How can Power BI be connected to Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain data?

There are three primary ways to connect Microsoft Power BI to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management (D365 F&SCM) data:

• OData Feed.
• Bring Your Own Database (BYOD).
• Microsoft Fabric Link.

1. OData Feed – near real-time, but limited

The OData feed provides near real-time access to the transactional database via Dynamics 365’s public data entities. This method is suitable for lightweight, interactive reporting where freshness of data is key.

However:

• It is limited to the entities exposed via the data entity framework.
• Performance may degrade with large datasets or complex joins.
• Only published fields (standard or custom) are accessible, and exposing new fields often requires a developer.

2. BYOD (Bring Your Own Database) – customisable and stable

The BYOD approach allows selected data entities to be exported on a scheduled basis to an external Azure SQL database. Power BI can then connect to this database for reporting.

Advantages:

• Better performance and more control over schema.
• Allows data transformation via SQL views.
• Useful for building a centralised reporting warehouse.

Limitations:

• Still based on the data entity framework.
• Custom or additional standard fields require developer involvement to expose.

3. Fabric Link – full table access with flexibility

The Fabric Link is the most robust and modern integration method for connecting Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain data to Microsoft’s analytics ecosystem. It enables near real-time synchronisation of transactional data into Microsoft Dataverse, where it becomes readily accessible for analysis in Microsoft Fabric or Power BI.

Why choose Fabric Link?

• Direct Table Access: Unlike OData and BYOD, Fabric Link provides access to the underlying raw application tables—not just limited data entities—unlocking greater data granularity and completeness.
• No Developer Dependency: All standard and custom fields are available out of the box, eliminating the need for additional developer configuration or deployment steps.
• Near Real-Time Refresh: Data syncs regularly with minimal impact on the performance of the Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations environment, ensuring up-to-date reporting without compromising system stability.

This approach is ideal for organisations seeking a scalable, low-maintenance, and high-fidelity connection to their ERP data for enterprise-level reporting and advanced analytics.