If you run production in Business Central, you can use capacity load lines to see how your work centers are loaded. This gives you an overview of allocated capacity, the load percentage, and the number of operations across all your capacities. The on-screen view shows one data set at a time, while the Export Capacity Load to Excel function lets you compare several periods side by side.
You define the period length and the number of periods yourself when you export to Excel. The export inherits the filters you set on the general tab, and you can adjust them in the export tool. This makes it easy to spot when a work center is overloaded, for example when work center 100 is loaded at 200% one week and 146% the next.
Getting an overview of capacity load in Business Central
Capacity load lines give you a quick overview of how your capacities are used. You can see the allocated capacity, the load percentage, and how many operations are scheduled for each work center. In a simple setup with only four work centers, this view is easy to read directly on screen, since you are looking at a single data set at a time.
You can export this view to Excel as well, but the on-screen picture only shows one period at a time. That is fine for a quick check, but it limits how much you can compare.
Exporting capacity load to Excel for multiple periods
If you want to compare load across time, use the Export Capacity Load to Excel function. Here you decide the period length and how many periods you want to view. You can set up five periods, for instance, and see the same data type for each of them in one place.
This makes it much easier to follow the workload over time. You can see directly that work center 100 is loaded at 200% in one week, then 146% the next, and so on. Instead of clicking through one period at a time, you get the full picture in a single Excel sheet.
Filtering and customizing the Excel export
The export tool carries over the filters you have already placed on the general tab, so you do not have to set everything up again. You can still change those filters inside the export if you need a different view.
You also control the layout yourself. You decide how many columns you want, how many periods to include, and which filters to apply. The export tool includes plenty of filtering options, so you can tailor the report to match exactly what you need to analyze.
Q&A
What does the capacity load function show in Business Central?
It shows the allocated capacity, the load percentage, and the number of operations for each of your capacities, so you can see how your work centers are loaded.
What is the difference between the on-screen view and the Excel export?
The on-screen view shows one data set, meaning one period at a time. The Export Capacity Load to Excel function lets you define a period length and the number of periods, so you can see several periods with the same data side by side.
Can I control how the Excel export looks?
Yes. You define how many columns and periods you want, and the export tool includes extensive filtering options. The filters you set on the general tab are inherited in the export, and you can change them there.