Creating and maintaining report layouts in Business Central is currently a time-consuming and inefficient process.

Today, modifying an RDLC or Word report layout typically requires the following steps:

1. Export the layout from Business Central.
2. Open the file in Report Builder or Microsoft Word.
3. Make the required changes.
4. Save the file.
5. Return to Business Central.
6. Replace or import the updated layout.
7. Select the layout.
8. Run a report preview.
9. Discover that an element is not positioned correctly.
10. Repeat the entire process again.

For even small adjustments, consultants and developers often have to repeat this cycle multiple times. This creates unnecessary overhead and reduces productivity when designing customer-facing documents such as invoices, sales orders, shipment documents, labels, and custom reports.

Proposed Solution (Preferred)

Introduce a built-in report layout editor within Business Central for both RDLC and Word layouts.

Key capabilities:

• Open and edit report layouts directly from Business Central.
• Direct access to report datasets and available fields.
• Live preview using actual Business Central data.
• Instant refresh after layout changes without exporting and reimporting files.
• Save changes directly to the report layout record.
• Support for both custom and tenant-specific layouts.

This would create a modern and efficient design experience where users can immediately see the impact of changes and make corrections within a single workspace.

Alternative Solution (Minimum Viable Improvement)

If a full in-client editor is not feasible, provide integration between Business Central and external layout design tools.

For example:

• Open RDLC layouts in Report Builder directly from Business Central.
• Open Word layouts in Microsoft Word directly from Business Central.
• Allow the designer to request a live preview using Business Central data without requiring the layout to be imported first.
• Enable a "test with Business Central data" function while remaining inside the design tool.

This would eliminate the constant export-import-preview cycle and significantly improve report development efficiency.

Business Value

Benefits include:

• Faster report development.
• Reduced implementation costs.
• Improved consultant productivity.
• Better customer experience during report design workshops.
• Fewer iterations needed to reach the desired document layout.
• Lower barrier for creating and maintaining custom report layouts.

Report layouts remain one of the most frequently customized areas of Business Central. Modernizing the editing and preview experience would provide immediate value to partners, customers, and developers alike.