Understand and configure electronic reporting data model in the Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations - Part 1

Electronic Reporting (ER) in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365FO) is a powerful tool that enables business users to configure and manage regulatory reports without the need for extensive coding. Whether it's invoices, payment files, or tax reports, ER simplifies the process of generating, maintaining, and updating electronic documents in various formats.

What is Electronic Reporting (ER)?

Electronic Reporting is a configurable tool designed to support the generation of electronic documents. It allows businesses to define how data is extracted from the application database, transformed according to business rules, and presented in a specific format—such as XML, TXT, Excel, or PDF.

ER is especially useful for local regulatory compliance, as it empowers users to adapt quickly to changes in reporting requirements without involving developers for each update.

Key Components of ER

ER in D365FO follows a structured, layered approach that consists of the following core components:

1. Data Source (Database)

This is where the raw data is stored—tables, entities, and data entities in the D365FO database. ER begins by identifying and selecting the necessary data for the report.

2. Data Model

A data model is an abstract representation of the data that defines the structure and hierarchy needed for reporting. It is independent of the application’s internal data structures, making it reusable across different formats and reports.

3. Model Mapping

This step involves linking the application’s data sources (like tables and entities) to the data model. This is where you define how data should flow from the database into the model structure.

4. Format

Formats define how the data is output—whether in Excel, XML, CSV, or another format. The format component is designed based on the data model and is customizable to meet specific requirements.

5. Format Mapping

Just like model mapping connects the data to the model, format mapping defines how data from the model is transferred into the final report format.

ER Data Flow

The ER data flow typically follows three main steps:

1. Map database to data model – Connects application data to an abstract model.

2. Map data model to format – Specifies how to output data using predefined formats.

3. Send to a party – Distributes the final report to relevant internal or external recipients.

Benefits of Using ER

• No-code customization: Business users can manage format changes without developer input.

• Version control and localization: Easily create country-specific formats and maintain multiple versions.

• Compliance-ready: Stay aligned with rapidly changing regulatory requirements.

• Reusable components: Data models and mappings can be reused across different formats.

Common Use Cases

• Tax declarations and audit files

• Electronic invoicing (e-invoicing)

• Payment files for banks

• Intrastat and statistical reports

• Exporting structured business data for integrations

Setup and configuration - Inside the Dynamics 365 F&O

1) Go to Electronic reporting workspace.

2) Create a new configuration provider here

3) I have created one with the named "DemoER".

4) Make active your configuration provider "DemoER"

5) As soon as you active it, go to the Reporting configurations.

6) Choose the Root and create a model.

7) Once you are done with above Step 6, go into the Designer option.

8) The first step in developing an electronic report is to create your own data model. Begin by setting up the root node of the model.

9) Within your model node, define a record list — a basic structure used to store multiple records.

10) Next, within the record list, create variables that will store the data.

11) After completing the data model setup, your result should look like the figure below

12) Now, proceed to create the model mapping node.

13) In the same way, add the data format node as well.

Summary:

In this article, we covered the fundamentals of Electronic Reporting and how to create the data model, which is the first step in the three-step ER development process. In the next post, I will demonstrate how to work with model mapping and format configuration

Happy Learning,

Syed Amir Ali.