Chapter 2 — Chart of Accounts & GL Entries

Discover how financial transactions become the foundation of every financial statement, dashboard and executive report. This chapter explores the Chart of Accounts, General Ledger (GL) entries, account classifications and the principles of double-entry accounting. Learn how business transactions are recorded, how debits and credits affect financial accounts, and how GL data flows into Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reporting. Through practical examples and real-world financial scenarios, Data Engineers and aspiring Data Leaders will develop the knowledge to interpret financial records, build reliable Power BI and Microsoft Fabric models, reconcile financial figures and deliver meaningful insights to CFOs and executives.

Discover how everyday business transactions become General Ledger (GL) entries and form the foundation of financial reporting. Learn how debits, credits and double-entry accounting record customer invoices, supplier payments, expenses and bank loans. Through practical examples, explore how GL entries connect to the Chart of Accounts, Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet. Understand posting dates, signed amounts and financial reconciliation. Designed for Data Engineers and aspiring Data Leaders, this lesson shows how to transform GL data into reliable Power BI and Microsoft Fabric financial models, investigate reporting discrepancies and deliver accurate, meaningful insights to CFOs and executives.

Discover how dimensions and cost centres transform financial transactions into meaningful business insights. Learn how GL accounts identify what happened, while dimensions reveal where it happened—across buildings, regions, departments and business divisions. Through practical examples, explore cost allocation, building profitability, financial margins and operational performance. Understand how dimensions work in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and support financial reporting in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric. Designed for Data Engineers and aspiring Data Leaders, this lesson helps you move beyond company-wide financial totals to identify underperforming operations, investigate costs and deliver actionable insights to CFOs and executives.