| Component | License Required | Typical Cost (USD/user/month) | |-----------|------------------|-------------------------------| | Business Central Essentials/Premium | BC license | $70 - $110 | | Power Apps (for BC data) | Per App Plan Per User Plan | $5/app/user/mo (Per App) OR $20/user/mo (Per User) | | Power Automate (with premium connectors) | Per User Plan with attended RPA | $15 - $40 | | Power BI (to view dashboards) | Pro license | $10/user/mo | | Dataverse storage | Included (base) + additional storage | $40/GB/mo (overages) |
| Capability | Benefit for Business Central | |------------|-------------------------------| | | Build custom forms and data entry screens that read/write to BC without touching the BC UI. | | Power Automate | Create automated workflows (e.g., "When a sales invoice exceeds $10k, trigger a VP approval") that run outside BC's native workflow engine. | | Power BI | Visualize BC data in real-time with paginated reports and interactive dashboards embedded directly into BC role centers. | | Power Pages | Build external-facing portals (e.g., vendor registration or customer order status) connected securely to BC. | Key Insight: Microsoft’s strategy is clear—Business Central is the "system of record"; Power Platform is the "system of engagement." 3. Core Scenarios: Extending BC with Power Platform Below are three common, high-value extensions you can build today. Scenario A: Multi-Stage Approval Flows (Power Automate + BC) The Problem: BC’s native approval workflow lacks conditional branching (e.g., if Dept = Sales → approve, if Dept = Finance → escalate). | Component | License Required | Typical Cost
Traditionally, extending Business Central required hiring AL language developers or purchasing expensive ISV solutions. Today, (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Pages) offers a low-code alternative that empowers both professional developers and citizen integrators. | | Power Pages | Build external-facing portals (e
