Understanding and Analyzing Customer Ledger Data with Business Charts in Dynamics 365

Introduction

In today's business world, understanding your financial data is crucial for making informed decisions. One of the key areas of focus for businesses is tracking customer payments and outstanding invoices. With Dynamics 365, you can leverage customer ledger entries to provide visual insights into customer behaviors, payment patterns, and outstanding amounts. These insights help businesses optimize collections, improve cash flow, and make data-driven decisions.

In this blog, we'll explore how to analyze Customer Ledger Entries through Business Charts in Dynamics 365, focusing on Outstanding Invoices, Payments Applied, and Aging of Outstanding Amounts.

What Are Customer Ledger Entries?

Customer Ledger Entries in Dynamics 365 track all transactions related to a customer, including invoices, payments, credit memos, and adjustments. Each entry contains details such as:

• Customer Number

• Document Type (Invoice, Payment, Credit Memo, etc.)

• Amount (Remaining or Paid)

• Due Date

By analyzing this data, businesses can gain valuable insights into a customer's payment habits, outstanding debts, and the status of their invoices.

Why Use Business Charts?

Business Charts in Dynamics 365 provide a visual representation of your data, making it easier to spot trends and gain actionable insights. Instead of manually sorting through customer ledger entries, you can use charts to instantly assess:

• The total outstanding amount per customer.

• The total payments applied.

• The aging of outstanding amounts.

This allows teams to make timely decisions about follow-ups with customers and plan for collections.

Creating Charts to Analyze Customer Ledger Data

Let’s dive into some key charting logic you can apply to Customer Ledger Entries in Dynamics 365 to get more detailed insights into your data.

1. Outstanding Invoices (Remaining Amount per Invoice)

The first and most essential data point to track is the Remaining Amount of each invoice. By grouping this data by invoice number, you can quickly identify which invoices are outstanding and need to be followed up.

Logic:

• We will focus on Invoices in the Customer Ledger.

• Calculate the Remaining Amount per invoice.

• Display this data in a Bar Chart, with the Invoice Number on the X-axis and the Remaining Amount on the Y-axis.

Buffer.AddMeasure('Remaining Amount', 2, Buffer."Data Type"::Decimal, ChartType.AsInteger());

Buffer.SetXAxis('Document No.', Buffer."Data Type"::String); // Group by invoice number

...

The chart will help visualize which invoices are outstanding and need to be prioritized for payment.

Code

page 50215 "Business Charts"

{

ApplicationArea = All;

Caption = 'Business Charts';

PageType = CardPart;

UsageCategory = Administration;

layout

{

     area(Content)

     {

         usercontrol(chart; BusinessChart)

         {

             ApplicationArea = All;

             trigger AddInReady()

             var

                 Buffer: Record "Business Chart Buffer" temporary;

                 CustLedgerEntry: Record "Cust. Ledger Entry";

                 Customer: Record Customer;

                 ChartType: Enum "Business Chart Type";

                 AppliedAmount: Decimal;

                 RemainingAmount: Decimal;

                 s: Integer;

             begin

                 // Initialize the chart buffer and variables

                 Buffer.Initialize();

                 ChartType := "Business Chart Type"::Pie; // Use a bar chart for better visual representation

                 // Add measure for 'Remaining Amount'

                    Buffer.AddMeasure('Remaining Amount', 2, Buffer."Data Type"::Decimal, ChartType.AsInteger());

                 // Set X-axis to 'Invoice No.' for grouping data by invoice

                 Buffer.SetXAxis('Document No.', Buffer."Data Type"::String);

                 // Loop through all customers

                 if Customer.FindSet() then begin

                     repeat

                         // Loop through Customer Ledger Entries to accumulate remaining amounts

                         if CustLedgerEntry.FindSet() then begin

                             repeat

                                    CustLedgerEntry.CalcFields("Remaining Amount");

                                 // Only accumulate amounts for the current customer based on Customer No.

                                 if CustLedgerEntry."Customer No." = Customer."No." then begin

                                     // If it is an Invoice, accumulate Remaining Amount

                                     if CustLedgerEntry."Document Type" = "Gen. Journal Document Type"::Invoice then begin

                                            Buffer.AddColumn(CustLedgerEntry."Document No.");  // Label by Invoice No.

                                            Buffer.SetValueByIndex(0, s, CustLedgerEntry."Remaining Amount");  // Set RemainingAmount for the invoice

                                         s += 1;

                                     end;

                                 end;

                             until CustLedgerEntry.Next() = 0;

                         end;

                     until Customer.Next() = 0;

                 end;

                 // Update the chart with the accumulated data

                 if s > 0 then

                        Buffer.UpdateChart(CurrPage.Chart)

                 else

                     Message('No outstanding invoices to display in the chart.');

             end;

         }

     }

}

}

2. Payments Applied (Amount Applied to Invoices)

Another important metric is the Amount Applied to customer invoices. Tracking payments allows you to understand customer payment behavior and outstanding balances. By focusing on Payments, you can track how much a customer has paid against their total balance.

Logic:

• We will focus on Payments in the Customer Ledger.

• Calculate the total Amount Applied for each customer.

• Visualize the data in a Bar Chart, with the Customer Number on the X-axis and the Amount Applied on the Y-axis.

Buffer.AddMeasure('Amount Applied', 2, Buffer."Data Type"::Decimal, ChartType.AsInteger());

Buffer.SetXAxis('Customer No.', Buffer."Data Type"::String); // Group by customer

...

This chart will help businesses track customer payments and identify any customers with overdue payments.

3. Aging of Outstanding Amounts (Bucketed by Days Overdue)

Aging reports are an essential tool for understanding the timeliness of payments. By grouping outstanding amounts into aging buckets (e.g., 0-30 days, 31-60 days, etc.), businesses can better assess which invoices are overdue and prioritize collection efforts.

Logic:

• Calculate the Remaining Amount based on aging categories.

• For each customer, group outstanding amounts into aging buckets.

• Visualize this data in a Bar Chart, where each bucket represents a time range (e.g., 0-30 days, 31-60 days) and shows the Remaining Amount within that range.

// Calculate aging based on Due Date

if (Today - CustLedgerEntry."Due Date") <= 30 then

AgingBucket := '0-30 Days'

elseif (Today - CustLedgerEntry."Due Date") <= 60 then

AgingBucket := '31-60 Days'

...

Buffer.SetXAxis('Aging Bucket', Buffer."Data Type"::String); // Group by aging bucket

...

This chart will provide a clear picture of which invoices are overdue and for how long, helping businesses prioritize collections.

Benefits of Using Business Charts for Customer Ledger Analysis

• Improved Visibility: Business charts provide an intuitive way to view complex data. By grouping and aggregating data, charts highlight important trends such as overdue invoices, outstanding balances, and payments made.

• Better Cash Flow Management: By tracking Remaining Amounts, Payments Applied, and Aging, businesses can forecast cash inflows more accurately and identify potential cash flow issues early.

• Data-Driven Decisions: With insights into customer payment behavior and outstanding debts, businesses can make informed decisions on when and how to follow up with customers.

• Prioritization of Collections: Aging reports help businesses focus their collections efforts on customers who have overdue balances, ensuring that no account is neglected.

• Customer Relationship Management: Understanding a customer’s payment habits allows you to approach them more effectively, whether that means offering payment plans or addressing issues with delayed payments.

Conclusion

By leveraging Customer Ledger Entries and Business Charts in Dynamics 365, businesses can transform raw data into valuable insights. Visualizing outstanding invoices, payments applied, and aging amounts helps businesses prioritize collections, forecast cash flow, and ultimately improve their financial health. These charts make it easier for accounting and finance teams to manage customer payments and reduce the risk of overdue balances.

The ability to track customer behavior and quickly identify payment issues gives businesses a competitive edge, helping them maintain a healthy cash flow and strong customer relationships.