If you work with jobs in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and use dimensions for reporting and analysis, you can attach dimensions at two levels. You can set dimensions for the entire job, and you can set dimensions on individual job planning lines. Dimensions on a job apply to everything on that job, while dimensions added to a single line only apply to that line.
Some dimensions are inherited automatically. When you create a job for a customer, the dimensions set on the customer card carry over to the job. You can add more dimensions on top of that, such as a department dimension, and you can control how they behave with value posting rules.
You can make a dimension code mandatory using value posting. When you change the dimension setup on a job, Business Central asks whether you want to update all existing lines on the job with the new setup.
Adding dimensions to the whole job
On the job card you can add dimensions that apply to the entire job. If the job is created for a customer, you will usually see that a dimension has already been inherited from the customer card. You don’t have to set that one up again.
To add another dimension, for example a department, you pick the dimension code and choose the dimension value you want. This dimension now applies across the whole job.
Using value posting to make a dimension mandatory
You can also set up value posting for a dimension on the job. This lets you control how the dimension is used. For example, you can set a dimension code as mandatory, so that it must be filled in.
When you change the dimension setup on the job, the system asks whether you want to update all the existing lines on the job with the new dimension setup. If you choose yes, the new setup is applied to the lines that are already there.
Adding dimensions on specific job lines
You can add dimensions to a specific line as well. Go to the line and open Dimensions. Here you will see the dimensions that apply to the line, for example the department dimension that was set up for the whole job.
From here you can add extra dimension codes that apply only to this line, such as an area dimension. When you add a dimension on the line, it is not set up for the whole job. It only applies to that single line.
Q&A
Can you add dimensions to a whole job in Business Central?
Yes. On the job card you can add dimensions that apply to the entire job. These dimensions affect everything on the job.
Where do inherited dimensions on a job come from?
When you create a job for a customer, dimensions are inherited from the customer card and applied to the job automatically.
How do you make a dimension mandatory on a job?
You set up value posting for the dimension on the job and mark the dimension code as mandatory. The dimension must then be filled in.
What happens to existing lines when you change the dimension setup on a job?
Business Central asks whether you want to update all existing lines on the job with the new dimension setup. If you choose yes, the new setup is applied to those lines.
Does a dimension added on a single job line apply to the whole job?
No. A dimension code added on a specific line, such as an area dimension, applies only to that line and is not set up for the whole job.