Dimensions Part 3: Using Dimensions on Financial Statements in Business Central

Dimensions and Financial Reporting: Where the Power Really Starts

Business Central’s dimension framework is a powerful tool—but nowhere is its value more obvious than in financial reporting. Over the next couple of posts, we’ll explore reporting with Dimensions to wrap up our Dimension series.

Once you’ve set up dimensions properly and consistently applied them to transactions, you can unlock a layer of visibility that transforms your financial statements from static summaries into actionable decision-making tools.

In this article, we’ll walk through how to:

Use dimensions in rows and columns on account schedules (now called financial reports)
Build dimension-specific views like P&L by department, cost center summaries, and multi-entity rollups
Avoid common reporting mistakes related to dimension filters
Drive better decisions with dimension-driven financial analysis

Quick Recap: What Are Dimensions?

Dimensions are metadata tags you apply to transactions—like department, project, customer group, or region. They let you slice and dice your data in ways that match how your business operates, without the need for a complex chart of accounts.

If you’ve been following our Dimensions series, you’ve already covered:

Now let’s put those dimensions to work.

Where to Start: Financial Reports (aka Account Schedules)

Business Central’s Financial Reports (formerly called Account Schedules) are the main tool for building custom financial statements. These let you design your own layouts using:

Row Definitions – based on G/L accounts or account categories
Column Layouts – based on periods, budgets, and yes—dimensions

Using Dimensions in Columns

One of the most common and effective uses of dimensions is in the column layout.

Example: Department-Level P&L

Let’s say you want to compare profit & loss performance across departments. You can:

Open the Column Layouts page.
Define a new layout called P&L by Department.
You’ll create a row for each dimension value column where:
- Set Column Type to “Net Change” or “Balance”
- Set Dimension 1 Code to your global dimension (e.g., DEPARTMENT)
- Set Dimension 1 Filter to a specific department value (e.g., SALES, ADMIN, OPS)

You’ll end up with:

G/L Account	SALES	ADMIN	OPS
Revenue	$500K	$200K	$150K
COGS	$250K	$80K	$60K
Gross Profit	$250K	$120K	$90K

➡ Tip: If you use more than two shortcut dimensions, you’ll need to build reports with Analysis Views or Power BI for full flexibility. We’ll cover that in our next post.

Using Dimensions in Rows

Less common—but incredibly useful—is using dimension values in the row definitions.

Example: Consolidated Overhead Report by Department

Create a new Row Definition in Financial Reports.
Instead of listing only G/L accounts, use Dimension Totaling filters in the row:
- Row 100: Admin Salaries → G/L 62000 → Dimension Filter: DEPARTMENT = ADMIN
- Row 110: Ops Salaries → G/L 62000 → DEPARTMENT = OPS

This lets you break down the same G/L account by functional area—perfect for analyzing shared accounts like rent, payroll, or utilities.

➡ Caution: Don’t try to mix different dimension sets in the same row unless you know exactly what filters are in place. It’s easy to produce misleading totals.

Filtering Reports by Dimensions

Beyond rows and columns, you can also filter the entire report by dimension—useful when you want:

A location-specific balance sheet
A P&L for a single project
A filtered view by customer group or sales region

On the Financial Report request page:

Use the Dimension Filter section to narrow down by dimension and value
You can also apply date filters, budget filters, and comparisons here

Bonus: Reporting Across Multiple Dimensions

By default, Financial Reports only support two dimensions – your Globals. NAV versions supported more but for Business Central, if you need more:

Use Analysis Views (more to come in our next post)
Connect to Excel with the Excel add-in
Use an external reporting tool

If your reporting needs are complex and multidimensional, Power BI or other strong reporting tools like Cosmos can be worth the effort—it brings Business Central’s dimension data to life with drill-through, visuals, and historical comparisons.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

✅ DO: Ensure dimension values are always entered and validated on key transactions (e.g., journal entries, purchase lines).

❌ DON’T: Assume every transaction is dimensioned just because the master data has it set—review your data.

✅ DO: Use clear naming conventions for dimension values so users can easily understand what they’re selecting.

❌ DON’T: Overcomplicate your financial reports. Start simple (e.g., department or project) and expand from there.

Conclusion: Dimensions Make Financial Reports Work for You

Dimensions aren’t just a setup step—they’re your key to financial visibility. By embedding them into your reporting strategy, you empower your CFO, controller, and department heads with better insight and control.

Done right, this turns Business Central from a transactional tool into a true strategic asset.

Wrapping It Up

Business Central’s dimension framework truly shines when applied to financial reporting. With the right setup, you can move beyond static statements and build dynamic views that align with how your business actually operates—by department, region, project, or any dimension that matters to your team.

If you’ve been wondering how to get more from your financials, start by experimenting with dimension-based column layouts and filters. You’ll be surprised how much clarity you can unlock.

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Dimensions Part 3: Using Dimensions on Financial Statements in Business Central