The assigned quantity functionality in Business Central lets a salesperson tell a customer whether an item is available before promising it. When you enter a quantity on a sales line, the system shows you how much it can assign from current inventory and how much remains available. It assigns only what inventory can cover, so you never end up below zero.
If you order more than what is in stock, the system assigns only the available quantity. For example, if 56 units are available and you enter 80, the system assigns 56.
The assigned quantity functionality is a soft assignment. It takes both date conflicts and quantity conflicts into account to keep inventory from dropping below zero.
What assigned quantity does on a sales order
The purpose of assigned quantity is to let a salesperson confirm item availability to a customer. When you create a sales order with a sales line, for example item number 1000 on a specific location code, and you enter a quantity, the functionality tells you exactly how much it has assigned and how much is still available.
In a concrete example, entering a quantity of 30 on the sales line assigns 30 units and shows that 56 are available. This is registered as a soft assignment rather than a hard reservation.
How assigned quantity affects your inventory profile
You can see the effect on the inventory profile for the line. Using the graphical inventory profile, the sales order line appears with the assigned quantity of 30, and the remaining inventory drops accordingly to 26.
If you instead enter a quantity larger than what is in stock, the system limits the assignment to what is actually available. With 56 units available and an order of 80, it assigns only 56. The point of the tool is to assign exactly the quantity that inventory can cover.
Date conflicts and quantity conflicts
The assigned quantity functionality takes both date conflicts and quantity conflicts into account. This makes sure that inventory never gets below zero, no matter how the order quantities and dates line up.
Q&A
What is the purpose of assigned quantity in Business Central?
It lets a salesperson tell a customer whether an item is available. When you enter a quantity on a sales line, the system shows how much it assigns from inventory and how much remains available.
What happens if you order more than what is in stock?
The system assigns only the available quantity. If 56 units are available and you order 80, it assigns 56.
Is assigned quantity a hard reservation?
No. It is a soft assignment. It reduces the remaining available inventory but does not create a firm reservation.
Does assigned quantity prevent inventory from going below zero?
Yes. It takes date conflicts and quantity conflicts into account to make sure inventory never gets below zero.