Dynamics 365 Business Central Tips and Tricks: Save Keystrokes and Time in Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud Part II

In this series of bi-monthly blogs, Western Computer shares our expertise with tips and tricks to help users work more efficiently in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Based on our more than 30 years in business—with 1,250+ solution implementations, including more than 350 in the cloud—we share the expertise we have accumulated to enable users to work as proficiently as possible. You can also subscribe to these blogs in our LinkedIn newsletter.

I’m back to help you and your accounting team find more ways to save keystrokes and time in 

Dynamics 365 Business Central. Everyone loves a shortcut, and if you eliminate a mouse click here and there, you can get more work done and move on to higher-value activities. 

In my last blog, I covered how to streamline approval workflows, personalize views, and make corrections to posted documents—pulling a few tips from a webinar I presented that was co-sponsored by the Dynamics User Group and MSDynamicsWorld. In this blog, let’s focus on three tips involving filtered views and templates.

Filtered Views

If you’re like me, there might be occasions when you just need to know which documents are open in accounts payable so you know your cash requirements. You don’t want to take the time to run the Aged Accounts Payable report.

 

One of the best benefits of setting up filtered views is that they eliminate the need for users to go through all the steps to run reports like A/P aging. Each user can set up personal filters to see exactly what they need.

 

For this example, you can have one-click access to the outstanding amount owed to vendors by setting up a filtered view of the Vendor Ledger Entries page. The view displays accounts payable documents with remaining amounts not equal to $0.

 

Then, you can create an analysis view that subtotals or totals the remaining amounts. You can also set up an exception report to filter for unapplied payments by copying this view and adding a filter on the Document Type Payment.  

 

Other views for which you can set up filters include a dynamic date filter to display the current calendar month’s posted transactions. Using the filter on Posting Date for Month will display the transactions in the current calendar month. Just as helpful, a filter on Posting Date for Month-1M...Month will display the transactions for the last month through the current calendar month. The report will automatically advance as each new month begins.

Customer/Vendor/Item Templates

Templates in Business Central are just as helpful as the filters. With templates, you can eliminate having to manually select default field values and setting up options every time you create a new customer, vendor, or item. If you were a Dynamics GP user, these templates work similarly to the Class feature.

 

For example, if you give every customer Net 30 terms for payments, you can assign that Payment Term to a Customer Template and no longer worry about populating that field each time your sales team brings in a new customer.

 

Additionally, you can set up intelligent customer, vendor and item numbers in a specific Number Series and assign them to a corresponding customer, vendor or item template. Business Central then automatically applies your intelligent customer, vendor, and item numbers based on the template chosen when creating the new master record.

 

Using smart numbering in a Number Series also allows you to glean more insights into posted transactions. Plus, creating master records from templates speeds up the process of assigning posting groups for customers, vendors and items.

Deferral Templates

With Deferral Templates, you can eliminate prepaid expense and deferred revenue amortization entries. This lets you record all of the amortization entries at the time you post an invoice.

 

If you forget to use a Deferral Code on an invoice, you can reclass the entry in the General Journal later on and cause the deferral to happen at that point in time. Note that the posting dates for the deferral entries must be between the Allow Deferral Posting from and to dates on the General Ledger setup page.

 

Consider the case of setting up a Deferral Template for pre-paid insurance premiums. If you post an invoice for six months of coverage, you can amortize the expense and assign one-sixth of the total expense to each month.

 

Another benefit of Deferral Templates is being able to see balances by vendors by running the Purchasing Deferral Summary report. There are similar reports for sales and general ledger deferrals.

 

To Learn More 

To learn more about saving keystrokes and time in Business Central Cloud, check out Holly’s webinar where she takes you through screenshot demos and provides additional tips to work more efficiently. Also watch for more tips in another upcoming blog by Holly in this series on Dynamics 365 Business Central Tips and Tricks.

 

If you have specific questions, just contact Western Computer today. We’re here to help you reduce all those keystrokes and mouse clicks along with designing, deploying, and supporting your Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions. 

 

Western Computer offers deep expertise across the Microsoft technology stack, particularly in Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud. Our thought leaders can help you ensure your critical ERP application meets your business needs for today and beyond. For more information on how to make corrections in Business Central, or for help in designing, deploying or supporting your Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution, contact Western Computer today.