Popdock for Business Central: Accessing Historical and Third-Party Data
One of the many strengths of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central lies in its ability to adapt to any workflow to a precise degree. The vast network of vendors creates a strong ecosystem of vertical and horizontal extensions. And it continues to grow.
At Stoneridge, we evaluate extensions from many points. We start with the customer-specific requirements for the functionality. And finish with what the use of this extension means to the customer in the long run.
In every customer project, the functionality evaluation considers:
- Sufficiency: Does it provide the functionality the customer needs?
- Excess: Does it add unnecessary features, complexity, or maintenance burden?
- Budget: Does it make financial sense over the life of the solution?
Figuring out the long‑term cost of using the extension is much harder. We stay with the project from delivery through long‑term support, so our choices must hold up over time.
We want to show how we arrive at the choice that fits each project for different extensions. This time, we look at the Popdock Tool.
This post is for people considering Business Central, customers who want to get more from it, and teams who support the system day to day.
With this overview, you’ll be able to look at extensions the way we do and choose what truly fits your business.
When Data Lives Outside the ERP
Data in an ERP system does not exist in isolation. It starts with legacy systems, continues through daily user activity, and expands through integrations with other applications. Over time, this creates a data landscape that spans multiple systems, environments, and storage locations.
For many organizations, system transitions add another layer to this structure. When moving to a new ERP, such as Business Central, the historical data does not always move with the same level of detail or accessibility. As a result, the operational data lives in the new system, while historical records remain in legacy environments or external storage.
At the same time, business processes are rarely contained within a single system. Customer interactions may live in a CRM, transactions in the ERP, and operational data in external tools or databases. Each of these systems becomes a source of truth for a specific part of the process. The full picture is distributed across them.
Users still need to work with this data as if it were a single system. They need to answer questions that span time (past and present) and span systems (ERP, CRM, and others). This is especially common in scenarios such as:
- Reviewing customer history during support interactions
- Comparing current transactions with legacy data
- Combining operational data with financial results
To support these needs, organizations rely on queries, reports, and integrations. However, these methods are typically tied to individual systems. They provide visibility within one area, but do not naturally extend across the broader environment.
As the number of systems grows, and as historical data remains relevant, the gap between where data lives and how it is used becomes more apparent.
Problem: Data Is Spread Across Multiple Systems
Users must rely on separate systems, tools, and processes to retrieve related data, making it difficult to form a complete view of their operations in a single place.
Goals: What the Solution Must Achieve
- Customer goal: access and view related data across systems and time within a single place.
- Customer goal: reduce reliance on manual processes
- Customer goal: include data in the ERP as part of business logic and customizations.
- Customer goal: use the ERP as a single reporting point for data across systems
- Stoneridge Software's goal: prioritize life-long customer relationships over short-term gains.
Options: Evaluating the Available Approach
- Popdock
- Data integration tools
Option 1: Popdock
Description: Popdock is a data access tool for Business Central that retrieves and presents data from multiple sources within a single interface. It exposes data through lists that can be filtered, grouped, and modified without changing the underlying system.
Popdock embeds as an widget in Business Central, where these lists are available directly on pages. Users can work with data in context, accessing information alongside external or historical data.
Popdock provides predefined queries and supports custom ones, including combining data from different sources into a single view. The data remains in its source system and is retrieved when needed, rather than stored in Business Central tables.
Long story short, it lets you see all the data you need right inside Business Central.
Use Popdock when you need to:
- View related data from multiple systems in one place.
- Access and explore data for day‑to‑day decisions.
- Preserve access to historical data during or after migration from legacy systems.
- Move legacy data to a data lake and stop maintaining the legacy system, while keeping access to that data.
Using Popdock enables:
- Flexible, user-driven views of data across different systems.
- Combined datasets in a single logical view.
- Surfaced external data inside Business Central alongside live records.
- Reporting through tools such as Excel or Power BI using accessible data endpoints.
Do not use Popdock if you need to:
- Include external data as part of business logic (customizations), not just to view it.
- Report on surfaced data inside Business Central.
- Directly correct or modify data in Business Central tables.
- Change or validate the data before bringing it into the system.
Popdock requires users who:
- Understands where the data comes from and how it connects.
- Can understand combined data and check that it is correct.
- Are comfortable creating queries, filters, or custom views.
- Understand that the data they see is not the source of truth.
Using Popdock carries risks:
- Data can be misunderstood if users don’t know where it comes from.
- Results may be inconsistent when combining data from different systems.
- Performance issues with large amounts of data.
- Users may think the data can be changed when it cannot be.
- Reports may become inconsistent if everyone builds their own views.
To use Popdock safely:
- Clearly define which system is the source of truth for each dataset.
- Document how combined data is built.
- Limit advanced features (like queries and custom lists) to the right users.
- Validate results when combining data across multiple systems.
- Choose the right setup based on data size and performance needs.
- Use Popdock to view data, not to replace system logic or controls.
Key consideration
- Popdock is designed to bring data from multiple systems into one view, while the data remains outside business logic.
Option 2: Data Integration Tools
Description: Data integration tools bring data from external systems into Business Central and synchronize it based on defined rules. The data is transferred into Business Central, where it becomes part of the system’s data model and participates in standard processes, validations, and reporting.
These tools connect Business Central with external systems such as CRM platforms, e-commerce solutions, legacy ERPs, and other operational applications. They are used in scenarios where data must be exchanged, aligned, and kept up to date across systems.
Integration can run in real time or on a schedule. It typically includes mapping, transformation, and validation to ensure that incoming data fits Business Central’s structure and business rules.
Use data integration when you need:
- Data to be included in Business Central’s data and processes.
- External data to trigger workflows, postings, and business logic in Business Central
- Consistent, centralized data in Business Central for reporting and operations
- Data to flow between systems, with master data in one system and transactions created and processed across multiple systems.
Using data integration enables:
- Automated data movement between systems without manual intervention.
- Data that follows Business Central validation rules and becomes usable in transactions and workflows.
- A single, consistent data set for reporting and operations.
- Supported end-to-end processes that span multiple systems, such as order-to-cash or procure-to-pay.
- Downstream functionality such as posting, calculations, and compliance checks within Business Central.
Do not use data integration if:
- You are automating data movement between systems without manual intervention.
- Data does not need to follow Business Central validation rules or be part of its processes.
- The source data is unstable, unclear, or not well governed.
Data integration requires users who:
- Understand both Business Central and source system data structures.
- Can define and maintain mapping rules between systems.
- Can monitor integration and respond to errors or failures.
- Are aware of how data changes affect downstream processes (posting, inventory, financials).
Using data integration carries risks:
- Data inconsistency if mappings are incorrect or systems fall out of sync.
- Data duplication or conflicts when multiple systems act as a source of truth.
- Process disruption if integrations fail or deliver incomplete data.
- Hidden dependencies where business processes rely on integrations without clear visibility.
To use data integration safely:
- Clearly define the source of truth for each data entity.
- Document all mappings and integration logic.
- Validate data before it enters Business Central.
- Monitor integrations continuously and establish alerting for failures.
- Implement retry and error-handling mechanisms.
- Limit the number of systems that can create or modify the same data.
Key consideration
- Data integration introduces changes to the system.
- Use integration when data must actively participate in Business Central processes.
Aligning the Solution with Your Goals
The options have been evaluated against defined goals. You now have the information needed to make an informed decision.
The right approach starts with your requirements. It is shaped by how the data will be used and whether it needs to participate in Business Central processes.
If you have questions or would like help evaluating your situation, contact Stoneridge Software. We are happy to help!
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