Most people default to Trial Balance Detail when they need to review detailed income statement activity. It works. But it is heavy, repetitive, and harder to scan than it needs to be. What if you could replace that report entirely with something cleaner, faster, and more flexible? Entry list pages in Business Central, when combined with saved views and Analysis Mode, can become a focused red flag detection tool that outperforms traditional reporting. And once you see it, you will not go back.

The Problem

Your controller wants to review detailed General Ledger activity posted to income statement accounts.

They are looking for red flags:

• Mis posted entries
• Wrong source types
• Customer or vendor numbers that do not make sense
• Descriptions that raise eyebrows

The natural instinct?

Run Trial Balance Detail Summary with:

• Print Detail
• Include Source Name

It works.

But it is long. Very long.

Multiple lines per entry. Hard to scan. Hard to filter. Hard to analyze.

You can export data only to Excel and clean it up. But now you are fixing a report instead of reviewing accounting.

There is a better way.

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The Solution

Use General Ledger Entries plus Analysis Mode plus Excel

Instead of starting with a report, start with the entry list page.

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Step 1: Filter General Ledger Entries

1. Open General Ledger Entries
2. Filter:
   G/L Account No. equals your income statement range
   Posting Date equals desired date range

Now you have exactly the entries you want.

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Step 2: Save the Filtered View

1. Save the view
2. Name it: TBCUSTVEND

Now anytime you open General Ledger Entries, you can select this saved filter.

Repeatable. Clean. Consistent.

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Step 3: Prepare Required Fields, Then Go to Analysis Mode

Before switching to Analysis Mode, confirm that the required source fields are visible in the standard list view.

If Source Type and Source No. are not available as columns in Analysis Mode, it is likely because they are not currently visible on the list page.

To fix this:

1. Stay in normal list mode
2. Select Personalize
3. Add the following fields if they are not already visible:
   • Source Type
   • Source No.

Why this matters:

Analysis Mode only exposes fields that are available on the underlying list page. If Source Type and Source No. are not visible in list mode, they will not be available as selectable columns in Analysis Mode.

And you need both fields.

Source Type and Source No. are what allow Business Central to link properly to related tables so you can add Customer Name and Vendor Name as related columns in Analysis Mode.

Once those fields are visible in list mode:

1. Exit Personalize
2. Select Analysis Mode
3. Rename the analysis tab to TBCUSTVEND

Yes. Use the same name as your saved filter. This matters.

Now enhance the data.

Add columns from related tables:

• Customer Name
• Vendor Name
• G/L Account Name

Remove columns you do not need:

• Gen. Bus. Posting Group
• Gen. Prod. Posting Group
• Any unnecessary noise columns

Rearrange columns so the controller sees:

G/L Account No.
G/L Account Name
Posting Date
Source Type
Source No.
Customer or Vendor Name
Description
Amount

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Step 4: Sort by G/L Account No.

While still in Analysis Mode:

1. Click on the G/L Account No. column header
2. Sort Ascending

Sorting by G/L Account No. groups entries logically by account, making it easier to scan for anomalies within each income statement line instead of jumping randomly across accounts.

Controllers review patterns. Sorting creates patterns.

Because you are sorting inside the analysis tab, the sort becomes part of the reusable layout.

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Step 5: Send or Export While in Analysis Mode

You have two clean options:

Option A: Open in Excel
No additional analysis filters needed. Excel receives the current view exactly as displayed.

Option B: Copy Link from the Analysis Tab
If sending via link, apply Analysis Filters first so your manager sees exactly what you intend.

When using this method, it is important that:

• Your filters are finalized
• Your column layout is finalized
• Your G/L Account No. sort order is correct

All of this becomes part of the saved Analysis tab configuration.

Because the link opens the page in Analysis Mode using that tab, the structure you defined becomes the experience your manager sees.

If filters or sort order are not finalized before copying the link, the recipient may see something different than what you reviewed.

Complete your configuration. Then copy the link.

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Step 6: Exit Analysis Mode Before Closing the Page

This final step preserves both your layout and your sanity.

After sending or exporting:

Turn off Analysis Mode before closing the page.

Why this matters:

First, exiting Analysis Mode commits your layout changes to that analysis tab. The system remembers:

• Added fields
• Removed columns
• Column order
• Sorting
• Applied Analysis Filters

Second, Business Central remembers the mode you were in when you exit the page.

If you close the page while still in Analysis Mode:

• The page opens in Analysis Mode next time
• It opens unfiltered
• You see the warning about opening an unfiltered list in Analysis Mode
• Confusion follows

By exiting Analysis Mode before closing, you:

• Preserve your saved layout
• Prevent the unfiltered analysis warning
• Ensure the page opens normally next time

Small habit. Major usability improvement.

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Usability Tip That Makes This Seamless

Give your saved filter and your analysis tab the same name.

TBCUSTVEND.

When you need to run it:

1. Open General Ledger Entries
2. Select saved view TBCUSTVEND
3. Turn on Analysis Mode
4. Select the TBCUSTVEND analysis tab

Easy. Repeatable. Professional.

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Why This Is The Righter Way

Entry list pages in Business Central are not just lookup pages.

They are dynamic data surfaces.

When you combine:

• Saved views
• Analysis Mode
• Related table fields
• Sorting
• Intentional sharing

You eliminate:

• Bloated reports
• Manual reformatting
• Wasted review time

And you gain:

• Focused review
• Cleaner red flag detection
• Faster month end oversight

Controllers do not need more pages.

They need better signal.

This method gives them signal.

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This Does Not Stop at the G/L

Once you build this for General Ledger Entries, it becomes obvious that the same approach works for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. Vendor Ledger Entries. Customer Ledger Entries. Even Item Ledger Entries. The combination of saved views, Analysis Mode, intentional sorting, and structured sharing turns entry pages into review tools instead of lookup screens. Instead of relying on static reports, you design repeatable review environments that surface anomalies faster and with less noise. That shift changes how month end oversight feels.

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Created as part of Sharing the Righter Way, this article combines my Business Central experience with AI supported research and drafting. AI helps me explore options and accelerate analysis, while every conclusion and recommendation reflects my own professional judgment.