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ExsionTime 4.0 help (EN)

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How to use ExsionTime

Installation manual

Version control

Author Date Version Change
Matthijs Boon 22-10-2025 0.1 First draft

Minimum requirements

  • A server with an Office 365 license
  • Business Central SaaS access (system admin rights)
  • ExsionBC license and report(s)
  • ExsionTime license
  • A shared mailbox that has an ExsionBC license and is allowed to send mail from Business Central
  • Administrator rights on the server
  • Entra admin present/available for approving the app registration

Log in with a local admin account

  • For the entire installation and configuration of ExsionTime 4.0 you must be logged in with a local admin account.
  • For the local admin account you must use the local service account.

Check whether Office is already installed and activated

  • Install Office.
  • Check the Office license. If it is not yet activated, activate it.

Note: to activate ExsionBC you will need an additional ExsionBC license for the local account.

Check whether ExsionBC is already installed and activated

  • Install ExsionBC
  • Make sure the ExsionBC add-in button is visible in Excel
  • In Excel go to File, Options, Add-ins, Go, Browse, navigate to the folder location c:\Program Files\ExsionBC and select ExsionBC.xlam, OK.
  • Activate the ExsionBC add-in in Excel.
  • Create the required connections in ExsionBC.

Check for the first time whether the Exsion report can be refreshed manually

Check whether you can refresh the Exsion report manually.

Once you can refresh it manually, you can move on to the next step.

Downloading ExsionTime

To get started with ExsionTime we will need to install ExsionTime in Business Central and on the server.

Downloading ExsionTime in Business Central

  • Open Business Central
  • Click the search icon or use the keyboard shortcut left-alt + q
  • Search for Microsoft AppSource apps
  • Open Microsoft AppSource apps
  • Search for ExsionTime
  • Click on ExsionTime Excel Reporting Scheduler with publisher name Exsion365
  • Click on Install app
  • Adjust your language if needed
  • Click on Install (Note: you will need Business Central admin rights for this)You can check and track this on the Extension Management page. Once the installation is complete, we do one last check.
  • Click the Business Central search icon or use the keyboard shortcut left-alt + q
  • Search for ExsionTime
  • Click ExsionTime - Report List If you do indeed see ExsionTime – Report List here, it has been installed correctly in your Business Central environment. We can now install it on the server.

Setting permissions for the ExsionTime account in Business Central

The ExsionTime account in Business Central must be made a member of the ExsionTime_admin group.

Downloading ExsionTime on the server or desktop/laptop

Next, we also need to install ExsionTime so that ExsionTime works as a whole. We do this by downloading ExsionTime on the server or desktop/laptop. The practical difference is that a server can more easily refresh and send its reports at all times, whereas with a desktop/laptop it is a bit more difficult to always have it on to refresh and send. You only need to install ExsionTime once, and it must be installed on the server / PC where ExsionTime refreshes the reports. Do not install it in multiple places.

  • Go to: https://docs.exsion365.com/exsiontime4/
  • Under download, click the blue ExsionTime button
  • Click the three dots
  • Click Keep
  • Click the blue arrow next to delete
  • Click Keep anyway
  • You can now click it and open it
  • The ExsionTime installation now starts. Choose the language you want to use during installation and press OK
  • Press Next
  • Choose the location where it should be installedNote: the user or account that is logged in on the server must have full access to this location.
  • If you are happy with the location (you can also keep the default location), click Next
  • On the last screen click Install
  • ExsionTime will now be installed and will show a confirmation once it is finished
  • ExsionTime is now installed.
  • Go to the location where ExsionTime is installed. In this example we kept the default: C:\Program Files\ExsionTime 4.0.
  • The folder should look like this:
  • Double-click ExsionTime_Settings(.exe)
  • The user field for the Mail option is grayed out by default and you cannot enter the account name there. Click connect and you will be taken to an OAuth login screen. Here you can enter the correct account name for the user field. This will be the same account as for Business Central. The From field does not need to be filled in. By default the From field uses the email address of the User field.
  • The From field (marked red in the screenshot below) contains the email address from which you want to send mail with ExsionTime. Note: the user entered under User must have access to this address.
  • The user field for the Business Central option is grayed out by default and you cannot enter the account name there. Click connect and you will be taken to an OAuth login screen. Here you can enter the correct account name for the user field. In our case ExsionTime@exsion365.com.
  • Click Next and on the following screen enter the password for the relevant account.
  • Once both connections have been made, the Connect button will turn gray and the Disconnect button will become available. This tells you they are connected.
    • Due to the current OAuth settings, you will need to reconnect roughly once a month. This may vary depending on your IT management.
    • Check this with your IT management
  • In ExsionTime Settings we still need to select the correct environment (green box in the ExsionTime Settings screenshot). This will be the environment from which we load the reports. Click the dropdown menu next to Environment and select the environment from which the Exsion reports will be loaded and managed.
  • In ExsionTime Settings, select the correct company (yellow box in the ExsionTime Settings screenshot).
  • Once everything is configured, make sure to close ExsionTime_Settings.exe so that the settings are saved.

Note: This does not mean you cannot access the other environments; you can still use multi-environment reports via ExsionBC downloads! (provided the account being used has the appropriate rights in Business Central)

Activating service reports

To make sure that all reports are subsequently refreshed properly at the right times, there is one last step to take on the server/desktop/laptop to ensure everything runs in the background.

  • On the server/laptop/desktop, search for services
  • Open it by clicking on it
  • Select one of the lines in the middle of the next screen and press "e" on your keyboard.
  • This takes you to the section where everything starts with "e"
  • You will then see ExsionTime_WorkerService in the list.
  • Right-click on ExsionTime_WorkerService
  • Click Properties to open the worker's screen.
  • Go to the Log On tab
  • Click the radio button This account:
  • Click Browse
  • Make sure the (local) admin account is used here (ask your IT department if you are not sure which account this is)
  • Go back to the General tab
  • Change the startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) so that if the server is restarted for any reason, this service will automatically start again.
  • Once everything is done, click Start (red)
  • Finally, click Apply (green)

Conclusion

If all steps have been completed successfully, the installation of ExsionTime 4 is complete. Congratulations, you can now get started with ExsionTime in Business Central!

If anything is unclear, please contact your own IT department or contact us directly and we can look for a solution together.

You can do this by emailing support@exsion365.com

User manual

Version control

Author Date Version Change
Matthijs Boon 22-10-2025 0.1 First draft
Matthijs Boon 24-10-2025 0.2 Changes on request

Below we explain how to work with ExsionTime 4, which is integrated with Business Central. We assume here that ExsionTime is already fully installed and that all steps in the ExsionTime installation document have been followed successfully.

Purpose of the application

ExsionTime is designed to automatically refresh reports, adjust them based on parameters, and then send these reports to specified email addresses. This helps ExsionBC users receive reports at fixed times without manual intervention.

Features

  • Interface in Business Central
    • Report selection: Users can choose a report from a list of available reports.
    • Parameter settings: Users can set parameters that apply to the selected report.
    • Time and recurrence: Users can set the date and time for refreshing the report, including recurrence options such as daily, weekly, monthly, etc.
    • Email settings: Users can enter specific email addresses to which the report should be sent.
    • Overview of current reports: An overview of the reports currently being refreshed, including status information such as the last refresh time and any errors.
  • Output
    • Refreshed Excel files: The application generates a refreshed Excel file based on the configured parameters.
    • Email delivery: The refreshed report is automatically sent to the specified email addresses.

Business Central ExsionTime

Permission sets in ExsionTime

In ExsionTime, permission sets are used to determine which actions users are allowed to perform within Business Central. By assigning the correct permissions, you ensure a clear separation between users who manage reports and users who are only allowed to view reports. This prevents errors and safeguards the consistency of reporting.

ExsionTime ships with two permission sets included in the installation:

ExsionTime_Admin

This permission set is intended for users within Business Central who are responsible for managing and modifying ExsionTime reports. With these rights they can:

  • Edit reports
  • Create new reports
  • Delete reports

Advice: Limit this permission to one or two users to prevent conflicts or inconsistencies between different reports.

ExsionTime_View

This permission set is intended for users who are only allowed to view reports. As the name suggests, this set only grants read access.

  • This permission can in principle be assigned to any user who should have visibility into the reports.
  • Note: Users with this permission can view all reports available in ExsionTime.

This set is useful when you want to give users insight into sent reports and the sending times, without allowing them to make changes to the templates.

For further information on Business Central permissions, please refer to Microsoft Learn:

Define granular permissions - Business Central | Microsoft Learn

Using ExsionTime

To watch a video giving a quick overview of ExsionTime, click How to use ExsionTime (NL)

Report management

  • How to upload a new report in ExsionTime
  • How to edit an existing report
  • How to delete a report

How to upload a report in ExsionTime

  • Open Business CentralStart Business Central as usual.
  • Search for ExsionTimeUse the search icon in the top right or press Left Alt + Q to open the search field.Then type "ExsionTime" in the search field.
  • Open the report listClick "ExsionTime - Report List" in the search results.
  • Start the upload processClick the "Upload report" button at the top of the page.
  • Upload the report
    • Drag the desired report file to the drag-and-drop area,or
    • Click the upload window to manually select a file from your computer.
  • Check the overview After uploading, the report automatically appears in the report list.

How to edit an existing report

Defined names
  • Open the report list Go to the ExsionTime main screen in Business Central and open the report list.
  • Select a report Click the line of the report you want to edit.Note: the line must have an arrow at the start — this indicates that the report is selected.
  • Open editing options In the top bar of the screen you will see various options for adjusting the report.
  • View defined names Click "Defined names" to open an overview of all named cells in the report.Here you see:
    • The name of the cell (as defined in the Exsion report)
    • The tab the cell is located in
    • The field the cell refers to
  • Edit the list of defined names Click "Edit list" at the top to adjust additional settings.
  • Adjust cells via checkboxes In edit mode you can:
    • Disable cells in the "Enabled" column so that they are no longer used in parameters from ExsionTime.⚠️ Note: disabled cells can no longer be referenced anywhere in ExsionTime.
    • In the "Is filter" column, indicate whether a cell serves as a filter in report downloads or formulas.
Sheets

View the tabs of the report

Click "Sheets" at the top.

  • A new window opens where you can view all the tabs of the selected report.
  • This is for viewing only, not for editing.
Task list
  • Select the report Click the line of the report for which you want to manage tasks.
    • Make sure the arrow at the start of the line is visible (this means the report is selected).
  • Open the task list Click "Task list" at the top.Note: you are opening the task list for the selected report.
  • Overview of buttons On this screen you will see new buttons as well as some buttons that reappear from the previous screen. Here you can configure more detailed settings.

Columns in the task list

  • Trigger Set how often the task should run: daily, weekly, specific days, or specific weeks of the month.
  • Start time Indicate around what time the report should be refreshed and possibly sent.
  • Enabled Check this once the task is ready for use. This turns the task "on". Generally do this last to prevent errors.
  • Save as Define the file name.
    • You can use named cells from the report, for example:Payments week [weeknr]If [weeknr] is a named cell, the report is saved with the current week number.
  • Path Indicate where the file should be saved.
    • This can be a local path, a synced OneDrive folder, or an FTP location (provided it is accessible without additional login screens).
  • Formulas to values Convert Exsion formulas to values after refreshing.
    • Useful when sharing reports with colleagues or external parties who do not have access to Exsion or the underlying data.
  • Next run time Shows the next moment the task will run.
  • Last run time Indicates when the task last ran.
  • Last error A checkmark appears if an error occurred during the last run.
  • Last message Here you can read the error message or status.
  • Created by Indicates who created the task.
  • Created at Date and time the task was created.

Button: New

  • Click "New" to create a new task for the selected report.
  • After clicking, an empty line appears in the task list.
  • You can create multiple tasks for a single report.Useful if you want to send the same report to different recipients, each with their own filter.

Button: Edit list

  • Activates edit mode.
  • Without this button you cannot make changes to tasks — this prevents unintended changes.

Button: Delete

  • Delete the selected task or multiple tasks at once.Note: this permanently deletes the task.

Button: Defined name values

  • Opens a screen where you can supply a value per named cell for the task.
  • If you leave a cell empty, the report uses the original value.
  • Is a cell missing? Check whether it exists in the report or has not been disabled on the main screen under "Named cells".

Button: Sheets

  • View per tab what should happen to it:
    • Visible: the tab stays as it is.
    • Hidden: the tab is hidden (like "Hide" in Excel).
    • Very hidden: the tab is not visible and cannot be unhidden by the recipient.
    • Delete: the tab is completely removed when refreshing/sending.

Button: Schedule

  • Configure advanced execution criteria for the task.

Basic settings

  • Scheduled date/time: choose trigger (daily, weekly, days/weeks of the month).
  • Start date: the first moment ExsionTime is allowed to run the task.
  • Start time: the time the task should start.
  • Stop task on long duration: default 10 minutes. Increase this for large reports.

Trigger-specific settings

  • Daily: how many days apart to run.
  • Weekly: how many weeks apart and on which days.
  • Days of the month: choose months and specific days (also "last day of the month" is possible).
  • Weeks of the month: choose months, weeks, and days within those weeks.

Advanced settings

  • End date: optional, task stops after this date.
  • End time: task may repeat multiple times per day up to this time.
  • Repeat task every: frequency of repetition (e.g. every 5 minutes).
  • Repeat duration: total duration of repetition (e.g. 1 hour).
    • Example: 60 min / 5 min = 12 repetitions over 1 hour starting from the start time.

Enabling a task

  • Check "Enabled" to make the task active.

Button: Email

  • Configure the email that should be sent for the selected task.
  • Options:
    • To, CC, BCC:
      • Manually enter email addresses.
      • Or use named cells from the report, for example: [Email addresses task 1] Make sure the cell in the report contains email addresses in this format: mail@mailadres.com; mail2@mailadres.com; ...
    • Subject and body:
      • Here too you can use named cells, for example: Report week [weeknr] This way the current week number from the report appears in the subject and body of the email.
  • This allows you to send dynamic, personalized emails based on report data.

Button: Run now

  • Run the selected task immediately.
  • Useful for:
    • Testing a new task.
    • Re-running a task that did not run correctly earlier.

Other features on the ExsionTime – report list screen

Download report
  • Use the "Download report" button to retrieve the uploaded report.
  • This is useful when you no longer have the original report file but want to make changes that are not possible from within ExsionTime (for example adding new downloads in the Exsion report itself).
Deleting a report in ExsionTime
  • Open the report listGo to the ExsionTime main screen in Business Central and open the report list.
  • Select the reportClick the line of the report you want to delete.
    • Make sure the arrow at the start of the line is visible (this means the report is selected).
  • Click ManageAt the top of the bar, click "Manage".
  • Delete the reportClick "Delete".⚠️ Note:
    • This deletes all selected reports.
    • It also deletes all underlying tasks linked to these reports.
    • Think carefully before performing this action, as it cannot be undone.

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