If you want to count inventory periodically in Business Central, you need to set up counting periods first. You define how many times per year you want to count, and Business Central calculates the counting intervals automatically.
You assign counting periods directly on the item card under the Warehouse tab when you do not use locations. If you use locations, you assign the counting period on the Stockkeeping Unit card instead.
The same setup works for both standard inventory functionality and warehouse functionality. The counting is handled in different journals, but you set it up the same way.
Once you assign a counting period, Business Central calculates the next counting start date and end date based on the current period, and maintains these dates automatically as you perform counts.
Setting up physical inventory counting periods in Business Central
To use the period counting functionality in Business Central, you start by defining your physical inventory counting periods. You can find this page by searching for it directly in Business Central.
For each counting period you define a code, a description, and how frequently you want to count per year. Based on the frequency, Business Central automatically calculates the next counting interval, so you do not have to work it out manually.
Assigning counting periods to items without locations
After you have defined your counting periods, you assign them to your items. If you are not using locations in your system, you assign the period directly on the item card under the Warehouse tab.
This is where you select which physical inventory counting period applies to the item. The setup is identical whether you use standard inventory functionality or warehouse functionality. The difference is only in which journal the counting is handled.
Assigning counting periods to stockkeeping units when using locations
If you use locations, you should set up the counting period on the Stockkeeping Unit card instead of the item card to make it work correctly. This lets you control how often a specific item is counted on a specific location.
For example, you might have an item on location SIMPLE1 that is a slow-moving item. You open the Stockkeeping Unit for that item and location, then select the matching physical inventory counting period in the field.
When you do this, Business Central calculates the next counting start date, which is the first date of the period you are in, and the next counting end date, which is the end of that period. As you perform inventory counting, Business Central maintains these dates automatically.
You can assign different periods to different items. A normal-moving item on the same location might use a longer interval, for example half a year, while a slow-moving item uses another frequency. You set this per stockkeeping unit, so each item-location combination can have its own counting rhythm.
Once you have assigned the counting periods, you are ready to perform the actual countings per period.
Q&A
What do you need to set up before using period counting in Business Central?
You first define your physical inventory counting periods, where you specify a code, a description, and how often you want to count per year. After that, you assign the counting periods to your items or stockkeeping units.
Where do you assign a counting period if you do not use locations?
You assign it directly on the item card under the Warehouse tab, on the Physical Inventory Counting Period field.
Where do you assign a counting period if you use locations?
You assign it on the Stockkeeping Unit card for the specific item and location, so it works correctly per item-location combination.
Does the setup differ between standard inventory and warehouse functionality?
No. The setup is the same for both. The only difference is that the counting is handled in different journals.
How does Business Central determine the counting dates?
When you assign a counting period, Business Central calculates the next counting start date as the first date of the current period and the next counting end date as the end of that period. It maintains these dates automatically as you perform counts.