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General Business Functionality#

The following features expand standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central[^1] functions to provide additional options to those using General Business Functionality.

Items#

You can now see not only the Qty. on Sales Order and the Qty. on Purch. Order but also the Qty. on Sales Quote and Qty. on Purch. Quote on item cards.

You can use a lookup on each field to navigate to the relevant document.

SKU data#

In the standard app, stockkeeping unit cards show you both the Qty. on Sales Order and Qty. on Purch. Order.

In trade365, the cards also include the Qty. on Sales Quote and Qty. on Purch. Quote. You can use a lookup on either field to open the related document.

One-dimensional variants#

To identify recurring variants with ease—for example, because many items are available in the same size—you can store variant attributes in the item master.

To fast-track the creation of variants:

  1. Open an item card.
  2. On the ribbon, choose Actions > Functions > Create Variants (Matrix).
  3. Fill in the fields as necessary.

You can, however, also specify all variant data manually.

Two-dimensional variants#

Certain items might require you to assign not one attribute but two attributes to them, such as when a product is available in different sizes and colors but needs to be grouped under the same item number.

In trade365, you can set up variants with two attributes in both the sales and purchasing areas.

Setup#

Inventory Setup#

When you create a variant with two attributes, the system will combine the descriptions entered for each attribute. To set them apart visually:

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, fill in the Item Variant Descr. Separator field.

Variant attributes#

Two-level variants possess values originating with general variant attributes, such as size or color, to which you assigned attribute values, such as red or blue. You can use variant attributes to create any number of items. To set up an attribute:

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Item Variant Attributes, and then choose the related link.
  2. On the ribbon, choose New.
  3. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.
Field Description
Code Specify the code that will be used for the attribute. The code must be unique.
Description Specify a description for the attribute.
Variant Description 2 Specify a description that will be used for the item variant in the Description 2 field.

Note
Placeholder %1 specifies what value is copied from this field to the Description 2 field.

For example, if you create an item called Blue XL T-Shirt, you need to enter Size %1 in this field for variant attribute Size.

Afterward, choose Attribute Values on the ribbon to set up attribute values for the variant.

To display variant texts in another language, you need to set up translations for variant attributes and values together with the relevant language code in the item master. They’re then filled in automatically during variant creation.

You can also block attribute values from being used so that they’re no longer visible when you set up another item variant. The block doesn’t affect values that are already part of an existing variant.

Attributes are sorted on the Create Variant (Matrix) page (alphanumerically) by Code, although the order can be changed if necessary.

Item card#

To set up an item variant with two attributes:

  1. Open an item card.
  2. On the Variants FastTab, fill in the Variant Attribute 1 Code and Variant Attribute 2 Code fields.
  3. On the ribbon, choose Actions > Functions > Create Variants (Matrix).
  4. Choose an attribute 1 and attribute 2 combination that will be used as a basis for creating new variants.
  5. Choose OK.

Afterward, the variant is set up in the same way you would a variant by using standard (sales or purchase) functionality.

Default sales variants#

You can also set up default values, for example, if you use certain variants to denote different product versions.

Setting up default variants will reduce the amount of information that needs to be entered on sales documents.

  1. Open an item card.
  2. On the Prices & Sales FastTab, enter an existing variant in the Def. Variant Code (Sales) field.

The variant is then entered automatically on a document after you specify an item number. It can also be removed or replaced manually if necessary.

Quick entry: Variants#

Often, items that come in many variants are also purchased in more than one configuration. To speed up variant creation in a case like this, you can use the trade365 quick entry system.

Setup#

To set up quick entry:

  1. Open an item card.
  2. On the Variants FastTab, turn on one or more of the following toggles to specify the kinds of documents that you want to activate the feature for.

Sales Variant Quick Entry

  • Quote
  • Order
  • Invoice
  • Cr. Memo
  • Blanket Order
  • Return Order
  • Framework Agreement

Purchase Variant Quick Entry

  • Quote
  • Order
  • Invoice
  • Cr. Memo
  • Return Order

Transfer Variant Quick Entry

  • Transfer Order

Journal Variant Quick Entry

  • Item Journal

Note

When working with variants, we recommend that you select the Variant Mandatory field for each to ensure that items aren’t entered without one.

Workflow#

For example, if you select the quick entry option for purchase orders, you can specify a quantity for each variant when entering an item number on an order before choosing OK to add the relevant lines to the document.

If you didn’t select the option for documents that require variants, you need to specify an item number and a variant manually.

However, you cannot choose more than one variant per document line.

Exclude from quick entry#

The type and number of variants might change frequently. For example, a color might no longer be available, or you no longer want to sell a specific configuration but will accept return orders containing the variant.

Unless blocked, however, a variant can still be used everywhere in the system. To help ensure that only certain variants are shown during quick entry:

  1. Open the Items page.
  2. Select an item and choose Related > Item > Variants on the ribbon. Alternatively, open the relevant item card and do the same there.
  3. Select a variant and choose Open Variant Card.
  4. On the Warehouse FastTab, turn on the Exclude on Variant Matrix toggle.

Variant cards#

Standard functionality provides you with a list view for the display of variants. With trade365, you’ll have even more features at your disposal, such as a card view for easy tracking and editing. On these cards, you can add:

  • Translations
  • Manufacturers’ suggested retail prices
  • Extended texts
  • Requirements for complete shipment
  • Links to calculated unit costs, which you can edit and view here as well (regardless of where you’ve maintained variant data so far).
    For more information, see Calculated Unit Cost.

Extended variant texts#

In trade365, you can specify customized extended texts also for item variants. For more information about the topic in general, see Extended Texts.

Purchasing code: Variants#

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 certain variants while delivering other variants from a warehouse. To limit a code to a variant:

  1. Open an item card.
  2. Choose Related > Item > Variants on the ribbon.
  3. Select a variant and choose Open Variant Card.
  4. On the card, on the General FastTab, specify a purchasing code. If you can’t see the field, you might need to unhide it by using the Personalize function.

The code is then copied to sales documents for variants to which it has been linked.

Note

Purchasing codes that have been assigned directly on an item card apply to all variants of that item.

Item history#

In trade365, in the item master, you can see a list of all documents that were created for items sold or purchased within the system, sorted by their type:

  • Open the item list or a specific item card.
  • Choose Related > History > Sales or Purch. History.

Item ledger entries#

To simplify ledger entry searches and expand the range of analysis options in this context, the following fields were unhidden on or added to the Item Ledger Entries page:

Field Description
Source Type Specifies the source of the ledger entry (item, vendor, or customer).
Source No. Specifies the number of an assembly order, the number of a production order, a customer number, or a vendor number.
Name Shows the content of the Name field as entered in the vendor or customer master if the ledger entry has been sourced from either.

This way, you can determine from a ledger entry, for example, what has been delivered to which supplier or customer and what has been consumed by an assembly or production order.

Get Source Documents and Lines#

You can now see the customer or vendor name on a warehouse or inventory document after running the Get Source Document Lines function.

Additionally, the For Name field has been added to the options menu.

Save attribute filters#

With standard functionality, you can set attribute filters on the Items page. In trade365, you can also save these filters for future use:

  1. Open the Items page.
  2. On the ribbon, choose Attributes > Filter by Attributes.
  3. Set the desired filters.
  4. Turn on the Save Attribute Filter toggle. This will open a new page on which you can enter a code and a description.
  5. Select Save Filter (Current User Only) if you want to link a filter to your user profile specifically.

You can then use the stored filter in the Attribute Filter Code field on the Filter Items by Attribute page.

Attach document on print or send#

If you want a document attached automatically in the form of a PDF when you use the Print or Send function, turn on the Auto Attach Document via Print or Send toggle in Purchases & Payables or Sales & Receivables Setup. With the toggle turned off, documents must be stored manually by running the Attach as PDF action from the ribbon.