I’m thrilled to sit down with Dominic Jainy, a seasoned IT professional whose deep expertise in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and financial reporting technologies has helped countless organizations streamline their processes. With a background in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning, Dominic brings a unique perspective to solving the complex challenges of ERP reporting. In this interview, we dive into the limitations of native Business Central tools, explore what modern finance teams need from reporting solutions, and discuss the standout features of various options available in 2025. Our conversation aims to provide actionable insights for businesses looking to upgrade their reporting capabilities and achieve faster, more reliable financial closes.
How have you seen native Business Central reporting tools struggle to keep up with the demands of growing organizations during critical periods like month-end closes?
I’ve noticed that many growing organizations hit a wall with native Business Central reporting tools, especially during month-end closes. The built-in features, like Financial Reporting and Standard Reports, work fine for basic, single-entity setups, but they often fall short when you’re dealing with multiple companies or complex consolidations. Formatting is another pain point—getting board-ready reports usually requires custom workarounds or external help, which slows everything down. The lack of automation for recurring tasks means teams are stuck doing manual exports to Excel, increasing the risk of errors and delaying insights for leadership.
What’s your take on the time and effort spent on manual processes like exporting data to Excel, and how does this impact a finance team’s efficiency?
The reliance on manual processes, like exporting data to Excel, is a huge drain on efficiency. I’ve seen finance teams spend hours, sometimes days, pulling data, formatting it, and building reports from scratch each month. This not only eats up valuable time but also introduces human error into critical financials. The bigger issue is that it pulls focus away from analysis—teams are firefighting with spreadsheets instead of delivering strategic insights. It’s a risky way to operate, especially as businesses scale and data volumes grow.
Can you share your thoughts on what features are absolutely essential in a reporting tool for Business Central to meet the needs of modern finance teams?
For modern finance teams, a reporting tool needs to check a few key boxes. First, it must allow finance users to design and update reports without needing IT or developers—think drag-and-drop or Excel-based interfaces with centralized logic. Multi-entity consolidation is non-negotiable for many, especially with different currencies or intercompany eliminations. Performance matters too; tools should handle large datasets without lagging, often through cloud-based data warehouses. Automation for scheduling and distributing reports saves time, and integration with dashboards like Power BI for visuals is a big plus. Ultimately, it’s about empowering finance to own their reporting while reducing manual grunt work.
How important is it for a reporting solution to offer seamless multi-entity consolidation, and what challenges have you seen when this capability is lacking?
Multi-entity consolidation is critical for organizations with multiple business units or global operations. Without it, teams often resort to exporting data from each entity into separate spreadsheets, manually combining them, and adjusting for currencies or eliminations. I’ve seen this lead to errors, version control issues, and significant delays in reporting. It’s not just inefficient—it’s a governance risk. A tool that handles consolidation natively, pulling data across entities in real-time or near real-time, can transform a chaotic close process into a streamlined one, ensuring accuracy and saving hours of manual effort.
What are your impressions of cloud-only solutions like Cosmos, and how do they fit into the needs of businesses running Business Central in the cloud?
Cloud-only solutions like Cosmos are a fantastic fit for businesses already on Business Central Cloud. They’re built to leverage Azure’s data warehouse capabilities, which means faster performance and stability, even with larger datasets. I like that Cosmos offers an Excel-based design experience without the mess of complex formulas—finance teams can work in a familiar environment while the heavy lifting happens in the cloud. It’s also great for multi-entity setups with built-in consolidation. The downside is it’s not for on-premise users, but for cloud-based organizations prioritizing speed and finance-owned reporting, it’s a strong contender.
How do you see tools like Jet Reports supporting teams who are deeply comfortable with Excel, and what should they be aware of before adopting it?
Jet Reports is a go-to for teams who live and breathe Excel. It integrates deeply with Excel, allowing users to pull real-time data from Business Central, which is powerful for those comfortable with its specific functions and syntax. It also works for both cloud and on-premise setups, which adds flexibility. However, there’s a learning curve—teams need to get familiar with Jet’s unique language, and maintaining formulas can be a burden over time. For larger data volumes, you might need Jet Analytics as an add-on, which increases cost and complexity. It’s ideal for Excel power users, but organizations should weigh the training and scalability factors before jumping in.
For organizations looking to combine reporting with budgeting and forecasting, how does a solution like Vivid Reports stand out in your view?
Vivid Reports stands out for mid-market organizations wanting a single tool for reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. What I find compelling is its use of Excel as a front-end while keeping all the logic centralized on the server—no more formula sprawl or broken spreadsheets. It also brings governance features like version control and approvals, which add structure to the process. The trade-off is a heavier setup; it often requires more IT or partner involvement to get rolling. For teams needing a comprehensive corporate performance management solution alongside reporting, it’s a solid choice if they’re ready for the initial investment in time and resources.
What role do you see Power BI playing in the Business Central reporting landscape, and how does it complement other tools?
Power BI is the go-to for dashboards and interactive analytics in the Business Central ecosystem. It excels at visualizing trends, KPIs, and operational data with rich, drill-through capabilities, and its tight integration with Microsoft 365 makes it accessible. However, it’s not built for formatted financial statements or complex multi-entity consolidations out of the box—those require advanced skills or pre-consolidated data. I see it as a perfect complement to finance-grade reporting tools. Pairing Power BI with something like Cosmos or Jet Reports lets you cover both audited financials and executive dashboards, leveraging each tool’s strengths.
What advice do you have for our readers who are currently struggling with Business Central reporting and looking to make a change?
My advice is to start by clearly defining your pain points and must-haves—whether it’s faster closes, multi-entity consolidation, or automation. Don’t just settle for what’s familiar like Excel exports; look for tools that centralize logic and reduce manual work. Shortlist a couple of options based on your setup—cloud or on-premise—and test them with real data, ideally having your finance team make live changes during a demo to see how user-friendly they are. Finally, think long-term. Pick a solution that scales with your growth and integrates with dashboards like Power BI. Investing time upfront to find the right fit will save you countless headaches down the road.