Reporting Intelligence for BC Cloud for Excel Online Overview

BC Cloud Only - this article only applies to Reporting Intelligence for BC Cloud

Reporting Intelligence add-In is an Excel add-in that brings reporting functionalities to Excel online. It allows you to design, run, and manage reports directly in a browser - without downloading files or switching to a desktop application. The online add-in navigation tab includes the following features:

  • User Profile — Opens the task pane with the signed-in user's profile and account details. Use this option to sign out or switch environments.
  • Design — Activates design mode for the current report. Use this option to insert or modify formulas (for example, NL) used to build reports.
  • Run — Switches the report to run mode and uploads the current workbook to the Jet cloud service for asynchronous execution. When processing is complete, a status update appears on the Report Status page, where you can open or download the resulting report.
  • Drilldown — Opens a URL in Business Central Cloud in a new browser tab, displaying the underlying data behind the selected cell value.
  • Report Status — Opens the Report Status page, where you can view the progress and results of previously submitted reports.
  • Access Reports Center — Opens the Jet Reports Center web application in a browser. From there, you can browse, manage, and schedule reports in the cloud.
  • Upload to Reports Center — Uploads the currently open report to the Jet cloud so it can be scheduled, shared, or executed later via Reports Center.
  • Function Wizard — Launches a step-by-step wizard in the task pane to help you create Jet formulas without writing them manually.
  • Settings — Opens the add-in settings panel in the task pane. Use this option to select your data source and company.
  • Help — Opens the Jet Reports documentation page in a new browser tab.

Design Mode vs. Run Mode

Reporting Intelligence add-In enables two modes:

  • Design Mode displays formulas and placeholder values. It is optimized for building and editing report logic, but the data shown may not be accurate. Think of it as a blueprint view.
  • Run Mode submits the report to the cloud for full execution and returns computed results.

You switch between these modes using the Design and Run buttons on the ribbon. The typical workflow is: design (or modify) the report, then run it to see real results.

How Report Execution Works

Reporting Intelligence Add-In does not execute reports locally in your browser. When you click Run, the add-in uploads the current workbook to the cloud service, which processes the report asynchronously. You can monitor progress on the Report Status page. Once the report is complete, the results are available as a separate downloadable Excel file - they are not written back into the workbook you are editing.

This cloud-based execution model means that the add-in depends on Reports Center, cloud platform for uploading, executing, and managing reports.

The Role of Reports Center

Reports Center is central to the Reporting Intelligence Add-In experience. It is the cloud platform where data sources are configured, reports are stored and scheduled, and execution results are managed. The Reporting Intelligence add-in connects to Reports Center to retrieve data source configurations, submit reports for execution, and provide access to completed report outputs.

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