Why these improvements matter for real users, not just accountants or power users
Reporting in Business Central has always been powerful, but the learning curve has not always been friendly. Most guidance comes from an accountant’s perspective, which is valuable but not always practical for the everyday user trying to run month end, troubleshoot a strange number or build a report they can trust.
With Version 27, Microsoft added improvements that make reporting easier, clearer and far more predictable, especially for the users who do not live in financial reporting all day. These are not flashy features, but they remove friction from the places where people actually struggle.
The Righter Way approach is simple: if something becomes easier and more understandable, people will use it correctly. Version 27 helps us get there.
Below is a breakdown of the updates that matter the most, along with why they are worth paying attention to.
Reporting Starts with the Basics — and v27 Strengthens Those Basics
In my previous article, I walked through the four building blocks of Business Central financial reports: row definitions, column definitions, analysis views and the report setup that ties it all together. These fundamentals do not change in v27.
What has changed is the experience of working with those fundamentals.
Version 27 does not reinvent reporting.
It removes pain points.
It replaces guesswork with clarity.
It makes the system behave more consistently, so users spend less time troubleshooting and more time trusting the results.
Let us walk through the improvements the Righter Way.
More Predictable Date Formulas (CM, PM, FY and friends)
Date formulas in financial reporting have always been powerful but quirky. “CM” does not always behave like “current month” if your accounting periods do not align with the calendar. “PM” sometimes confuses new users who expect it to behave like Excel.
Version 27 tightens these behaviors so date formulas act more consistently across:
- Column definitions
- Saved report settings
- Analysis by dimension reporting
- Custom variants
What this means in practice:
You now get fewer surprises when running the same report with different filters or opening saved settings that previously shifted reporting periods in unexpected ways.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Date Formulas in Business Central
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/date-formula
Righter Way takeaway:
A predictable system is a trustworthy system. When users know exactly what CM or FY means every time, confidence goes up and rework goes down.
Improved Column Definition Validation (Goodbye cryptic errors)
Anyone who has ever worked with column definitions knows the feeling:
You enter a formula.
Something looks off.
Business Central throws an error message that sounds like it was written by a compiler.
Version 27 adds clearer validation, meaning Business Central now helps prevent:
- Invalid or circular formulas
- Period calculations that do not resolve correctly
- Combinations that would result in divide by zero errors
- Columns referencing non existent periods or fields
The system flags issues earlier and with descriptions that actual humans can understand.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Dynamics 365 Business Central 2024 Release Wave 2 (v27) Application Enhancements
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/release-plans/dynamics365-business-central/2024wave2
Righter Way takeaway:
Prevention beats correction. When Business Central helps you avoid mistakes in the setup stage, the month end scramble becomes much quieter.
Cleaner Preview Behavior When Designing Reports
One common pain point with financial reporting has always been that you do not see the impact of row and column changes until you run the report. Even then, errors can hide behind filters, saved settings or empty periods.
Version 27 improves preview responsiveness and helps you verify structure sooner, reducing back and forth trial and error.
You get a clearer sense of:
- Which rows are pulling values
- Which columns are executing formulas correctly
- Whether subtotals and totals behave as expected
Source: Microsoft Learn — Work with Financial Reports (Account Schedules) in Business Central
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/bi-how-work-account-schedule
Righter Way takeaway:
Seeing results earlier shortens the learning curve dramatically. Users understand what they are building much sooner.
Analysis Views Are Still Critical — But Now More Reliable
In my earlier article, I emphasized that analysis views are required for reporting beyond the two global dimensions. That is still true.
What is new in Version 27 is improved stability and rebuild behavior:
- Rebuilds complete more consistently
- Fewer partial updates
- Better handling of large datasets
- More predictable timing when dimensions change
- Cleaner alignment between the view and financial reports using it
This matters because analysis views often sit at the center of the “why does my report not match my GL” questions.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Analyze Data by Dimensions with Analysis Views
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/bi-how-analyze-data-dimension
and Dynamics 365 Business Central 2024 Release Wave 2 (v27) — Performance and Reliability Enhancements
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/release-plans/dynamics365-business-central/2024wave2
Righter Way takeaway:
When analysis views rebuild reliably, dimensional reporting becomes more trustworthy. That reduces the noise you deal with during month end.
Saved Report Settings Behave Better with Financial Reports
Saved settings are one of the most underused efficiencies in Business Central reporting. Historically, they did not always cooperate with financial statements, especially with date formulas, column sets and complex filters.
Version 27 brings:
- More predictable treatment of date ranges
- More stable reuse of dimension filters
- Better compatibility with multi column definitions
- Reduced risk of settings drifting from their original logic
This makes saved settings far more viable for teams who run the same reports regularly.
Source: Microsoft Learn — Set Up and Use Saved Report Settings in Business Central
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/ui-work-report-settings
Righter Way takeaway:
Repeatability matters. When saved settings behave, users adopt them and the entire reporting process becomes more efficient.
Business Central Reporting Still Requires a Foundation — But v27 Makes It Easier to Stand On
These improvements are not headline features. They are refinements that make financial reporting easier for the people who actually use it. They reduce friction at the exact points where everyday users struggle.
That is the Righter Way: take a system that is already capable, remove the complexity people should not have to fight with and make the fundamentals so clear that anyone can build on them.
Version 27 is a meaningful step in that direction.
Before You Go…
If reporting in Version 27 is the start of a smoother experience, the next big unlock is understanding how to keep your dimensional reporting reliable over time. I am working on a follow up post called “Making Analysis Views Stick in Business Central Financial Reports” where I will break down what causes views to drift, how to avoid rebuild surprises and the Righter Way to keep your reports aligned with your data. Stay tuned — this one will save teams a lot of troubleshooting time.
References
- Microsoft Docs. Business Central 2024 Release Wave 2 (v27) – Application features.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/release-plans - Microsoft Docs. Working with Financial Reports in Business Central.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/bi-how-work-account-schedule - Microsoft Docs. Analysis Views Overview and Usage.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/bi-how-analyze-data-dimension - Microsoft Docs. Set Up and Use Saved Report Settings.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/ui-work-report-settings - Microsoft Docs. Date Formulas in Business Central.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/business-central/date-formula - Microsoft Dynamics 365. 2024 Release Wave 2 – Financial Reporting Improvements.
https://learn.microsoft.com/dynamics365/release-plans/dynamics365-business-central/2024wave2 - Microsoft Dynamics 365. Performance and Reliability Enhancements for Analysis Views. (Within Release Plan documentation)
- Microsoft Tech Community. Business Central Reporting Guidance and Best Practices.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-dynamics-365-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftDynamics365Blog
Created as part of Sharing the Righter Way, this article blends my hands on Business Central experience with research and analysis supported by AI. I use AI as a thinking partner to explore angles, validate patterns and accelerate the writing process, while all conclusions, explanations and recommendations reflect my own professional judgment. The result is clearer guidance, deeper insight and a more practical path forward for Business Central users and teams.
