Warehouse Management#

The following features expand standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹ functionality to provide additional options to those working in your organization’s logistics department.

Item lifecycles#

All items follow a certain lifecycle, which starts with premarket development and ends with their discontinuation or replacement by more recent offerings.

In trade365, you can use customizable statuses to detail the stages an item goes through at your company so that, at the right time, it can be archived or blocked in sales or across the entire system, for example.

Setup#

Create a lifecycle#

Before you can assign a status to an item, however, you need to set up one or more product lifecycles.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Item Lifecycles, and then choose the related link.
2. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.

Assign a cycle to an item#

To assign a lifecycle code to an item:

1. Open an item card.
2. On the Lifecycle FastTab, fill in the Lifecycle Code field. The code must already be set up.
3. You can then specify starting and ending dates for the sale of the item provided the selected lifecycle code allows entries in the sales area.

Specifying a starting date will have an influence on documents in that the item can only be entered on sales lines with shipment dates on or after the starting date.

You can use this feature, for example, to prevent an order from being shipped before the product entered for it is even introduced to the market. For ending dates, the shipping date on the document must be earlier than the last day on which the item is to be sold. Items are checked when a document is released.

Enter a date for checking#

To specify the date against which the system should check the start and end of an item sales period:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Sales & Receivables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, fill in the fields as described in the following table.

Specify inventory multiples#

In trade365, you can decide if you want to maintain inventory and sales items in a certain size or a multiple of that size only. To set up the feature:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. In the Invt. Multiple Check field, choose one of the options described in the following table.

Both checks can be specified in relation to inventory. Although they have an impact on all locations, you can select a site as a breakbulk location so that neither check will apply. For this feature to work, you must set the Breakbulk Storage toggle on the Bin Check FastTab.

To specify multiples for purchases and sales, you need to open an item card and fill in the Inventory Multiple field. With the field filled in, the item can only be purchased or sold in the specified quantity or a multiple thereof (based on whether the relevant Inventory Setup toggle has been turned on or off).

If an item has variants, differing multiples can be maintained at the variant. If no setting has been made for the variant, the inventory multiple entered on the item card is used. Fixed lot sizes are only checked for sales lines that relate to non-breakbulk locations.

You see a message if you enter on a sales line a quantity below the specified multiple and are then asked whether you want to round that quantity up. The message appears when:

• the Quantity field is filled in on a sales document (except on blanket orders).
• the To Ship field is filled in on a blanket order line.
• the Quantity field is filled in on a transfer order line.

When you fill in the Quantity field on a blanket order line, you see a message but cannot round the quantity up or down. This is also true when you change one of the following fields on a line after filling in the quantity:

• No.
• Variant Code
• Item Reference No.
• Location Code
• Unit of Measure Code

When you create an invoice for items shipped based on a blanket order, the system doesn’t check multiples when you post the bill, as the shipment has already been sent. This also applies to credit memos set up for return order lines.

Purchasing code: SKU#

Standard functionality gives you the option of storing a purchasing code on item cards if you only procure items by drop shipment or special order. This code is then copied to all sales transactions and can be changed during any such transaction (if necessary), for example, if you must deliver goods via a certain warehouse.

Often, an item might, in theory, be available but some of its variants are only ordered when needed and will be sent directly to the customer (variant drop shipment).

With trade365, you can specify purchasing codes for stockkeeping units while delivering other units from a warehouse. To limit a code to an SKU:

1. Open an item card.
2. On the ribbon, choose Related > Warehouse > Stockkeeping Units.
3. Open a Stockkeeping Unit Card.
4. On the General FastTab, fill in the Purchasing Code field. If you can’t see the field, you might need to use the Personalize function to unhide it.

The code is then copied to all sales documents linked to the SKU.

Synchronize vendor item numbers#

In the standard app, you can store vendor item numbers in several areas but must maintain them manually, which can lead to issues if they differ from each other.

In trade365, standard functionality has been extended by an update function to reduce the number of manual tasks and ensure that you’ll always have up-to-date information.

Setup#

You need to activate the feature before first use.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Purchases & Payables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, turn on the Auto Add item References toggle.

You can then enter a number directly on a line, in the Item Reference No. field. Existing numbers can also be used for transactions immediately.

If the system finds another item reference for one and the same vendor-item combination, you’ll be notified and can decide whether to replace the number.

Another option is to synchronize item vendor numbers between the item, SKU, item reference, and item vendor records. You can do this by opening Inventory Setup and turning on the Auto Update Item Vendor Catalog toggle.

Workflow#

On an item card, you can store the main vendor and its item number (Vendor Item No.) on the Replenishment FastTab. If an item reference doesn’t exist yet, the reference is created automatically. If you later change the number on the card or on the Item References page, the entry is updated everywhere else in the system automatically.

But synchronization extends beyond one card and one page; the reference is also updated in available SKUs and item vendor records (provided the basic parameters remain, that is, the same source vendor item number and vendor are specified). In this case, it doesn’t matter where you make the changes, as all occurrences of the number are then updated by the system.

Delete partial warehouse shipments and receipts#

When you post or ship a partial quantity in the standard app, the documents showing the remaining quantity are kept in the system. In the logistics area, this program behavior is often counterproductive, as you would recreate the documents for new shipments or inventory.

In trade365, you can specify if and how warehouse and inventory documents should be deleted.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Warehouse Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.

You can also use the general search to open the Adjust Warehouse Receipts or Adjust Warehouse Shipment feature for cleansing purposes. Alternatively, you can create entries for these reports in the standard task queue.

Block locations#

You can now block locations that are no longer in use so that they cannot be posted to.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Locations, and then choose the related link.
2. Open a location card.
3. On the General FastTab, turn on the Blocked toggle.

Link locations to items and users#

Items that are always stored away in the same warehouse or can only be sold by certain staff members can be limited in availability to a specific location or to a single location and user.

In sales#

In the standard app, you can assign a second location to a customer if it is the site that this customer is typically supplied from.

In trade365, you can also link a location to a certain item or an item and a user so that the site will be copied to new sales documents when the item (as well as the user, if available) is entered on a line, regardless of how you filled in the associated customer card.

To set up the feature:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Sales & Receivables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the trade365 FastTab, turn on the Enable Item-User-Location toggle.
3. Open an item card, and then choose Related > Item > Item-User-Location on the ribbon.
4. Fill in the Location Code field and, if needed, the User ID field. If an item is linked to a location but a user isn’t, the new assignment will be valid for all users.
5. Alternatively, open a location card or User Setup, and then run the action from there.

When running the action from a location card or User Setup, the selection page will be prefiltered accordingly.

Afterward, sales document lines will be filled in with a location in the following order of priority:

1. The location is assigned to both the item and user specified on the line.
2. The location is assigned to the item.
3. The location is assigned to the user.
4. The location is assigned through standard methods (via a customer or center of responsibility card).

In production#

You can also work with the item-user-location feature in manufacturing. To assign an item (and potentially a user) to a location:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Manufacturing Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the trade365 FastTab, turn on the Enable Item-User-Location toggle.
3. Open a production order, and then run the Item-User-Location action from the ribbon.
4. Fill in the fields as necessary.

Afterward, the site will be copied to new production order components when the specified item (as well as the user, if filled in) is entered on a component line. If a location is linked to an item but a user isn’t, the location will be valid for all users.

For all other settings and the order of priority in which locations are entered, see the previous section.

Print by location#

In trade365, you can assign a printer to a location to tell the system to create and print warehouse documents automatically when the location is selected. The following documents are printed in this way:

• Movement
• Picking List
• Put-away List
• Warehouse Receipt
• Posted Warehouse Receipt
• Warehouse Shipment
• Posted Warehouse Shipment

You specify the printer on a location card (on the General FastTab).

Show tracked items in color#

A company's item master might contain multiple items with and without serial number or lot tracking. Identifying those warehouse receipt lines that need an item tracking entry might not be an easy task for warehouse staff, especially if scanners aren’t used.

In trade365, lines with items that require a serial or batch number are shown in color on the following documents:

• Warehouse Receipt
• Put-away
• Inventory Put-away
• Warehouse Shipment
• Pick
• Inventory Pick

Not all fields on each line will be shown in color, only the source document and document line type and number, plus the item number and description fields. To set up the feature:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Warehouse Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the General FastTab, fill in the Serial & Lot No. Item Color field to specify how they should appear, as indicated by the following chart.

Block physical inventory item and bin postings#

Under certain circumstances, standard functionality allows posting to items and bins in physical inventory journals or on physical inventory orders.

As this might lead to complications in inventory management, you can block bins in trade365 from being used during physical inventory.

Items, by contrast, are always unavailable for posting when taking stock, even in two-stage picking.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Warehouse Setup, and then choose the related link.

2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, in the Bin Movement if Physical Inventory field, choose one of the options described in the following.

3. (empty)
   Posting might be possible (default option).

4. Notify
   You’re warned if a certain item is being counted and can cancel the posting process.
5. Cancel
   When you try to post an item that is being counted, the process is canceled with an error message.

Indicator count: physical inventory#

The Counted field has been added to physical inventory journals so that staff members have an easier time processing inventory lists during stocktaking.

The checkbox is selected automatically when you fill in a quantity on a journal line.

Default sorting methods#

On a location card, you can choose one or more field values that will be used by default to sort lines on warehouse documents, such as pick documents, if the site is entered on them. You can also decide whether you want the Qty. to Handle filled in on the lines automatically in this case.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Locations, and then choose the related link.
2. Open a location card.
3. On the Warehouse FastTab, fill in the fields as described in the following table.

Warehouse and inventory documents on sales and transfer orders#

A Warehouse Documents section has been added to sales and transfer orders under the General FastTab so that you can see instantly how many warehouse lines are tied to the document.

To drill down on a document, click one of the highlighted numbers listed in the following table.

Warehouse Setup#

In trade365, a variety of functional enhancements have been added to the warehouse area. To set them up:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Warehouse Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, fill in the fields as described in the following table.

Assign customers to forecasts#

You can now set up forecasts for certain customers or customer groups.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Demand Forecasts, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose New.
3. Specify a code and description for the forecast, and then choose Edit Demand Forecast.
4. On the General FastTab, in the Sales Type Filter field, specify if you want to assign the forecast to a certain customer or a customer group.
5. In the Sales Code Filter field, you can then enter the customer or group that the forecast should be assigned to.

Advanced demand forecasting#

Although a must for wholesale items with long lead times, demand planning in the standard app requires a great deal of effort and remains a manual process throughout.

A new feature therefore combines the potency of forecasts based on historical data with options for integrating demand-related records that originate outside the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central1 environment.

Setup#

Advanced demand forecast#

As a first step, you need to set up a schedule for advanced forecasting.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Demand Forecast Schedules, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose New.
3. Fill in the fields as described in the following tables.

General#

Lines#

Manufacturing Setup#

After you’ve set up a calculation schedule for use in forecasting:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Manufacturing Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the trade365 FastTab, fill in the fields described in the following table.

Inventory Setup#

As a next step, you need to configure the use of historical item ledger entries in demand forecasting.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the trade365 FastTab, fill in the field described in the following table.

Demand forecast templates#

You also need a template for forecast worksheets:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Demand Forecast Templates, and then choose the related link.
2. Fill in the fields described in the following table.

Afterward, use the Worksheet Names function on the ribbon and again enter a name and description. You can then run the Edit Worksheet action to open the worksheet page.

Workflow#

Import historical item ledger entries#

Historical item ledger entries from previous or external systems can be copied to the app with the help of a configuration package. For more information, see Set Up Company Configuration Packages.

On the relevant configuration package card, in the Table ID field, you can then select table 5157193 KVSTRDHistItemLedgerEntry (captioned ‘Historical Item Ledger Entry’) and choose Table > Fields on the Tables FastTab to configure the fields of the table as shown in the following.

Afterward, exit the page and run the Export to Excel function. Enter the relevant historical data in a new Excel workbook, close the file, and choose Import from Excel. As is standard when working with configuration package, you must then run the Get Data function to retrieve the data you’ve entered in the workbook.

Demand forecast worksheets#

To set up a new forecast worksheet:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Demand Forecast Worksheets, and then choose the related link.
2. In the Name field, select a name for the worksheet.
3. On the ribbon, choose Calculate Plan to fill in the page with data. For a more detailed plan, you can also fill in the fields on the request page as described in the following table.

After running the Calculate Plan function to fill in the worksheet, you can check the data you’ve entered, especially the Forecast Quantity values.

If necessary, you can then adjust the quantities manually. To approve forecast quantities, select the Accepted field on the relevant lines or use the Accept All Worksheet Lines action on the ribbon. Otherwise, run the Reject All Worksheet Lines function if you don’t want to take over any of the lines.

To restart planning, you can use the Clear Worksheet function.

As a next step, you can add the accepted forecast quantities to an existing demand forecast or create a new forecast.

Create a demand forecast#

To set up a new forecast with accepted lines, choose Create Forecast on the worksheet ribbon.

Specify a name, a description and specify whether all, none, or the accepted or rejected lines should be deleted from the forecast worksheet after running the action. The accepted lines are then copied to the new forecast.

Add to an existing forecast#

To add worksheet lines to an existing demand plan, choose Add to Existing Forecast function from the worksheet ribbon.

Select the name of a demand forecast in the In Process status and specify if all, none, or the accepted or rejected lines should be deleted from the worksheet after choosing OK. Each accepted line is then copied to the new forecast.

Demand forecast status#

The Demand Forecasts and the Demand Forecast Overview pages have been extended to include the Status field, with the options being In Process, Active, and Expired.

If you’re working with the advanced forecast feature, only one forecast can be active at a time. This plan in the Active status is then automatically copied to the Current Demand Forecast field on the Planning FastTab in Manufacturing Setup to make it available for use on requisition and planning worksheets.

Specify replacement items#

Products are often redeveloped, with new versions of them put on the market at regular intervals. In the standard app, much manual intervention is required to manage this process.

For this reason, trade365 provides you with a Replacement Item feature. The feature alerts staff members to replacement items automatically so that they can choose whether to ship the original item stock or that of the new item.

Setup#

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, turn on the Use Item Replacements toggle.
3. Open an item card. On the General FastTab, click the Assist button in the Item Replacement No. field to get to the Item Replacement page. The fields on the General FastTab there are filled in with source item data.
4. Assign replacement items on the document lines as described in the following table.

Sales#

If an item is entered on a sales document and a valid replacement has been stored for the item, you’re notified of this after you specify a quantity.

You’re also shown the quantity entered and the total available for the source item. To proceed, you then need to select one of the options described in the following table.

Inventory range#

Although the suggestions used in inventory range planning are based on past consumption, you can also use the feature for replacement items.

The range is then calculated based on the consumption levels logged for the source item, which will significantly reduce the complexity of planning.