In this blog, we’ll focus on best practices for exporting and importing GL entries in Business Central. We’ll show you how to create a budget template that you can use to import budget entries in BC. We will also cover some tips on resolving common errors when doing a budget import.
How to export a budget in Business Central
In the Search area, enter G/L Budgets, and choose the related link.
Select a budget. Click Process then Edit Budget
You can set the filters or settings under General or the Filters FastTab as required.
In the Budget section, select Export to Excel.
In the Export Budget to Excel window, on the Options FastTab, fill in the fields as described in the following table:
| Field | Description |
| Start Date | The start date to be included in the budget. |
| No. of Periods | The number of accounting periods. |
| Period Length | The length of the accounting periods for the budget. |
| Column Dimensions | Optionally, specify the dimensions that you want to include. |
| Note: | |
| If you have set filters for dimensions on the G/L Budget Entry FastTab, you must always specify the same dimensions in the Column Dimensions field on the Options FastTab. Dimension information will be lost when you import from Microsoft Excel if you do not specify the same dimensions. | |
| Include Totaling Formulas | Select to include the sum formulas in Microsoft Excel |
In the G/L Budget Entry FastTab, select the appropriate filters. Choose OK.
The data that you specified is exported to Microsoft Excel.
You may now add Budget entries by adding excel lines by dimension combinations as below example:
How to import GL budget entries into Business Central
On the same G/L Budget page, in the Budget section, click Import from Excel.
In the Import Budget from Excel window, on the Options FastTab, fill in the fields as described in the following table:
|
Field |
Description |
|
Budget Name |
The budget to which you want the entries to be imported in the Import to section. |
|
Option |
Replace entries – To replace entries in Microsoft Dynamics NAV with the budget entries from Microsoft Excel in the Import to section. |
|
–or– |
|
|
Add entries – To add the budget entries from Microsoft Excel to Microsoft Dynamics NAV in the Import to section. |
|
|
Description |
The description for the imported budget entries in the Import to section. |
Select OK and the file to import.
Navigate to the created entries by clicking on the ellipsis button … from the G/L Budget totals
Common G/L Budget Import Errors
Here are some of the common errors when importing a G/L Budget and some tips to resolve
- You cannot import the same information twice. The combination G/L Account No. – Dimensions – The date must be unique.
- This error message means there are entries on your import budget template which have the same G/L Account, G/L Budget entry Date, and the same combination of dimensions. To resolve this, the entry needs to be merged as the BC G/L Budget Import requires a unique entry.
Below is an example of a non-unique G/L Budget entry:
- The Dimension Value does not exist. Identification fields and values: Dimension Code=’<DimCode>’, Code=’DimCodeValue’
- This means there is a dimension value in the import template which does not exist in BC. To resolve, you need to either add the missing value in BC or check the dimension values in the template for any invalid characters or values and remove them from the template.
- G/L Accounts have not been found in the Excel worksheet.
- This error is usually encountered when there were manual changes made to the G/L Budget template headings. To resolve, you can re-export a new Budget template and work on the file without doing changes on the headings or template format.
- Duplicate G/L Budget entries
- Usually this is encountered when you select “Add entries” instead of “Replace Entries” on the Import G/L Budget option field. You can resolve this by doing another import and selecting “Replace Entries” or by manually removing the G/L Budget entries in BC.
Was this article helpful?
Hayeen Palencia is Customer Support Specialist at EBS. She is an experienced ERP Consultant specialising in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central / Dynamics NAV.