Reporting and Analysis

This guide covers finding, filtering, and analyzing your asset data using Asset Pro's built-in capabilities.

Business Central List Features

Asset Pro Phase 1 MVP leverages Business Central's powerful list page features for reporting and analysis.

Accessing Asset Data

Main List Pages

Assets List

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Assets, choose the related link

• Primary navigation for all assets

• Columns: No., Description, Industry, Classification, Status, Holder, Serial No.

Holder Entries

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Holder Entries, choose the related link

• Complete custody movement history

• Columns: Entry No., Asset No., Posting Date, Entry Type, Holder Type/Code/Name

Classification Levels

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Classification Levels, choose the related link

• Industry taxonomy structure

• Columns: Industry Code, Level Number, Level Name, Value Count

Classification Values

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Classification Values, choose the related link

• All classification categories

• Columns: Industry, Level, Code, Description, Parent, Asset Count

Attribute Definitions

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Attribute Definitions, choose the related link

• Custom field definitions

• Columns: Industry, Level, Attribute Code/Name, Data Type, Mandatory

Components

• Choose 🔎 icon, enter Components, choose the related link

• Parts and consumables linked to assets

• Columns: Asset No., Item No., Quantity, Position, Installation Date

Filtering Techniques

Filter Pane

Opening the Filter Pane:

1. On any list page, click Filter icon (funnel) in the action bar

2. Filter pane appears on the left side

Adding Filters:

1. Click + Filter to add a new filter criterion

2. Select field name from dropdown

3. Enter filter value(s)

4. Click Apply or press Enter

Filter Operators:

• Equals: FLEET (exact match)

• Range: ASSET-0001..ASSET-0100 (from-to range)

• Greater Than: >100 (values greater than 100)

• Less Than: <100 (values less than 100)

• Wildcard: *CARGO* (contains "CARGO")

• Multiple Values: FLEET|MEDICAL|IT (OR logic)

• Date Ranges: 01/01/2024..01/31/2024 (January 2024)

Example Filters:

Show assets in FLEET industry: Industry Code = FLEET

Show active assets at customer locations: Status = Active Current Holder Type = Customer

Show assets acquired in 2024: Acquisition Date = 01/01/2024..12/31/2024

Show assets containing "ENGINE" or "MOTOR": Description = *ENGINE*|*MOTOR*

Column Filters (Quick Filters)

Using Column Filters:

1. Click the filter icon (funnel) in any column header

2. Dropdown shows unique values in that column

3. Check boxes to filter by specific values

4. Or type in search box to find values

Benefits:

• Fast filtering without opening Filter Pane

• See available values before filtering

• Multi-select for OR logic

• Search within values for large lists

Search Box

Using the Search Box:

1. Type in the search box at top-right of list

2. Searches across multiple fields simultaneously:

   • No.

   • Description

   • Search Description

3. Results update as you type

4. Use for quick asset lookup

Example:

Type: "CARGO" Finds:

• Assets with No. containing "CARGO"
• Assets with Description containing "CARGO"
• Assets with Search Description containing "CARGO"

Saved Views

Creating Saved Views:

1. Set up filters, sorting, and column layout

2. Click Share → Page → Bookmark

3. Enter a name: "My Active Fleet Assets"

4. Click Done

5. Bookmark appears in navigation

Using Saved Views:

• Click bookmark to instantly apply filters and layout

• Update view: Modify filters and re-save with same name

• Share views: Use BC sharing features (future)

Sorting and Grouping

Sorting

Single Column Sort:

• Click any column header to sort ascending

• Click again to sort descending

• Sort indicator (▲ or ▼) shows current sort

Multi-Column Sort:

• Hold Shift key

• Click multiple column headers in sequence

• Creates multi-level sort

• Example: Sort by Industry (ascending), then Status (ascending), then No. (ascending)

Common Sort Scenarios:

Assets by holder: Current Holder Name (ascending)

Assets by acquisition date (newest first): Acquisition Date (descending)

Assets alphabetically: Description (ascending)

Assets by classification: Industry Code (ascending) Classification Code (ascending)

Grouping (Analysis View)

Enable Analysis View:

1. Click Show as Tiles or Analysis button (if available)

2. Select field to group by

3. View aggregated counts

Example:

Group assets by Status: Active: 150 assets Under Maintenance: 8 assets Disposed: 12 assets Pending: 5 assets

Common Reporting Queries

Asset Inventory Reports

All Assets by Industry

Objective: Count of assets per industry

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Sort by Industry Code (ascending)

3. Visually count or group by Industry Code

Result:

FLEET: 45 assets MEDICAL: 23 assets IT: 87 assets RENTAL: 34 assets

Assets by Classification

Objective: Assets grouped by classification categories

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Industry Code = FLEET

3. Sort by Classification Code

4. Group or count manually

Result:

COMMERCIAL: 30 assets CARGO: 15 assets PANAMAX: 8 assets CONTAINER: 7 assets TANKER: 15 assets FISHING: 10 assets PASSENGER: 5 assets

Assets by Status

Objective: How many assets in each status?

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Group by Status field

3. Or filter by Status one at a time and note counts

Result:

Active: 150 Under Maintenance: 8 Disposed: 12 Pending: 5 Total: 175 assets

Assets by Holder Type

Objective: Where are assets located?

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Status = Active (exclude disposed)

3. Sort by Current Holder Type, then Current Holder Name

Result:

Customer: 45 assets Contoso Ltd.: 12 assets Fabrikam Inc.: 18 assets Northwind: 15 assets

Location: 85 assets Main Warehouse: 60 assets Service Center: 25 assets

Vendor: 5 assets ACME Repair: 5 assets

(Blank): 15 assets (unassigned)

Holder History Reports

Holder Movement History for Asset

Objective: Complete custody history for one asset

Steps:

1. Open Holder Entries

2. Filter: Asset No. = ASSET-0001

3. Sort by Entry No. (chronological)

Result:

Entry 1: 01/15/2024 - Initial Balance - Location: Main Warehouse Entry 2: 02/20/2024 - Transfer Out - Location: Main Warehouse (Transaction 1) Entry 3: 02/20/2024 - Transfer In - Customer: Contoso Ltd. (Transaction 1) Entry 4: 06/10/2024 - Transfer Out - Customer: Contoso Ltd. (Transaction 2) Entry 5: 06/10/2024 - Transfer In - Location: Main Warehouse (Transaction 2)

Assets Held by Customer

Objective: What assets does Customer X currently have?

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Current Holder Type = Customer

3. Filter: Current Holder Code = C00001

4. Filter: Status = Active

Result:

Asset ASSET-0010: Vessel MV-CARGO-001 Asset ASSET-0015: Vessel MV-BULK-002 Asset ASSET-0023: Container Set CS-100 Total: 3 assets at customer Contoso Ltd.

Holder Movement Activity (Period)

Objective: All transfers in January 2024

Steps:

1. Open Holder Entries

2. Filter: Posting Date = 01/01/2024..01/31/2024

3. Sort by Posting Date

Result:

Shows all Transfer Out and Transfer In entries in January Count total movements: 24 transfers (12 paired out/in = 12 movements)

Classification Reports

Asset Count by Classification Level

Objective: How many assets at each classification level?

Steps:

1. Open Classification Values

2. Review Asset Count column (leaf node count)

3. Sum counts per level manually

Result:

Level 1 (Fleet Type): COMMERCIAL: 30 assets FISHING: 10 assets PASSENGER: 5 assets

Level 2 (Vessel Category): CARGO: 15 assets (under COMMERCIAL) TANKER: 15 assets (under COMMERCIAL) TRAWLER: 10 assets (under FISHING) ...

Unclassified Assets

Objective: Assets without classification

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Classification Code = (blank)

3. Review list

Action: Classify these assets for better organization

Physical Hierarchy Reports

Root Assets (Top-Level Assemblies)

Objective: All standalone assets

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Hierarchy Level = 1

3. Or filter: Parent Asset No. = (blank)

Result: List of all root assets (vessels, main equipment, etc.)

Child Assets of Parent

Objective: What's inside Asset X?

Steps:

1. Open Assets list

2. Filter: Parent Asset No. = MV-001

3. Shows direct children only

Result:

ENG-001: Main Engine PROP-001: Propeller NAV-001: Navigation Suite

Complete Assembly (All Levels)

Objective: All components under root asset

Steps:

1. Identify Root Asset No. (e.g., MV-001)

2. Open Assets list

3. Filter: Root Asset No. = MV-001

4. Sort by Hierarchy Level

Result:

Hierarchy Level 2: ENG-001: Main Engine PROP-001: Propeller

Hierarchy Level 3: TC-001: Turbocharger (parent: ENG-001) FP-001: Fuel Pump (parent: ENG-001)

Component BOM Reports

Component List for Asset

Objective: All parts in Asset X

Steps:

1. Open Components

2. Filter: Asset No. = MV-001

3. Sort by Line No.

Result: Complete parts list (BOM) for the asset

Assets Using Specific Item

Objective: Which assets use Item Y?

Steps:

1. Open Components

2. Filter: Item No. = PROP-B-400

3. View Asset No. column

Result:

MV-001: 6 units MV-002: 4 units MV-003: 6 units Total: 3 assets using this item

Components Due for Replacement

Objective: Maintenance planning

Steps:

1. Open Components

2. Filter: Next Replacement Date = ..(end of period)

3. Sort by Next Replacement Date

Result:

Next 90 days: Asset MV-001, Item AF-2000 (Air Filter): Due 09/01/2024 Asset MV-001, Item OF-500 (Oil Filter): Due 09/15/2024 Asset MV-002, Item AF-2000 (Air Filter): Due 10/01/2024 ...

Action: Create purchase orders, schedule maintenance

Excel Integration

Business Central lists can be exported to Excel for advanced analysis.

Opening in Excel

1. On any list page, click Share → Open in Excel

2. Excel workbook downloads automatically

3. Open in Excel Desktop or Excel Online

4. Data is editable and can be published back (with edit permissions)

Excel Analysis

Benefits:

• Use Excel pivot tables

• Create charts and visualizations

• Perform calculations

• Apply advanced filters

• Save custom reports

Example: Asset Age Analysis

1. Open Assets list in Excel

2. Add calculated column: =TODAY() - [Acquisition Date] (age in days)

3. Create pivot table:

   • Rows: Industry Code

   • Values: Average of Age, Count of Assets

4. Chart: Assets by industry with average age

Refreshing Data

• Excel links to live BC data

• Click Refresh in Excel to update

• Changes made in BC appear in Excel

• Changes made in Excel can be published to BC (if editable)

Exporting Data

Export to Excel (Static)

1. On any list page, click Export to Excel (if available)

2. Or use Share → Open in Excel

3. Static snapshot of current filtered/sorted data

4. No live link (won't update)

Use Cases:

• One-time analysis

• Sharing with external parties

• Historical snapshots

• Offline analysis

Export to PDF

1. On any list or card page, click Print icon

2. Or Share → Print → Print or save as PDF

3. Prints current view with filters applied

Use Cases:

• Physical reports

• Email distribution

• Archival

Copy to Clipboard

1. Select rows in list (Shift+Click for multiple)

2. Right-click → Copy

3. Paste into Excel, Word, email, etc.

Use Cases:

• Quick data sharing

• Ad-hoc reporting

• Email snippets

Power BI Integration (Future)

Asset Pro Phase 1 MVP focuses on BC native reporting. Future phases will add:

Power BI Dashboards

Asset Overview Dashboard:

• Total asset count by industry

• Asset status distribution

• Asset value summary

• Map of asset locations

Holder Analytics:

• Assets per customer/location

• Holder movement trends

• Custody duration analysis

• Geographic distribution

Maintenance Dashboard:

• Components due for replacement

• Maintenance costs by asset

• Service intervals tracking

• Downtime analysis

Financial Dashboard:

• Asset acquisition trends

• Book value tracking

• Depreciation analysis

• Cost per asset type

Embedding Power BI

• Power BI reports embedded in BC pages

• Real-time data refresh

• Interactive drill-through

• Mobile app access

Custom Reports (Future)

Phase 1 MVP uses list pages and Excel. Future phases will add custom RDLC/Word reports:

Standard Reports

Asset Register Report:

• Complete asset listing with classification

• Sorted by industry and classification

• Includes financial values

• Export to PDF/Word

Holder Movement Report:

• Transfers by period

• Grouped by holder type

• Shows from/to holders

• Transaction details

Maintenance Schedule Report:

• Components due by asset

• Grouped by due date

• Includes part numbers and quantities

• Service instructions

BOM Report:

• Complete component listing per asset

• Hierarchical view (asset → sub-assets → components)

• Quantities and positions

• Installation dates

Report Scheduling

• Automated report generation

• Email distribution

• PDF attachment

• Daily/weekly/monthly schedules

Tips for Effective Reporting

Use Filters Liberally

• Start with filtered subsets

• Don't try to analyze all data at once

• Use Filter Pane for complex criteria

• Save common filter combinations

Leverage Sorting

• Sort by date for chronological analysis

• Sort by holder for location analysis

• Multi-level sort for hierarchical views

• Combine with filters for powerful queries

Export for Complex Analysis

• BC lists are great for quick queries

• Export to Excel for:

  • Pivot tables

  • Charts

  • Calculations

  • Advanced filtering

  • Presentation-ready reports

Document Your Queries

• Save bookmarks for common reports

• Document filter criteria

• Share views with team

• Create standard operating procedures for reporting

Regular Reporting Cadence

Daily:

• Assets transferred (Holder Entries for today)

• New assets created (Assets filtered by Last Date Modified)

Weekly:

• Maintenance due next week (Components filter: Next Replacement Date)

• Asset status changes (review Status field)

Monthly:

• Asset count by industry/classification

• Holder custody report

• New acquisitions summary

• Disposed assets

Quarterly:

• Asset value summary

• Maintenance costs

• Classification structure review

• Data quality audit (unclassified assets, missing data)

Data Quality Checks

Regular Audits

Unclassified Assets:

• Filter: Classification Code = (blank)

• Action: Classify all assets

Missing Holder Information:

• Filter: Current Holder Type = (blank), Status = Active

• Action: Assign holders to active assets

Orphaned Child Assets:

• Filter: Parent Asset No. <> (blank)

• Check: Does parent asset exist?

• Action: Clear or correct parent references

Stale Data:

• Filter: Last Date Modified < (6 months ago)

• Review: Are these assets still relevant?

• Action: Update or dispose

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Congratulations! You've completed the Asset Pro user guide. You now have the knowledge to:

• Configure industries and classifications

• Create and manage assets

• Track holder custody

• Build parent-child hierarchies

• Define custom attributes

• Link component BOMs

• Generate reports and analysis