If you’ve ever found yourself updating records one-by-one in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, you’re not alone.
The Edit in Excel feature is one of the most popular capabilities in Business Central, and for good reason. It allows you to update, analyse, and even transform data in bulk, all using the familiarity and power of Excel.
What is “Edit in Excel”?
The Edit in Excel feature allows you to:
- Open live Business Central data directly in Excel
- Make bulk changes quickly and efficiently
- Publish those updates straight back into the system
No exporting. No rekeying. No manual updates line-by-line.
Bulk Updates Made Simple
Let’s say you need to update vendor details; addresses, phone numbers, or contact information. Instead of editing each record individually, you can:
- Navigate to your data (e.g. Vendors)
- Click Share → Edit in Excel
- Open the downloaded file
- Make your changes in Excel
- Click Publish
Once you refresh Business Central, your updates are instantly reflected. It’s a simple workflow that can save hours of manual effort.
Go Beyond Updates: Use Excel for Analysis
Where this feature really shines is in data analysis and reporting.
Once your data is in Excel, you can:
- Apply filters to focus on specific records
- Use formulas like VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP
- Create pivot tables for summaries
- Insert slicers for interactive filtering
- Build quick reports without needing Power BI
For example, you might:
- Filter general ledger entries for a specific account
- Remove unnecessary columns to simplify your view
- Summarise transactions for reporting or review
Customise Your Data View
One powerful (and often underused) capability is the ability to:
- Remove irrelevant fields
- Reorder columns
- Focus only on what matters
This turns Excel into a clean, purpose-built reporting layer without needing to build a formal report inside Business Central.
See It in Action
To see how this works step-by-step from bulk updates through to advanced Excel usage, watch the walkthrough below:
Take Your Business Central Experience Further
Getting the most out of features like Edit in Excel is just the beginning.
At Professional Advantage, we help organisations unlock the full value of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. From day-to-day efficiency gains through to advanced reporting, automation, and optimisation.
Whether you're:
- Looking to streamline processes
- Improve reporting and visibility
- Or empower your team with better tools
Our experts can help you get there faster.
Book a 45 minute consultation with our experts today.
