Month-end close can feel like a race against time. Controllers and finance teams working in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central often find themselves exporting data, copying figures, and rebuilding reports from scratch. This guide shows you how to pull live management information directly into Excel, so your reports refresh instantly with current numbers.

Exsion365 gives you a direct connection between Business Central and Excel. Instead of static exports that go stale within hours, you get reports that update with one click. The following steps walk you through setting up this connection and building reports that support accurate, timely decision-making.

Quick Guide: How to Get Live BC Data Into Excel in 6 Easy Steps

1. Install the Exsion Excel Add-in – Add the reporting extension to your Excel environment in under five minutes.

2. Connect to Your Business Central Environment – Authenticate your account using your existing BC credentials.

3. Select the Tables and Fields You Need – Choose the specific data points for your management report.

4. Build Your Report Layout in Excel – Design your report structure using familiar Excel formatting.

5. Refresh Your Data with One Click – Pull the latest figures from Business Central instantly.

6. Share and Reuse Your Templates – Save your report for recurring month-end use.

How to Pull Live Management Information From Business Central Into Excel

1. Install the Exsion Excel Add-in

Start by installing the Exsion Reporting add-in from Microsoft AppSource. You'll need administrator rights in Business Central to complete this step. The installation takes just a few minutes and doesn't require IT support for most organizations.

Once installed, the add-in appears in your Excel ribbon. From there, you can access all available Business Central tables and fields without leaving your spreadsheet.

2. Connect to Your Business Central Environment

Open Excel and navigate to the Exsion tab. Click "Connect" and sign in using your standard Business Central credentials. The system respects your existing user permissions, so you'll only see the data you're authorized to access.

This connection remains active across sessions. You won't need to re-authenticate each time you open your report file.

3. Select the Tables and Fields You Need

Management reports typically draw from multiple tables: general ledger entries, customer ledgers, item ledgers, and budget entries. With Exsion365, you can combine data from all these sources in a single Excel report.

Select the specific fields relevant to your reporting needs. For a profit-and-loss report, you might pull posting dates, account numbers, amounts, and dimension values. The interface lets you filter data at the source, reducing the volume of information transferred to your spreadsheet.

4. Build Your Report Layout in Excel

Design your management report using standard Excel features. Create pivot tables, add conditional formatting, and build charts. Because your data connection is live, these visualizations will update automatically when you refresh.

Finance teams often build reusable templates for their most common reports. A well-structured template means next month's close starts with formatting already in place.

5. Refresh Your Data with One Click

When you need current figures, click the refresh button in the Exsion ribbon. The add-in queries Business Central directly and updates your report with real-time data. There's no need to export, download, or copy numbers manually.

This refresh happens in seconds, not minutes. For organizations running multiple companies in Business Central, Exsion365 can pull consolidated data across all entities in a single operation.

6. Share and Reuse Your Templates

Save your completed report as a template. Next month, simply open the file and refresh the data. The layout, formulas, and formatting remain intact while the underlying numbers update to reflect the current period.

You can share these templates with colleagues who have Exsion365 licenses. Each user sees data filtered by their Business Central permissions, ensuring appropriate access control across your finance team.

Why Does Month-End Reporting Take So Long in Business Central?

Traditional approaches to Business Central reporting involve exporting data to CSV or Excel files, then copying those figures into formatted reports. Each export represents a snapshot in time. By the time you've finished building your report, the source data may have changed.

This gap between data extraction and report delivery creates two problems. First, your reports don't reflect the most current transactions. Second, any adjustments posted after your export require you to start the process again.

A direct connection eliminates this lag. Your Excel report pulls data at the moment you need it, and refreshing takes one click instead of a multi-step export workflow.

What Information Can You Pull From Business Central Into Excel?

Business Central stores extensive financial and operational data across hundreds of tables. For financial reporting, the most commonly accessed tables include:

• G/L Entries: All posted general ledger transactions with dates, amounts, and dimensions

• Customer Ledger Entries: Invoices, payments, and open balances by customer

• Vendor Ledger Entries: Purchase invoices, payments, and amounts due

• Budget Entries: Planned figures for variance analysis

• Item Ledger Entries: Inventory movements and valuations

With the right tool, you can join these tables in Excel without writing SQL queries. Exsion365 handles the data relationships automatically, letting you focus on analysis rather than data extraction.

How Exsion365 Helps You Build Real-Time Management Reports

Exsion365 connects Excel directly to your Business Central environment. The Exsion Reporting add-in runs entirely inside Excel, so there's no new interface to learn. Controllers familiar with pivot tables and formulas can start building reports immediately after a brief training session.

The platform supports drill-down capabilities, letting you click through from summary figures to the underlying transactions. If a number looks unexpected, you can investigate without switching to Business Central.

For organizations managing multiple legal entities, the Multi-Entity package consolidates data across companies. Finance leaders get a single view of group performance while maintaining the ability to analyze individual subsidiaries.

Ready to stop rebuilding reports from scratch each month? Schedule a demonstration to see how Exsion365 fits your reporting workflow.

FAQs About Getting Live Business Central Data Into Excel

How long does it take to set up a live connection between Business Central and Excel?

Initial setup takes about 15 minutes. This includes installing the Exsion365 extension, authenticating your account, and running your first data refresh. Most finance teams build their first management report within a few hours of starting.

Does Exsion365 work with Business Central Online and On-Premises?

Exsion365 supports both deployment models. For cloud environments, the connection uses standard OAuth authentication through Microsoft's identity platform. On-premises installations connect through secure web services.

Can I refresh data for multiple companies at once?

Yes. Exsion365's multi-entity features let you pull consolidated data across all companies in your Business Central environment. This is particularly useful for group-level financial reporting where you need figures from several subsidiaries in a single view.

What happens to my existing Excel reports when I start using Exsion365?

Your current reports continue working as before. Exsion365 adds new capabilities without disrupting existing workflows. Many users convert their static reports to live-connected templates gradually, starting with the most time-consuming reports first.

How does the system handle user permissions?

Exsion365 inherits your Business Central permission structure. If a user can't view certain records in BC, they won't see them in Excel either. This means you can share report templates across your team without worrying about unauthorized data access.

What training do I need to start using Exsion365 for management reporting?

Most controllers complete their training in a single day. The Exsion365 team offers introductory sessions covering data selection, report building, and refresh workflows. Because the tool runs inside Excel, users apply skills they already have.