Dynamics Business Central | New Features for Manufacturers | Oct 2021
It's October - and in addition to Pumpkin Spice Lattes appearing, we also have a new release of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. As the experts in Business Central for Manufacturing, Sabre Limited has always focused on new features that you (a manufacturing company) will benefit from in Business Central. Keep your eye on our YouTube channel for videos of these handy new bells and whistles.
For an even deeper dive into these new features, read the blog written by Robert Jolliffe on Sabre Limited's website.
Business Central Manufacturing New Features | 2021 Release Wave 2
Excel Improvements
Ok, this isn't just a manufacturing improvement. Microsoft has enhanced the integrations with Microsoft Excel. You can now use the Edit in Excel feature in more places, such as on Sales Lines. This can make tasks like loading large sales orders, or editing when release schedules change, much easier.
Teams Improvements
Microsoft is making Teams the central application that consolidates all our communication and work in one place. It's even easier to integrated Business Central and Teams with a new wizard for that purpose.
Better Item Synchronization with Dynamics CRM
It's common for Business Central manufacturing customers to use more than one unit of measure for the same item. Dynamics CRM used to be limited to synchronizing only the base unit of measure. The Oct 1, 2021 release will allow multiple units of measure, improving the functionality for distribution and manufacturing.
Improved Time Sheets
Not all Manufacturers using Business Central use Time Sheets, but within Engineer to Order manufacturing, this tends to be very common. Business Central manufacturing managers can now run a wizard to more quickly configure timesheets for their staff. These timesheets are accessible on the mobile client in a simplified user interface designed for mobile devices. Those who provide field service, install equipment or perform other Job or Service-related work will benefit significantly.
Rounding for Base Unit of Measure
Dynamics 365 Business Central for manufacturing often (almost always) involves items bought or sold in different units of measure than they are stocked in. Rounding errors can sometimes cause weird quantities in the base unit of measure, such as .9999 of an item instead of 1. This new feature will force rounding to logical quantities, eliminating weird partial quantities in the system
Production BOM and Routing on SKU
This is a big deal for businesses that have multiple manufacturing facilities that make the same end components or finished goods. Previously, the system allowed different item tracking data per location via the Stock Keeping Unit. There was however only one standard BOM and Routing for an item. This meant that if a 2nd location manufactured an item following a different process, MRP-generated production orders would need to be corrected every time. Now, users can set standard BOM and Routing per location!
This new feature allows each physical manufacturing location to make items based on the distinct local requirements, and MRP recognizes this and plans appropriately.
Locations for Non-Inventory Items
Manufacturers use Non-Inventory items for consumables, such as wire, oil, or coolants. Now you can track information about the location of these items, despite the fact they are designated to add no value to inventory. This will make managing this material easy for a Business Central manufacturing company.
Item Variant Codes on Forecasts
Item Variants are used frequently in some manufacturing environments but have not been used in the planning and forecasting in manufacturing in Business Central historically. This new feature allows these sub-types of items to be planned more effectively.
Add Non-Inventory Items to Requisition and Planning Worksheets
More enhancements to non-inventory items for manufacturing in Business Central. You can now add these to requisition and planning worksheets, allowing purchasing to use a unified process to replenish inventory.
Conclusion
There are even more features that are not listed in this document. We'll be investigating the benefits of each of these in future blogs on our Dynamics 365 Manufacturing Blogs page and as we get a chance to play with them. For now, this is a good starting point, which doesn't even start to get into new features in Power Apps, DataVerse, programming capabilities, and other more general improvements to Business Central.