After logging in, you will be presented with a list of available companies in your Dynamics 365 Business Central environment. Select the company you wish to connect to.
3. Next, you will see a list of available data sources, such as tables and reports, from Dynamics 365 Business Central. Select the desired data sources you want to import into Power BI.
4. Click Load to import the selected data into Power BI.

4. Transforming and Modeling Data in Power BI

Once the data is loaded into Power BI, you can begin transforming and modeling it to fit your analysis needs:

Steps:

1. Use the Query Editor in Power BI to clean and shape your data. This can include