5 Dynamics 365 Business Central Features You’re Not Using—But Should Be!

Let’s be honest for a second—how much of your Business Central setup are you actually using?

If you’re like most Finance Managers, IT leads, or Procurement Officers I’ve worked with across Africa, you probably feel like you’re scratching the surface of what Dynamics 365 Business Central can really do. And I get it. Between daily demands, reporting deadlines, and the constant juggling of vendor relationships or compliance issues, who has the time to deep-dive into every single module?

But here’s the thing: some of the most powerful, business-changing features in Business Central are just sitting there—unused. And they’re not just fancy bells and whistles. These are features that could literally free up hours of your time, save you money, and help you make better, faster decisions.

In this post, I want to share five underrated Business Central features that are especially relevant in the African business context—where we deal with currency shifts, infrastructure challenges, and sometimes unpredictable supply chains. These aren’t “nice-to-haves.” They’re more like hidden superpowers.

So, let’s get into it.

 

1. Cash Flow Forecasting — Your Crystal Ball

Have you ever been caught off guard by a sudden cash crunch? You're not alone.

In many African markets, cash flow isn’t just important—it’s survival. Yet so many businesses still rely on manual Excel models and gut instinct. Business Central actually has a built-in Cash Flow Forecasting tool that’s incredibly easy to configure, but most people ignore it.

What’s cool about it?

It pulls data from your receivables, payables, budgets, and even fixed assets to predict your cash position in the coming weeks or months. You can even plug in expected income from ongoing sales opportunities if you're using Dynamics 365 Sales.

Real-world example: A client in Kenya—a midsize FMCG distributor—was often in the dark about upcoming cash shortages. After we set up Cash Flow Forecasting, they spotted a recurring dip in liquidity right before monthly supplier payments. It allowed them to negotiate staggered terms and avoid a nasty shortfall.

Ask yourself: Are you making cash decisions based on accurate, real-time data? Or still relying on spreadsheets that haven’t been updated since last quarter?

 

2. Approval Workflows — Stop Chasing Signatures

Ah, the good old paper-chasing game.

Getting approvals for purchases, payments, or even budget allocations can be a nightmare—especially in larger organizations or where managers are frequently traveling. It creates bottlenecks, delays projects, and can even lead to non-compliant spending.

Business Central has built-in Approval Workflows that let you automate the whole process. You can set up rules based on amount, department, vendor, or pretty much any condition. And approvals can be done via email or directly in the system—even on mobile.

A story for you: A finance manager in Lagos told me he used to spend up to two days a week just following up on approvals. After we automated their vendor invoice approvals with Business Central, he reclaimed those days. Now? He spends that time analyzing reports and planning ahead instead of chasing people.

It’s not just about efficiency—it’s about peace of mind.

 

3. Inventory Forecasting — No More Stock Surprises

Procurement teams, this one’s for you.

How many times have you had a sales team breathing down your neck because the stock they needed “yesterday” wasn’t there? Or worse—been left holding slow-moving stock you can’t get rid of?

Business Central has a Sales and Inventory Forecast extension powered by Azure AI. It actually looks at your historical sales data and helps predict future demand. You can then adjust purchasing accordingly—so you’re not overstocked or out of stock.

Personal insight: I once helped a distributor who kept running out of their best-selling printer cartridge every month, despite regular reorders. The forecasting tool showed that sales had been growing steadily for three quarters, but their reorders hadn’t kept pace. After adjusting their order frequency using the forecast data, stockouts dropped by 80%.

If you’re still relying on “instinct” or waiting for salespeople to flag demand changes, you’re playing a risky game.

 

4. Dimensions — Reporting That Actually Makes Sense

Reporting in Business Central is robust, but there’s a hidden gem called Dimensions that makes it way more powerful—and yet, many companies barely touch it.

Dimensions let you tag transactions with extra data—like department, region, project, or cost center. Once you start using them, you can slice and dice your financials however you want, without needing a million GL accounts.

Here’s a practical example: A pan-African NGO I worked with had projects running in five countries. Instead of setting up separate GLs for each, we used Dimensions to tag by project and region. Their finance team could then run reports filtered by just Ghana, or just health projects, or any combination—without rebuilding the wheel.

Quick tip: Even if your setup is already live, you can still introduce new Dimensions gradually. Start with one or two—like “Department” or “Project”—and build from there.

 

5. Power BI Integration — Numbers You Can Actually See

Ever stare at a spreadsheet so long your eyes start to cross?

Sometimes, raw numbers just don’t cut it. You need visuals—especially when presenting to leadership or stakeholders who aren’t living in the numbers every day.

Business Central integrates natively with Power BI, Microsoft’s data visualization tool. This means you can embed dashboards directly into Business Central—no more hopping between apps. Better yet, you can create dashboards that update in real time and are tailored to your role—finance, sales, procurement, etc.

Why it matters in Africa: Let’s face it, internet connectivity can be unreliable in some places. With Power BI, you can sync your dashboards while connected, then still access them offline when needed—perfect for field-based teams or cross-country managers.

Pro tip: Start simple. Create a dashboard that shows just five KPIs: cash position, overdue receivables, inventory turnover, open purchase orders, and profit by department. You’ll be amazed how much clearer your business becomes.

 

So Why Aren’t More People Using These?

Honestly? I think it comes down to two things:

1. Overwhelm. Business Central is powerful, but it can feel intimidating. Most users stick to the basics they were trained on—and never go deeper.

2. Time. Everyone’s busy. Setting up these features takes a bit of effort upfront, even if it pays off later.

But here’s the thing—you don’t have to do it alone.

Whether you’re a Finance Manager in Nairobi, an IT Director in Lusaka, or a Procurement Officer in Accra, the key is to start small. Pick one feature from this list and explore it. Run a pilot. Ask your partner (or your internal team) to support the setup.

You’ll be surprised how quickly the ROI shows up—not just in numbers, but in confidence, clarity, and control.

 

Final Thoughts: Your System Can Do More—Let It

Look, Dynamics 365 Business Central isn’t just an accounting tool. It’s a business platform. And in a fast-changing, resource-constrained environment like many African markets, it can give you an edge—but only if you unlock its full potential.

So let me ask you:

• What would change if your team didn’t have to chase approvals manually?
• How much could you save by forecasting inventory more accurately?
• How much time would you gain if your reports were just… easier?

You’ve already invested in the system. Now it’s time to make it work harder for you.

If any of this resonated—or if you’d like help setting up these features—drop us a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We’re happy to walk you through a quick demo or just chat about your current setup.

Let’s turn those hidden features into everyday wins.

Author: Someone who’s spent way too much time cleaning up messy ERP setups—and still loves it. 😊