About the Set-Based Processing Flag for Data Entity Imports in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

When importing general journal data in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations via the Data Management Framework, the set-based processing flag on the data entity plays an important role in import performance.

How It Works

By default, set-based processing is checked on the general journal data entity. When enabled, vouchers within the journal are not automatically populated — you must populate the voucher numbers in your Excel file prior to import. Pre-populating voucher numbers improves efficiency and speed of the import.

If you uncheck the box, the voucher number will populate automatically during the import, which results in lower efficiency and speed as the system generates each voucher number row by row.

When to Use Each Option

The performance difference depends on data volume:

Keep set-based processing checked when importing larger volumes (e.g. 10,000+ journal lines per import). Pre-populate voucher numbers in your source file for best performance.

Consider unchecking set-based processing when importing smaller volumes (e.g. fewer than 1,000 lines), where the convenience of automatic voucher generation outweighs the minor performance impact.

This setting is discretionary — testing both options in a non-production environment with your typical data volumes is recommended before committing to an approach in production.

Source: Data Management Importing Tips for D365 F&O – Logan Consulting