Warehouse Management#

The following features expand standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central[^1] 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.

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 SKUs and catalog items if the basic parameters remain (that is, same vendor and source vendor item number), if applicable. In this case, it doesn’t matter where you make the changes, as all occurrences of the number are 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 or users#

Items that are always stored in the same warehouse or can be sold by certain staff members only can be assigned to a specific location or a location and a user. In contrast to standard functionality, this location is then entered on new sales lines.

In the standard app, a different location can be assigned if it is the warehouse that a customer is typically supplied from. By linking the location to an item or an item and a user, however, the site will be used regardless of how you filled in the relevant customer card.

To set up the feature, you can run the Item-User-Location action from the item or location card or User Setup. To assign an item (and potentially a user) to a location:

1. Open an item card.
2. On the ribbon, choose Item > Item-User-Location.
3. Fill in the Location Code field and, if necessary, the User ID field.

User selection will be prefiltered. If an item is linked to a location but a user isn’t, the link will be valid for all users.

For each document line, locations are then suggested in the following order of priority:

1. The location is assigned to both the item and the user.
2. The location is assigned to the item.
3. The location is assigned to the user.
4. The location is assigned via standard functionality (customer or center of responsibility).

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.

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.

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.