Blog April 2, 2025

Leveraging Business Central’s New Features for Sustainability

Green Tech Meets Business Efficiency

Author: Emilie Seguin | 3 min read

April 2, 2025

In the modern business environment, companies are under increasing pressure to meet sustainability goals and comply with environmental regulations. Microsoft Dynamics Business Central 365, a comprehensive business management platform, has introduced a range of updates aimed at helping organizations track, manage, and analyze their sustainability efforts more effectively. These updates enable businesses to streamline data collection, monitor performance, and ensure regulatory compliance—all while reducing their environmental impact. Let’s explore how the latest features of Business Central work to support companies in achieving their sustainability goals.

How the Features Work

Data Capture: A Seamless Approach to Sustainability Metrics

Business Central now allows businesses to capture sustainability-related data more efficiently, whether through manual entry, third-party integrations, or automated collection.

Manual Data Entry: Businesses can input sustainability data such as carbon emissions, energy consumption, and waste manually. This option allows for a straightforward way to record relevant data directly into the system without relying on other software or tools.

Import Data from Third-Party Systems: The platform has enhanced its ability to integrate with third-party systems. Companies can now import sustainability data from various sources such as ERP systems, energy management software, or IoT sensors via APIs or pre-built connectors. This seamless integration ensures that data from different platforms is easily consolidated into Business Central.

Automated Data Collection: For businesses with IoT devices tracking energy usage, emissions, or waste, the platform supports automatic data collection. By connecting these IoT devices directly to Business Central, companies can have their sustainability data automatically fed into the system, removing the need for manual updates and reducing the risk of human error.

Data Organization: Structuring Information for Easy Monitoring

Once the sustainability data is captured, it is organized in a way that makes it easy for businesses to monitor and analyze.

Categorization Based on Preconfigured Metrics: Business Central organizes sustainability data based on predefined metrics, such as CO2 emissions and energy consumption. This categorization simplifies the tracking and reporting process, ensuring businesses can stay on top of their sustainability performance.

Customizable Fields: Companies can tailor the platform by adding custom fields to track specific sustainability metrics unique to their business. For instance, a company may want to track water usage or emissions from specific products, and Business Central allows them to do so with ease, ensuring alignment with their particular sustainability objectives.

How Does the Update Help Record Entries and Analyze Information?

Business Central not only simplifies data entry but also provides businesses with advanced analytics to help track progress and identify opportunities for improvement.

Centralized Data Entry: Streamlining Operations

Businesses can customize the system with sustainability forms that include fields specific to their operations, making it easier to input accurate data. Additionally, Business Central automatically tags entries with the correct categories—such as scope 1 or scope 2 emissions—streamlining the process and ensuring that entries are correctly classified. This level of automation reduces the time spent on manual data entry and minimizes errors.

Real-Time Dashboards and Analytics: Insights at Your Fingertips

The platform’s real-time dashboards are a game-changer for sustainability monitoring. Companies can view live performance metrics like energy efficiency trends and carbon footprint reduction, allowing them to track progress toward their sustainability goals in real time.

Advanced analytics further supports businesses by helping them analyze and compare sustainability data. These insights enable organizations to identify trends, evaluate performance over time, and pinpoint areas for improvement. With Business Central, businesses can make data-driven decisions that align with their sustainability targets.

Automated Reporting: Simplifying Compliance

Regulatory compliance is a critical aspect of sustainability, and Business Central makes it easier than ever to stay on top of reporting requirements. Sustainability reports are automatically generated, summarizing key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensuring that businesses meet regulatory standards, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting or sustainability certifications. The system helps companies generate reports that are accurate, timely, and ready for submission to regulatory bodies.

Key Components for LIDD Clients

For organizations that are pursuing specific sustainability certifications or goals, Business Central offers a variety of features that cater to their unique needs.

Custom Sustainability KPIs: Tailored to Your Business

Business Central allows businesses to define custom sustainability KPIs that align with their specific objectives. Whether it’s reducing energy consumption, improving waste management practices, or lowering emissions, the platform helps companies measure and track their progress in a way that’s most relevant to their goals.

Automated Compliance Reporting: Keeping You on Track

For businesses that need to comply with international standards, such as ISO 14001 or the GHG Protocol, Business Central automates compliance reporting. This automation ensures that businesses can generate necessary reports quickly and accurately, reducing the administrative burden and ensuring timely compliance with regulations.

Integrated Data Flow: A Unified Sustainability View

Business Central pulls data from multiple systems—ERP, supply chain, energy management systems—into a single, unified platform. This integration provides businesses with a holistic view of their sustainability impact, from energy consumption in the production process to emissions in the supply chain. The seamless flow of data eliminates silos and ensures that decision-makers have access to up-to-date information across departments.

Integration with Existing Tech Stack: A Smooth Transition

Business Central is designed to integrate seamlessly with businesses’ existing technology infrastructure. This includes existing ERP systems, supply chain management software, and IoT devices like energy meters or waste tracking systems. The platform uses APIs and pre-built connectors, making it easy to integrate without disrupting ongoing operations.

Unified Data Sync: Accurate and Timely Information

The platform ensures that sustainability data flows automatically between systems, reducing the need for manual entry and eliminating the possibility of data entry errors. With Business Central, businesses can trust that their data is accurate, up-to-date, and accessible across all departments in real time.

Real-Time Data Access: A Consolidated View

One of the key advantages of Business Central’s sustainability features is the real-time access to all sustainability metrics in one place. By providing a consolidated view of all sustainability data from departments such as supply chain, operations, and finance, the platform ensures that decision-makers can make informed choices based on a complete picture of the company’s sustainability performance.

The Bottom Line

Business Central’s recent platform updates offer powerful tools to help businesses meet their sustainability goals while staying compliant with evolving regulations. With automated data collection, advanced analytics, and seamless integration with existing tech stacks, the platform empowers companies to track, manage, and analyze sustainability metrics efficiently. Whether it’s through real-time dashboards, automated reporting, or customizable KPIs, Business Central can help organizations take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.

___________________________________________________________________________

Ready to take your sustainability efforts to the next level? Reach out to LIDD today for a personalized consultation and discover how Microsoft Dynamics Business Central 365 can help your business achieve its sustainability goals.