First we created an overview of Configurable Business Documents and analyzed them in great depth, from how they work to their advantages and disadvantages. Read the analysis >>
Afterwards, we discussed the most critical drawbacks of Configurable Business Documents and explained how they can be eliminated by bringing Docentric into play. Our strategy is to utilize ER Data Models as report data sources, while keeping the usage of Docentric Designer and Document Generator just like we do now. This will enable end-users and functional consultants to customize both document data sources and designs from within D365FO, without help from developers, and at the same time it will bring far better design capabilities, PDF output and printing to printers. Learn more >>
In this article, you will find the feature-by-feature comparison between Configurable Business Documents (CBD) and Docentric. We would absolutely love to hear from you, so if you have any thoughts to share or discuss, we kindly invite you to do so at support@docentric.com. Your feedback and comments are much appreciated.
Feature |
CBD in Oct 2019 |
Docentric |
Designer |
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Designing in Word |
Templates are designed in Word using built-in Content Controls and Custom XML parts, a limited technology with disadvantages as follows:
|
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Designing in Excel |
|
N/A |
Designing in PDF |
|
With Docentric, you always design documents in Word. The output can be PDF or Word, coming soon Excel and HTML. |
Preview option |
N/A User has to start the report from D365FO to see the changes in its design. |
|
Updating templates in production |
Supported. |
Supported. |
Template storage |
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Location |
Attachments (Azure/SharePoint). |
Azure/SharePoint/File system. |
Setup |
|
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Versioning |
Supported. |
Supported via SharePoint. |
Feature |
CBD in Dec 2019 |
Docentric Now |
Docentric in Oct 2019 |
Data sources |
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Adding additional data in production |
|
|
Docentric will support this feature by reusing ER Data Models. |
Adding custom labels |
Supported. |
Supported but limited to labels already defined in D365FO. |
|
Reusing data sources of existing SSRS reports |
Supported. |
Supported via Docentric Replicas. |
Supported since Docentric will use the same ER Data Models as Configurable Business Documents. |
Output formats |
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PDF output |
|
Supported. Additionally, you can:
|
On the roadmap to support:
|
Word output |
Supported for documents designed in Word. |
Supported. |
|
Excel output |
Supported for documents designed in Excel. |
Supported when executing SSRS reports. |
On the roadmap to support Excel as output format, and consequently to enable ‘Export to Excel’ from Docentric Viewer also for reports based on Docentric templates. |
Print destinations * |
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Printing to printers |
N/A |
|
|
Routing files to local network folders |
N/A |
Uses DRA to route PDF files from the cloud to local network folders. |
|
Emailing: Email body |
|
|
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Emailing: Multiple email senders |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Emailing: Sending emails via Email distributor batch, i.e. using Email processing |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Emailing: Bcc, Reply-to, Bounce-to, Message priority, Read and Delivery receipts |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Emailing: Redirect printing from Email to, e.g. Printer if an email token (e.g. primary customer email) not found. |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Emailing: Additional email attachments |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Saving to SharePoint |
Supported via Print archive. |
Supported. |
On the roadmap to enable saving to SharePoint with custom attributes. |
Saving to Azure |
Supported via Print archive. |
Supported. |
|
Saving to Attachments |
N/A |
Supported. Select Document and Record type (e.g. Journal, Sales order or Customer) that the printing report should be attached to. |
|
Print archive |
|
|
|
Printing to screen |
Supported via Word and Excel Online. For PDF templates, PDF extension for web browser is used. |
|
|
Multiple target print destinations |
Supported. |
Supported via Print management. |
On the roadmap support for multiple choice of print destinations. |
Placeholders used in print destinations * |
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Placeholders provided OOTB |
Supported, since any field from ER Data model can be used as a placeholder. |
Supported. |
|
Using placeholders in Email print destination settings such as Email body, subject, To and Cc |
Supported by binding directly to a ER Data Model or built-in Email tokens. |
Supported but limited to a pre-defined set of placeholders per report, e.g. ‘Contact name’ or ‘Invoice ID’ for the Invoice report. Email tokens are also supported. |
Docentric will introduce User-defined placeholders. See ‘Adding new placeholders in production’. |
Using placeholders in print destination settings other than Email body, subject, To and Cc |
Supported for output filenames. |
Supported. |
|
Adding new placeholders in production |
Supported. |
N/A |
Support for User-defined placeholders on Docentric report setup against the whole report data source. |
Execution flow * |
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Integration with Print management |
Partially supported:
|
Supported. |
Once Docentric adds support for ER Data Model based reports, they will behave just as regular SSRS reports – user will be able to select one of the multiple Docentric templates and print the report to the Docentric print destination that is selected in Print management setup. |
Integration with other SSRS reports |
N/A |
Supported. |
|
Provided documents OTTB |
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34 core documents |
Supported. |
Supported. Docentric provides them in a separate model called Docentric AX SSRS Replicas. |
Docentric will provide new Docentric templates for all 34 core documents (since the data source will be changed). |
64 localized documents |
Supported. |
N/A |
|
See also
Configurable Business Documents Overview >>
Configurable Business Documents Improved by Docentric >>
Very Cool! looking forward to this.
So are we, all this is very exciting!
My colleagues and I we eagerly await the new Docentric features, seem to be wonderful to our new reports 😀