| Capability | Benefit for Business Central | |------------|-------------------------------| | | Build custom forms and data entry screens that read/write to BC without touching the BC UI. | | Power Automate | Create automated workflows (e.g., "When a sales invoice exceeds $10k, trigger a VP approval") that run outside BC's native workflow engine. | | Power BI | Visualize BC data in real-time with paginated reports and interactive dashboards embedded directly into BC role centers. | | Power Pages | Build external-facing portals (e.g., vendor registration or customer order status) connected securely to BC. | Key Insight: Microsoft’s strategy is clear—Business Central is the "system of record"; Power Platform is the "system of engagement." 3. Core Scenarios: Extending BC with Power Platform Below are three common, high-value extensions you can build today. Scenario A: Multi-Stage Approval Flows (Power Automate + BC) The Problem: BC’s native approval workflow lacks conditional branching (e.g., if Dept = Sales → approve, if Dept = Finance → escalate).
Organizations that combine BC’s robust ERP backend with Power Platform’s low-code frontend achieve faster time-to-value, lower total cost of ownership, and higher user adoption. | Capability | Benefit for Business Central |
If your Power App or Flow uses any premium connector (Business Central is premium), every user needs a premium license—even for read-only access. | | Power Pages | Build external-facing portals (e