Introducing: Analyze Data on Lists and Queries (2023 release wave 2)
Analyze data on lists is generally available in Business Central 2023 release wave 2 (preview in wave 1). It offers no-code ad hoc analysis on live data and now also works on query objects. The 100,000 row limit is removed, and analysis definitions can be shared as links. Sample click-once scenarios are available, and a new Data analysis execute permission controls who can use it.
- Introduction and agenda overview
- Context: changing world of analytics and reporting
- Vision for analytics and reporting in Business Central
- Feature overview: analyze data on lists and queries
- Demo: analyzing data on customer ledger entries
- Query objects and inventory analysis demo
- Query discoverability and role explorer
- Analytical content vision for business central
- Sharing analysis definitions with coworkers
- Click-once installers and data analysis persistence
- Data analysis permission control
- Sample scenarios and resources
- Analytical requirements, reporting strategy, and AL queries
- Additional resources and learning paths
- Community engagement and closing remarks
Overview
The session places data analysis within Microsoft’s vision for analytics and reporting in Business Central. It separates analytical reports, processing-only reports and printable documents, and says analytics is built for online consumption. It demos analysis on customer ledger entries and on an inventory query that joins related tables.
It then covers query discoverability in Tell Me and the role and report explorers, sharing analysis definitions through links, click-once sample scenarios, and the permission that controls analysis. It closes with guidance for developers: build queries and data sets for analytical needs rather than building more reports.
Key points
- Analyze data mode on list pages was in public preview in 2023 release wave 1 and had to be turned on in Feature Management. In 2023 release wave 2 it is generally available and on for all users.
- The 100,000 row limit on analyze data mode is removed in 2023 release wave 2. Large datasets may load more slowly.
- Query objects can be the data foundation for analysis and open the same analysis UI as lists. Joining related tables lets you show location names instead of codes.
- Analysis definitions can be shared by link, for one company or for all companies. The recipient gets an independent copy, not a live link.
- A new system permission, Data analysis execute, controls who can analyze. A developer can also turn the feature off.
- Click-once sample scenarios (15, covering finance, sales, inventory and compliance) are at aka.ms/bc data analysis and work only in 2023 release wave 2.
- Query discoverability in Tell Me and the role and report explorers came late in the release and is likely available in version 23.1.
Features
| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze data on list pages | generally available, demoed | 4:51 | “you needed to enable it under feature Management in this release wave this is generally available” (6:03) |
| Analysis menu persistence | status not stated, demoed | 6:54 | |
| Remove data size limitation | status not stated | 7:31 | |
| Analyze data on query objects | status not stated, demoed | 12:43 | |
| Query documentation with teaching tips and links | status not stated, demoed | 14:10 | |
| Join related table data in queries | status not stated, demoed | 14:31 | |
| Queries in report and role explorer | status not stated | 16:11 | |
| Report and role explorer for content discoverability | status not stated | 16:52 | |
| Built-in analytical content vision | status not stated | 17:32 | |
| Share analysis definitions with coworkers | status not stated, demoed | 17:49 | |
| Company-specific and company-agnostic analysis links | status not stated, demoed | 18:41 | |
| Click-once installers for analysis | status not stated, demoed | 19:02 | |
| Data analysis execute permission | status not stated | 22:06 | |
| Sample click-once scenarios repository | status not stated, demoed | 23:07 | |
| AL Queries for analytics | status not stated | 26:52 | |
| Data sets for Excel layouts | status not stated | 27:12 |
AL objects mentioned
As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.
Not found in BC28-30: table “Customer Ledger entries”, query “analyze your invent inventory”.
Quotes
- 1:18 “the word reporting in business Central means three different things analytical reports processing only reports and printable documents”
- 3:18 “analytics is build for online consumption not for print”
- 3:59 “business Central to have outof thee boox reporting and and analytics solutions for the Core Business scenarios”
- 6:03 “this was in public preview in 2023 release wave one and you needed to enable it under feature Management in this release wave this”
- 7:52 “with the with 23 2023 release Wave 2 we removed completely this limitation and you can allow you can analyze as much data as”
- 12:02 “many users would actually see data analysis as reporting tool and they would call these my sales report”
- 12:22 “it uh it’s on live data no replicated data security model is preserved and uh totally no code analysis ad hoc analysis on your”
- 13:04 “you can use a query object as the data foundation for this new way of doing ad hoc analysis or reporting”
- 13:17 “the new thing is that this now comes with the same analysis chle and it opens the same UI now on queries”
- 16:11 “queries are just any other UI element that will now show up in report or role Explorer and they are also searchable in tell”
- 17:32 “build in analytical content for every use case or every main feature in business Central”
- 19:32 “these only work in the in 2023 release Wave 2 uh but here are some different scenarios”
- 22:27 “we added a new permission uh a new system permission called Data analysis exec or execute”
- 26:08 “understand analytics requirements stop developing reports and start supporting analytical needs”
- 26:19 “business intelligence and er they go together ER is about processing supporting business processes business’s intelligence about insights on business processes”
- 26:52 “if you thought Al queries was just about performance tuning it’s not anymore we’re changing the game for this we’re investing more in queries”
- 26:52 “we’re changing the game for this we’re investing more in queries over the next years”
- 27:12 “instead of buil me a report it’s it’s going to be buil me a report data set”
- 27:53 “adding existing uh table fields to optimize PES is is also a way to do ad hog analysis”