Purchasing#

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

Buy-from addresses on order entry#

To minimize errors during data entry and streamline the entire process, buy-from addresses can be shown automatically when a vendor is entered for a purchase transaction.

To turn on the automatic display of buy-from addresses:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Purchases & Payables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, turn on the Show Buy-from Addresses on Input.

When you later fill in the Vendor No. field on a purchase document, the system will check if a buy-from address was stored for the specified vendor.

If it was, you’ll see a list from which you can select the correct address for the transaction. If none of the listed addresses are suitable, choose Cancel to exit the page (and discard any changes).

Create item references on purchase lines#

Purchase transactions in the trade industries typically involve two sets of item numbers, yours and those provided by your supplier.

You can use the Item Reference No. field when you create an order to specify that the number assigned to an item is sourced from a vendor, but only if it has already been stored in the item or vendor master. In trade365, however, you can also set up references on item lines during order entry.

Setup#

To be able to use this feature:

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.

Workflow#

Purchase lines include the following fields:

If a reference for a certain vendor-item number combination already exists, it will be entered in the Item Reference No. field on a line when you’ve filled in and exited the Item No. field there.

Else, you can create a new reference when filling in the line. You can view and edit references on the Item References page, which is available via the general search.

Drop shipments and special orders#

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹, purchase orders are intrinsically linked to the drop shipments they’re created for. This means that when you’ve created a purchase order for a shipment, you can no longer change quantities, units, or item numbers on the document.

With offerings changing daily and lead times at a minimum, this might create headaches for trading companies, for example, when items that they ordered aren’t available anymore, so suppliers must ship substitutes. In trade365, you can modify or delete purchase orders created for drop shipments in the following ways:

• Replace items (item A1 ordered, but all that the manufacturer can provide you with is item A2) and units of measure.
• Change quantities (5 pieces of item A1 ordered, but the product is only available in packages of 3 or 6).
• Delete links (drop shipment created, but the manufacturer needs to ship the goods to your company instead).
• Post sales invoices before billing purchases.
• Have the system create purchase orders for drop shipments.
• Use drop shipments and special orders in the service area.

Replace or change an item, quantity, or unit#

To replace an item on a drop shipment purchase order or change the quantity or unit code on the document:

1. Open the order and make the changes on the relevant line.
2. After you entered another item number, adjusted the quantity, or edited the unit code, you’re asked if you want to update the related sales order. Choose Yes.

Throughout this process, the link between the sales and the purchase line will remain intact. When the order is deleted, however, the link to the sales line will be removed so that the sales document can be treated as a standard order, or a new purchase order can be created for the drop shipment.

Delete drop shipment or special order link from purchase#

To delete the link between a purchase order and a drop shipment or special order created for a sales line:

1. Open the relevant purchase order.
2. Select a line and choose Line > Order > Drop Shipment or Special Order.
3. On the ribbon, choose Delete Drop Shpt. (or Special Order) Link.

When you run either function, the link to the line currently selected in the order is deleted. Both the sales and the purchase line can then be processed further like any other line in the system.

Create drop shipments automatically#

In trade365, purchases for drop shipments can also be created automatically during the release of a sales order.

For this purpose, you only need to select the vendors or purchase orders for which you want drop shipments to be created by the system:

1. Open a vendor card.
2. On the General FastTab, turn on the Auto Create Drop Shpt. toggle.
3. Afterward, fill in the Vendor No. field on an item card, on the Purchase FastTab.

If you now enter the item on a sales order classified as a drop shipment, a purchase order is created during document release.

Drop shipments and special orders in service#

In the standard app, you cannot work with drop shipments or special orders in Service. But for on-site repairs especially, having replacement items sent from a supplier directly to a customer can be a useful feature.

To be able to work with drop shipments or special orders in service:

1. Open the Service Item Worksheet.
2. Select a line, and then select the Drop Shpt. Order or the Special Order field.
3. Alternatively, fill in the Purchasing Code field.
4. Repeat the process as necessary.

When you’ve changed the required lines, choose Actions > Plan > Drop Shipment or Special Order to create a purchase order or open the document linked to them.

Allow drop shipment billing prior to sales#

If the purchase order created for a drop shipment needs to be billed before the sales order:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Purchases & Payables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, turn on the Can Bill PO Drop Shpt. Before Sales toggle.

Reasons for archiving#

Purchase documents can be archived for different reasons, which are included in the archive automatically.

Reasons for archiving quotes

• Manual
• Deletion
• Printout
• Quote to Order

Reasons for archiving (return) orders

• Manual
• Deletion
• Printout
• Posting

Reasons for archiving blanket orders

• Manual
• Deletion
• Printout

Clearance#

Clearance items are items that you decided not to reorder or that your supplier has stopped providing. Your procurement department will be notified that the item—or variant—in question might no longer be available when they try to enter it on a new purchase order. To select an item or variant for clearance:

1. Open an item card.
2. On the Item FastTab, select the Clearance field.
3. Alternatively, select Clearance for each individual variant that will no longer be restocked.

The quote or order can still be processed, as the clearance message is only that: a message. The planned receipt of the item is shown in the availability overview.

Minimum quantities and inventory multiples#

If you’re working with requisition worksheets, you can enter in the item master or as SKU data the quantities in which products can be ordered.

However, the standard app isn’t equipped to deal with situations in which you procure items from different vendors whose requirements for minimum order size and quantities vary. And when you enter items on an order manually, you will not be notified if what you specify is below the minimum threshold.

In trade365, you can use a function for either. When working with this feature, the minimum quantity must be a multiple of the order size used for purchases. If you also use inventory multiples, they need to correspond to minimum order sizes.

Minimum quantities#

Minimum quantities are used in the item-vendor catalog to specify starting at which order size you can procure an item from a supplier.

In contrast to what you enter in the Minimum Order Quantity field, how you fill in the Minimum Quantity field typically doesn’t affect the values on requisition worksheets. Worksheets are checked for minimum quantities, however, if you fill in the Quantity or Vendor No. field on them manually.

The system then issues a warning but will not cancel the process so that, if necessary, you can go ahead and order the lower quantity without receiving any further notifications.

The check for minimum quantities is also performed when you create orders manually and one of the following fields is filled in:

• Quantity
• Variant Code (even if you fill in an item with a variant requirement on the relevant matrix).
• Item Reference No.
• Unit of Measure Code

Additionally, the quantity is checked when you create a purchase order for a blanket agreement.

Inventory multiples#

The number of items purchased as one package can be found in the Inventory Multiple fields on item cards but for each vendor individually. The value in this field doesn’t have an impact on requisition worksheets, where order sizes are determined based on the standard Minimum Order Quantity field.

Overall, the multiples are used in purchasing in the same way as in warehouse and inventory management.

If you change the vendor on a requisition or a planning worksheet and the new quantity on a line doesn’t match the entered inventory multiple, you’re asked if you want to round the entered quantity up or down.

When a purchase order is later created for this worksheet line, we recommend that the Planning Flexibility field be set to None so the system doesn’t suggest a change to the purchase order following line recalculation.

When you then fill in an order manually or change the quantity on a worksheet line, you’re asked if you want to round that quantity up or down to the closest inventory multiple. This way, you ensure that only multiples of what you’ve got in stock are reordered.

When you enter an item with a specified inventory multiple on a blanket order, you’re notified if the quantity doesn’t match. The check is performed again as you fill in the Qty. to Ship field for call-off from a blanket order.

If this quantity isn’t a multiple of the inventory size, the system will cancel the entire process and the purchase order cannot be created. But if you fill in the Qty. to Ship manually, you’re again asked if you want to round the value up or down.

Volume and weight per vendor: requisition and planning#

To facilitate planning, you can have the system show for each vendor the total volume and weight entered on a certain requisition or planning worksheet.

1. Open a requisition or planning worksheet.
2. Select a line to specify the vendor that you want to calculate values for.
3. On the ribbon, choose Volume / Weight (Vendor) to see the volume and net weight of the goods that are to be ordered from a certain vendor on all worksheet lines.

Adherence to delivery dates#

You can analyze a certain vendor’s delivery schedule adherence based on the Requested, Promised, or Expected Receipt Date. To select the date used as a basis for these statistics:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Purchases & Payables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, select the relevant option in the Schedule Adherence Date field.

To see the statistics:

1. Open a vendor card.
2. On the ribbon, choose Vendor > Delivery Sched. Adherence.
3. Via the Deviation From, Deviation To, and Deviation Period Type fields, you can specify a period during which deliveries should be counted as received in (or on) time. All receipts not within the period specified are shown in the Before or After column on the lines.

Requisition worksheets without date references#

In the standard app, items on requisition worksheets are ordered at the most opportune time—typically as late as possible—so that when you, for example, postpone ordering an item, the system might suggest you cancel the original order and create a new one with the correct date. But for wholesale and retail companies, this strict adherence to delivery dates can be more of a hindrance than a help.

For customers who cannot change orders once they’ve been placed with a supplier and for whom it’s enough to have purchase orders suggested and, after posting them, view their quantities without needing to see changes in outbound and inbound delivery data, a new function called Simplified Plan Calculation was added to the ribbon on requisition worksheets in trade365.

Simplified quantity calculation#

For simplified plan calculation, the required and the supplied quantities are each totaled, with the sources for both calculations being the same as on a standard requisition worksheet, that is, Minimum Inventory and Safety Lead Time.

The period for planning is specified by filling in the Starting Date and Ending Date fields on the request page. If demand outstrips supply during this time, the system will create a requisition worksheet line on which the work date is entered as the order date.

The feature supports the following reordering policies:

• Lot-for-Lot
• Fixed Reorder Qty.
• Maximum Qty.

Like on standard requisition worksheets, the settings you make for reordering in inventory take priority over those made on item cards. You can also exclude open (not yet released) sales or purchase documents from the calculation.

Workflow#

1. Open a requisition worksheet.
2. On the ribbon, choose Home > Calculate Simplified Plan.
3. On the request page, fill in the fields as described in the following table.

Options

Like during a standard planning run, you can filter for individual items or item groups on the Items FastTab. Additionally, you must fill in the Location Filter field for each run.

Afterward, choose OK to have a requisition worksheet filled in automatically. As in the standard app, you can then decide which of the suggested lines you want to order.

Minimum order value and freight limits#

Optimizing unit costs is key to a successful wholesale transaction. For this reason, you can now specify how much you must order from a vendor at the very least and up to which amount transportation fees will be paid by the supplier.

1. Open the relevant vendor card.
2. On the Shipping FastTab, fill in the Minimum Order Value or Carriage Paid Limit field. The values entered in both fields must be in the currency used by the vendor.

What you enter in these fields is then shown as part of purchase order statistics and on requisition and planning worksheets for informational purposes.

Purchase order statistics#

To see what you purchased:

1. Open a purchase order.
2. On the ribbon, choose Order > Statistics.

Requisition and planning worksheets#

Minimum order values and carriage paid limits are also shown on requisition and planning worksheets.

Additionally, you can see in the Accepted Order Value (Vendor) field what has already been requisitioned from the vendor.

When you release a purchase order, the system then checks the current order value and fee system against the minimum value and fee limit. You’re notified if what you entered on the document falls below either.

However, a check for a minimum order value is only performed if the currency that is specified on the order matches the currency that you stored with the vendor. You see a message if they don’t but can decide to release the order anyway.

The line values that are being compared are gross or net, depending on whether you turned the Prices Including VAT toggle on the General FastTab on or off. The toggle setting on the related vendor card must match the setting made here; otherwise, the check isn’t run.

The same is true for requisition worksheets. However, because their lines don’t have Line Amount fields, the amount to compare the minimums to is calculated based on the Quantity, Unit Cost, and Line Discount % values that you specified on each line. If Prices Including VAT is turned on, the tax that you expect to pay is also added.

If the values in the Buy-from Vendor and Pay-to Vendor fields differ here, the check will apply to the Buy-from Vendor settings.

Item Vendor Catalog Prices FactBox: requisition worksheets#

This FactBox found on requisition worksheets provides you with additional information about alternative suppliers and their prices. The content of the box always shows information about the line currently selected.

Assign blanket orders manually#

When you fill in a purchase order manually, you can also copy over the terms and conditions of the related blanket agreement.

1. Open a purchase order, and then select a line.
2. Fill in the Blanket Order No. or Blanket Order Line No. field.
3. You’re asked if the unit cost and the line discount should be copied from the relevant blanket purchase line. Choose Yes if you want the price copied. Choose No to keep the price from the purchase order.

Time-limit blanket orders#

To prevent terms and conditions specified on a blanket order from being used after the order has expired, you can now set not only a quantity but also a time limit there:

1. Open a blanket order.
2. On the FastTab, in the Valid Until field, specify up until when the order is valid.

You then see an error message if you try to use the order after the expiration date.

Show Qty. Remaining on blanket order#

By clicking the highlighted number in the Qty. Rem. on Blanket Order field on a blanket order line, you can see the purchase line quantities that you still need to receive from a supplier. With the Outstanding Qty. Excl. Order and the Qty. on Purch. Order fields, you can now also see the quantity that remains for call-off from the blanket order.

Manage containers#

In international trading, goods are often transported by sea or air, with partial quantities from multiple orders shipped inside a single container.

A container is also the unit by which vendors are billed for deliveries. This is because payments are often due when items are loaded on a vessel and risk passes from seller to buyer.

In the standard app, you need to assign partial deliveries to a transfer order, for example, when the items are brought onboard, when they’re moved to a bonded warehouse, when a vendor is invoiced, or when customs duties and freight costs must be settled. With the container functionality, you only need to group those deliveries once.

Setup#

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

Track a vessel#

This feature can bring even more transparency to your supply chain. To track a container vessel loaded with items that you ordered:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Vessels, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose New. Alternatively, open a line for editing.
3. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.

You can then open the Containers page to assign a vessel to a container in the Vessel Code field.

Afterward, choose Ship Tracking on the ribbon to pinpoint the vessel’s current location and see a map of the area it is in.

Containers on orders#

Containers can be assigned to a purchase order on the header or lines, which simplifies the creation of warehouse receipts that consist of different (partial) deliveries.

To assign a container:

1. Open a purchase order.
2. On the General FastTab, fill in the Container No. field. If lines already exist, you’re asked if you want to enter the number on all of them.
3. You can then enter another container number on a line, if necessary.

Set expected receipt date#

As is not uncommon, shipments might get delayed. If this happens, you can run the Set Expected Rcpt. Date function from the ribbon to change the date that a certain container will arrive on.

This will change the date not only on the Containers page but on every order and transfer line linked to the container.

Container receipts#

Assign a container#

You can also assign a container manually to a purchase order during receipt:

1. Create a warehouse receipt.
2. Fill in the container number on the header.
3. On the ribbon, choose Get Source Documents or Get Source Document Lines. The container number is then copied to the lines.

Additionally, when you post the receipt, the number is copied from the receipt lines to the posted document for further processing.

Use a filter#

As an alternative to manual assignment, you can enter the container number on the header or lines of an order and set a filter on the header or lines when you use the Get Source Document or Get Source Document Lines function.

Create transfer orders#

To create an order for transporting items to a bonded warehouse or the final storage location:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Containers, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose Create Transfer Order.
3. Specify an outbound, an inbound, and a transit location, and then choose OK.

This also copies to the order the external document number that is assigned to the container, and the posted receipts are moved via the order lines to the outbound warehouse that you specified.

To open the order, use the lookup on the No. of Transfer Order Lines field.

When you post the transfer, the container number is then copied along with other data to the posted document.

If you want to copy container data to a transfer order manually:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Transfer Orders, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose New, and then fill in the fields as necessary.
3. Afterward, choose Prepare > Get Container to retrieve all purchase receipt entries for the container.

If you don’t have the container number handy, you can also use the purchase order or vendor shipment number for retrieval.

Copy a container to an invoice#

To copy receipts from a container to a purchase invoice:

1. Create a purchase invoice.
2. Go to the Lines FastTab. On the ribbon, choose Get Receipt Lines.
3. Filter the posted receipts for a container number, and then choose OK.

Allocate charges to containers#

When an invoice is posted for customs duties or freight charges, the costs of which should be allocated to the partial shipments delivered with a container, you can again filter for the number of that container to specify allocation.

Vendor shipment number: warehouse receipt lines#

To improve delivery management, the Vendor Shipment No. field was added to the lines of receipt documents.

If you post a warehouse receipt, the value in this field is then copied from the corresponding field on the purchase or the warehouse receipt header to the posted receipt lines.

The vendor shipment number is also available when you open warehouse receipt lines from invoices issued by a vendor, to make it easier for you to assign a receipt to an invoice.

Inventory range#

In most cases, you can use standard planning functions to meet the needs of your wholesale business. But due to an ever-growing item master, restocking warehouses might become quite a difficult task over time.

With trade365, you can specify average daily consumption rates for items you order and compare these rates to item lead times. This way, you can specify a minimum stock level for each product, tying ebbs and flows in sales directly to the reordering process.

To be able to work with this feature, you need a consumption schedule, where you can set date formulas to specify reorder periods and priorities in percent.

Setup#

A consumption schedule indicates usage based on item ledger entries of type Sale, Assembly Consumption, or Consumption (from production).

Entries posted for an item are thereby added together over a certain period, which you enter on the schedule lines. You can set a period with the help of date formulas or fixed starting and ending dates.

The value in the Item Consumption % line field might differ in each period you specify. The total across all lines of the schedule, however, must be 100%. To create a new schedule:

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

General#

Lines#

Assign a schedule#

You can set up the schedule on the following cards (with data retrieved in the same order of priority):

• Item Category
• Item
• SKU

Item categories#

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Item Categories, and then choose the related link.
2. Select a category.
3. Fill in the Consumption Schedule Code field.

Items#

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Items, and then choose the related link.
2. Select an item.
3. On the Planning FastTab, fill in the Consumption Schedule Code field.

SKUs#

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Stockkeeping Units, and then choose the related link.
2. Select an SKU.
3. On the Planning FastTab, fill in the Consumption Schedule Code field.

Workflow#

To calculate an inventory range:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Item Planning Suggestion, and then choose the related link.
2. Like with any other journal, you can then create as many names as you like, to set up different calculations.
3. On the ribbon, choose Calculate Lines to have items (filtered by user, if applicable) checked and all data retrieved for editing.
4. Fill in the request page as necessary.
5. On the Options FastTab, you can also decide if you want the system to set up one or more lines for each item.

The journal then shows, with or without variants and locations, the items that will be copied to the item master. The business logic used to determine the data to fill in and the schedule to use on a line is described in the following.

Step 1

With SKU data available for the item and the location and variant filter used on a line, the system will retrieve the schedule assigned to the SKU.

If no relevant SKU data exists or consumption isn’t specified, the schedule you entered for the item will be used instead.

This means that the exact same code—not multiple codes—must be specified for the location filter on an item card. This applies to item variants as well.

Whether stockkeeping unit data is available can also be seen in the SKU Data Exists field on a journal line.

Step 2

If no schedule is assigned to the SKU or the item, the system will check for an item category. If no schedule is assigned there either, a line will not be added, as no inventory range can be calculated without the schedule.

The function then determines the Calculated Consump. Per Day based on the consumption schedule and the periods specified for the journal. The range of current inventory is calculated from the reference date (found under the same name on the Options FastTab of the report request page).

You can check the calculation in detail by drilling down on a field or choosing Line > Invt. Level Calculation (Item) on the ribbon to see a diagram.

Besides determining an inventory range with the help of current stock levels and rated consumption, the item planning suggestion includes new planning parameters based on those values.

You can change a parameter, if necessary. The previous parameters are also shown, albeit in read-only format. A new parameter is determined as follows:

• The new safety stock quantity is the same as the old, except if the value in the Calculated Consump. Per Day field on a line is below or equal to 0 and you’ve selected the Clear Safety Stock at 0 Consump. field on the Options FastTab of the request page. The new stock will then be 0.
• The new reorder point is equal to the new safety stock quantity plus the item consumption specified in the Calculated Consump. per Day field in the period consisting of lead time and safety lead time.
• The new maximum inventory is equal to the new reorder point plus the consumption value from the Calculated Consump. per Day field during the reorder period.

When you fill in the journal, you can decide whether you want to include only lines where the suggested parameter values differ from existing values by turning on the Show Unchanged Lines toggle on the Options FastTab of the request page.

Additionally, you can, after potentially adjusting the new parameters yourself, copy them to the item or SKU master by running the Copy Changes to Item or SKU action on lines selected in the journal.

Clear out stock#

You can also use the range feature to clear out stock. The requirements for consumption schedules are the same as for calculating inventory levels.

• Choose the Search icon, enter Item Clearance Suggestion, and then choose the related link.
• The journal contains the item unit cost, sales price, and profit. For unit cost, the value is calculated based on the relevant SKU fields.
• The old, read-only base data values are again compared to the new values calculated in the journal.
• Both the old and new values will be the same initially but can be edited in the journal.

You can then run the Create Campaign action on the ribbon to create a sales campaign and retrieve the new values (including prices as sales prices) from selected lines.

BMEcat catalog items#

Typically, a wholesaler maintains between around 40,000 and 50,000 items in its item master, although it could supply up to several hundred thousand. This is because the company can procure items from business partners.

For performance and maintenance reasons, a direct transfer of supplier item data to your item master isn’t a viable solution. Instead, the standard catalog management function is used for this purpose.

Standard catalog items then become part of a ‘shadow item master,’ which is made up of all items that could be supplied but have never been moved.

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹, you can use a default interface to import item catalogs. But wholesalers might also need to change the data of an item during this process, for example, because certain purchase prices have changed. This can be done by using an interface such as BMEcat.

Workflow

• With the help of a list, data is read from the input files and mapped so that, for example, items for which data has changed are marked.
• Alternatively, you can use an import suggestion, which provides certain default settings and options.
• Data is then copied from the list to the catalog item master and, based on what template you selected for import, items that are already in the system will be updated immediately.

trade365 Catalog Item Setup#

To set up the feature:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Item Setup, and then choose the relevant link.
2. Fill in the fields as described in the following table.

General#

Numbering#

Templates#

Catalog interfaces#

Catalog item interfaces are used to specify various import formats. To set up an interface:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Item Interface Codes, and then choose the relevant link.
2. Specify a code and a description for the interface.
3. Assign a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹ object in the Object Type and Object ID field to ensure that the relevant data is imported.

In trade365, a report for importing data through BMEcat is included by default. Alternatives that can be processed are, for example, Excel, CSV, or XML-based file formats, as well as Datanorm, Eldanorm, or formats used by you internally (Report 5157138). Using any of them, however, requires that the relevant interface be set up first.

Item catalogs#

You can assign different catalogs to each interface. They’re used to identify imported data and are saved with the import or catalog item (data sources).

Via catalogs, you can specify different suppliers who use the same interface, or you can store annual import lists. To assign catalogs to an interface:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Item Interface Codes, and then choose the relevant link.
2. Select an interface.
3. On the ribbon, choose Catalogs.

Map import data#

You can assign a mapping code to each catalog to specify the data mapping structure that will be used for importing items. This includes the replacement of values, such as PCE for the unit of measure Piece, which is then converted into the unit used in your system.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Item Mapping, and then choose the relevant link.
2. Specify a code and a description for the mapping.
3. On the ribbon, choose Field Mappings to specify replacement values for individual fields in the structure.

Create a catalog item from a template#

You can set up item templates for different import purposes. For example, you might want to use one to create and change base data and another to transfer price changes only. To set up a template for import:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Item Creation Templates, and then choose the relevant link.
2. Fill in the fields as described in the following tables.

General#

Transfer#

On the lines, you can specify what you want to copy for which field. By doing so, you can, for example, add missing item information.

You can also run the Auto Fill Fields action from the ribbon to fill in line fields as described in the following table.

Create an item from a catalog item#

Like on the previous template for creating items from catalog items, you can specify on the trade365 Catalog Item Item Creation Templates page how you want items to be created from a catalog item import now or later.

Only fields that differ from those included in the earlier template are described in the following table.

Numbering#

Blocking#

Import an item catalog in BMEcat format#

To import a catalog:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Import Overview, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose Actions > Functions > Import.
3. Select a catalog, the file name for import, the directory for MIME data (such as for images and documents), and a vendor.
4. Choose OK to start copying items to import to the page.

To transfer items imported in this way to the catalog item master:

1. On the ribbon, choose Actions, and then choose Copy Catalog Item Import.
2. Select a template for import, and then choose OK.

Compare values#

To get an overview of all items changed or created through an import:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter trade365 Catalog Import Overview, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose Reports > Print Comparison.
3. Set filters or options as necessary.

The report then checks the imported item entries. To view who imported what and when, choose Actions > Functions > Import Log on the ribbon.

Calculate unit costs#

In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central¹, you can use purchase prices and discounts when you write quotes for customers. Unit costs are also calculated on an item-by-item basis, copied along to all subsequent documents, and used to determine inventory levels.

Besides the cost of procurement, they might include charges or deductions. A unit cost relates to posted transactions, which means that you’re viewing price calculations ‘backward.’

Standard functionality offers little support when it comes to deciding where to order and what the actual price (including all charges) is. In trade365, you can use the Calculated Unit Cost feature to set up various calculation templates to which you can assign different vendor-item combinations.

Unit cost calculations can be triggered manually by running a function, or you can have the costs determined automatically. What you’ll always have are up-to-date cost values in local currency to make informed choices.

The calculated unit costs aren’t determined based on postings in the system but on cost values stored in the purchase price and discount master and on calculation template lines. Each calculation is archived so that you can track values at any time.

Additionally, calculated unit costs can be used in sales as a basis for minimum profit checks.

Setup#

Inventory Setup#

You need to activate the feature before you can use it.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, turn on the Use Calculated Unit Costs. Only after turning on the toggle will the related fields show up on item cards and various other places in the system.
3. In the Replace Unit Cost with Calculated Cost field, you can specify if, and how, you want calculated unit costs to be used when checks on minimum profits are performed in sales, as described in the following table.

Adjust values#

Additionally, you can use these types of surcharges or discounts to replace the charges available in the system and have the new values copied to all calculation templates automatically. To set up a type:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Calculation Value Adjustment Types, and then choose the related link.
2. On the ribbon, choose New.
3. Fill in the fields as described in the following tables.

General#

Calculation#

On this FastTab, you can specify what impact the surcharge or discount type should have on a calculation.

Auto-calculate costs#

To have unit costs calculated automatically:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Inventory Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. Turn on the Use Calculated Unit Costs toggle.
3. You’re asked if you want the system to create a job queue entry. Choose Yes.
4. Open the job queue entries.
5. Make changes if necessary, and then activate the queue entry.

For more information, see Use Job Queues to Schedule Tasks.

Purchase Price Calculation#

With this feature, you can calculate a unit cost for a relatively large purchase quantity. Calculated unit costs on item cards always refer to the base unit of measure and purchase quantity that you entered for the relevant calculation template.

The feature can also help check unit costs that haven’t been assigned to a template yet.

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

General#

You can then run the Calculate action on the ribbon to determine the unit cost. The result is summarized on the right-hand side of the page. Besides standard unit cost, you can see on that side the calculated purchase price and discount, as well as the calculated cost value.

You can recalculate values before exiting the page—or compare them on the FastTabs described in the following. However, on exit, all temporary data will be deleted.

Calculation#

This FastTab shows all the calculations performed by the system, be they for different vendors or different quantities. You can compare the values directly on the tab.

Calculation Details#

This FastTab contains the calculation details of entries from the Calculations FastTab. This means that besides the actual price factors, the tab also shows all surcharges and reductions stored on a certain calculation template.

Show calculated profit#

The calculated profit is based on the expected profit, for which the sales price is reduced by the relevant discount on the calculated unit cost, to indicate the profit you would make if the goods needed to be reordered today, which would change the base for calculation.

The calculated profit is shown as a percentage on sales documents, or, more specifically, in the Calculated Profit % field on sales lines, although you might need to use the Personalize function to unhide the field.

Additionally, you can see the standard unit cost, the calculated unit cost, the calculated cost amount, the calculated profit in local currency, and the profit in percent in the Sales Line Profit Details FactBox.

Check items in vendor catalog#

If, on a purchase document, you enter an item that isn’t part of the item-vendor catalog, you can now be notified of this. To set up the notification:

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Purchases & Payables Setup, and then choose the related link.
2. On the KUMAVISION trade365 FastTab, in the Notify of Missing Vendor Catalog Items field, select one of the options described in the following table.