Free Business Central Apps That Fix Everyday Workflow Issues
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides businesses with a robust platform to manage finance, inventory, sales, and operations. But out of the box, it leaves room for improvement in day-to-day execution. If you manage a warehouse, handle shipping, plan inventory, or track compliance, you’ve probably run into some of these limitations firsthand.
This article outlines some of the most common challenges that Business Central users face, along with the free apps from Insight Works that address them.
1. You Still Can't Drag-and-Drop Files
Attaching customer POs, images, and receipts to Business Central records isn’t easy with the base system. Users often manage files outside the platform, causing confusion and wasted time.
DocXtender simplifies document handling as a free app that enables users to attach documents to any Business Central record with a simple drag and drop. Everyone sees the same documents, right where they belong—no extra tools needed.
2. Forecasting Still Feels Like Guesswork
Business Central’s built-in reorder point logic lacks the depth to support demand-based planning. You’re left guessing, overordering, or running out.
The Enhanced Forecasting Worksheet app fills that gap with precise, customizable inventory forecasting to prevent stockouts and optimize stock levels. The app utilizes Azure AI to forecast demand based on historical sales patterns. With adjustable filters and custom logic, the app improves stock planning accuracy and reduces inventory risk.
3. Purchasing Plans Are Hard to Align with Vendors
Planning inside Business Central can be rigid, especially when trying to align purchases with vendor-specific pricing, lead times, and thresholds.
The Enhanced Planning Worksheet app offers a more innovative approach by helping you align inventory with demand and optimize vendor-driven purchasing, thereby extending Business Central’s planning capabilities. The app’s design is for distribution-heavy environments and multi-location coordination.
4. Production Scheduling Feels Like a Guessing Game
Business Central lists operations and routing lines but doesn’t offer a way to visualize schedules or overlaps.
The Graphical Scheduler app makes production planning visual and efficient by enabling you to visualize each workstation, enabling managers and staff to manage production scheduling more effectively. The app turns production data into a drag-and-drop calendar. With color-coded operations and filters by work center, Graphical Scheduler enables planners to manage schedules and quickly adjust to changes.
5. The Warehouse Is Moving Faster Than Business Central Can Keep Up
Business Central doesn’t offer native mobile scanning or barcode-driven warehouse operations, which can lead to delays and data entry errors.
WMS Express closes the gap with full mobile support, helping you improve warehouse accuracy and boost efficiency with mobile device and barcode integration. The app enables Android-based scanning with devices such as Datalogic, Honeywell, and Zebra for tasks like receiving, picking, and physical inventory counts.
6. Shipping Parcels Requires Extra Licensing
Most parcel shipping tools for Business Central require extra modules or licenses. Smaller businesses end up using spreadsheets and disconnected systems.
Order Ship Express removes that barrier as the Business Central license-free shipping app for anyone shipping parcels domestically. With the app, get real-time carrier rates, print labels, and manage shipments—all without leaving the system or incurring additional costs.
7. Safety Incidents Go Underreported or Untracked
Managing workplace safety often resides outside Business Central—on paper, in spreadsheets, or in the forgotten.
Safety Logbook brings everything together to streamline incident tracking and compliance, enhancing workplace safety and reducing risk. The app integrates EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) tracking into Business Central. With the app, log incidents, assign follow-ups, and track safety performance across departments to ensure compliance and maintain visibility.
8. Printing from the Cloud Is Still Clunky
Business Central Cloud users often struggle to print reports or labels directly to local printers, especially without downloading PDFs.
The PrintNode Connector PowerTool app provides a seamless solution to connect your local or network printers to Dynamics 365 Business Central Cloud. With the app, send jobs from Business Central to network or local printers instantly—no conversions, no switching tools.
9. Data Imports Take Forever
Whether onboarding new data or updating existing records, Business Central’s standard tools, like RapidStart, are slow and limited.
The Import Export PowerTool app addresses this challenge directly, enabling you to turbocharge your data migration and management tasks with lightning-fast imports, exports, updates, and deletes. The app supports record linking, note creation, and easily handles lot/serial numbers—ideal for developers, consultants, and power users.
10. Printing Barcodes Takes Too Many Steps
Business Central doesn’t natively support barcode printing in reports. That means customizing layouts or using third-party tools to add a QR code to a document.
The Barcode Generator PowerTool app addresses this by enabling users to add 1D and 2D barcodes—such as Code 128, QR, or Data Matrix— to their Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central reports, including invoices, production orders, and warehouse documents.
Explore What’s Possible—Without Adding Cost
These apps support everyday business needs while reducing manual work, improving accuracy, and extending the value of your Business Central environment. Whether you manage warehouses, shipments, planning, or safety, there’s a free solution that fits your needs.
Explore the full catalog and see which free apps fit your workflow. Visit https://dmsiworks.com/apps/free-apps or contact your Microsoft Partner to learn more.