How do construction companies automate expense reports in Dynamics 365 Business Central?

Key takeaways

• Business Central tracks construction work through projects and project tasks, and through dimensions such as a job or phase dimension on G/L entries.
• Card spend typically lands as general journal lines, so the dimension values are what tie it to a job.
• Vergo proposes account and dimension values per receipt line and posts them with the receipt through the v2.0 API.
• Crews text receipts; there is no app and no month-end report.

Where should you go next?

• Vergo's Dynamics 365 Business Central integration
• What expense management software integrates with Dynamics 365 Business Central?
• How to automate expense management in Dynamics 365 Business Central
• Get started with Vergo

Where does job cost go wrong for card spend in Business Central?

Purchases that go through a purchase order carry a Project No. and Project Task No. and create project ledger entries when posted. Card spend rarely goes that way. It usually reaches Business Central as a general journal line against a card liability account, and unless someone sets the job and phase dimensions on that line, it lands in the G/L with nothing tying it to the work.

Microsoft's own documentation frames dimensions as the way to see which project an entry came from without a G/L account per project, and supports two global and eight shortcut dimensions on journals and documents. Contractors who rely on that need every card line coded, not just the ones someone remembers.

How do you automate it, step by step?

1. Connect Business Central. Vergo connects through the public v2.0 API and reads your accounts, dimensions and vendors. Nothing is needed from your IT team.
2. Connect your existing cards. No card applications, no re-issuing and no banking change.
3. Collect receipts by text. Superintendents text a photo from the jobsite, and Vergo chases missing ones itself.
4. Code each line. Vergo proposes the G/L account and the job, phase or department dimension values for every receipt line, with the reason shown.
5. Approve if you want to. Route by job dimension, amount or account, or let policy flags catch exceptions.
6. Post. Vergo posts journal lines or purchase invoices with dimensions and the receipt attached.

What about project tasks and WIP?

Project posting groups decide which WIP and cost accounts a project task uses, and usage posted to a project can feed project planning lines. The v2.0 API lines Vergo posts carry G/L account and dimensions but not Project No. and Project Task No. If your controllers need card spend posted as project usage, review that setup with us in the demo before you switch it on.

A practical example

A mechanical contractor's foreman buys copper fittings for one job and a torch refill for the shop on one receipt. Vergo proposes the materials account with the job and plumbing-phase dimensions for the fittings, and shop supplies with the overhead department for the refill, citing the last three purchases from that supplier. The accountant confirms and the journal lines post with the receipt image attached.