When you enter a sales order line in Business Central, the system can use the assigned quantity logic to help you commit to a realistic delivery date. If you cannot fulfil the complete quantity on the date you enter, the system suggests moving the sales order line to the first date where the full quantity is available.
The calculation looks ahead a defined number of months. In the standard setup, it looks two months ahead. You configure this look-ahead period in setup.
When you accept the suggestion, the system assigns the full quantity and moves the requested delivery date to the first possible day. If you decline, the system assigns only the quantity currently available.
This functionality helps the salesperson taking the order see what is actually possible, so the order reflects a delivery date you can keep.
How the assigned quantity works on a sales order line
When you create a new sales order line for an item on a specific date, the system checks whether your inventory can cover the requested quantity on that date. If it can’t, the system suggests moving the line rather than letting you promise something you can’t deliver.
Take an example. You add an item to a sales order line and set the date to 15 April. If you look at the graphical inventory profile for that item, you can see how the inventory develops over time. In the middle of April, the inventory is only 11 pieces.
If you enter 20 pieces on that line, the consequence is that your inventory goes negative. You can’t assign the full quantity if you also want to fulfil all the other demands on that item. So the question becomes whether you assign less in April or move the demand to a later date.
The look-ahead period and how it suggests a new date
The system calculates this based on a look-ahead period that you control in setup. In the standard setup, it looks two months ahead.
Continuing the example: when you enter 20 pieces, the system tells you there isn’t enough to assign the full quantity and asks whether you want to move the line to the first possible day where the full quantity can be assigned. In this case, that’s in June.
If you say yes, the system assigns the full 20 pieces and moves the date to the beginning of June, where it’s possible to deliver.
If you say no, the system assigns only what’s currently available. In this scenario, that would be 7 pieces on the original date.
Why this helps the salesperson
Even though the inventory dips in the middle of April, the end inventory for the item is actually positive. The assigned quantity logic accounts for the full demand picture, not just the inventory level on a single day.
This gives the salesperson taking the order a clear view of what is actually possible. Instead of promising a quantity and date that can’t be met, you get a concrete suggestion for either a reduced quantity now or the full quantity on a realistic later date.
Q&A
What does the assigned quantity do on a sales order line?
It checks whether your inventory can cover the requested quantity on the date you enter. If it can’t fulfil the complete quantity, it suggests moving the sales order line to the first date where the full quantity is available.
How far ahead does the system look when suggesting a new delivery date?
It looks ahead a number of months that you define in setup. In the standard setup, it looks two months ahead.
What happens if I accept the suggestion to move the line?
The system assigns the full quantity and moves the requested date to the first possible day where the full quantity can be delivered.
What happens if I decline the suggestion?
The system assigns only the quantity currently available on the original date. In the example, that would be 7 pieces instead of the requested 20.