The integration of business data from Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Navision and Business Central in modern analytics platforms has been a key topic for years. Many companies want to connect their operational systems (ERP, CRM) with analytics, machine learning or self-service BI - without creating unnecessary copies of the data.
With Microsoft Fabric and the function Shortcuts Microsoft offers a powerful way to extract data from the Dataverse directly into the Lakehouse - quickly, efficiently and without redundant data storage.
What is Dataverse?
Dataverse is Microsoft's underlying data platform that integrates data from various business applications such as Dynamics 365, Power Apps or Customer Insights managed.
It ensures that data is stored in a centralized, structured and secure manner.
For companies that Dynamics NAV, Navision or the more modern solution Business Central Dataverse is an important building block for providing business data for analysis - from customer data to transaction and marketing information.
Shortcuts in Fabric: The key to integration
The Shortcut function in Microsoft Fabric makes it possible to use external data sources such as Dataverse without physical copy into the Lakehouse.
Advantages:
No duplicatesData is not duplicated, but only referenced.
Seamless integrationTables appear in the Lakehouse schema as if they were stored there.
ActualityData is accessible almost in real time - changes in the dataverse are immediately available.
Cost savingsLess memory required as no redundant copies are created.
Typical scenario: Dynamics NAV / Navision / Business Central
Many companies that have migrated from Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) to Business Central use Dataverse as an integration layer for CRM and ERP data.
Examples:
Finance & ControllingOrder data from Business Central is available in the Fabric Lakehouse for Power BI.
Marketing & SalesCustomer journeys from Dataverse can be linked with sales data from Business Central.
Process optimizationData from ERP (Navision/NAV/BC) and CRM (Dataverse) are analyzed together.
Technical implementation in Fabric
Create connectionConnection to Dataverse environment (e.g.
marketing.crm4.dynamics.com).Create shortcutInclude table from Dataverse in Lakehouse.
Example:
[lakehouse].[cij].[contact]
Scheme design:
Bronze: Raw data (shortcut).
Silver: Standardized views (standardized columns).
Gold: Business-oriented views for reporting.
AnalysisPower BI or machine learning accesses the data directly.
Best Practices
Adhere to naming conventionse.g.
[bronze][DataverseSchema][Table]..Note performanceShortcuts are referenced data - use silver/gold layer for intensive calculations if necessary.
Security & GovernanceDataverse rights also apply in Fabric - access only with valid authorizations.
Combination with historical dataBusiness Central often only keeps a limited history; data can be historicized using Fabric.
Conclusion
With Microsoft Fabric Shortcuts the integration of Dataverse-Data from Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Navision) and Business Central considerably simplified.
This enables companies to use operational data in real time for analytics, BI and AI - without complex ETL processes or redundant data storage.
The result: Faster analyses, lower costs and a standardized database for marketing, sales, finance and more.
Do you have any questions or would you like to find out more about our methods? Get in touch with us - We show you how you can use your data for sustainable success.
