How does the requisition and planning wortksheets perform the same job in Business Central?
The requisition worksheet and the planning worksheet in Business Central is basically performing the same job.
This is what happens in the video
In Business Central, the requisition worksheet and the planning worksheet do the same job. They run the exact same calculations and use the same logic. The key difference is what they cover and which license you need.
The requisition worksheet handles purchase planning only. It works with the Essential license. The planning worksheet covers purchases, production, transfers, and everything else, but it requires the Premium license.
If you have access to the planning worksheet, use that. It covers the complete hierarchy and there is little reason to fall back on the requisition worksheet.
The difference between the requisition worksheet and the planning worksheet
Both worksheets perform the same function and use the same math. The calculation behind them is identical. The difference comes down to scope and licensing.
The requisition worksheet is normally used for purchase planning. It carries out the same functionality as the planning worksheet, but typically only for purchased items at the lowest level. When you calculate the plan in the requisition worksheet, you usually only calculate for purchase items, and those lines go into the journal.
The planning worksheet covers more. It applies to purchases, production, transfers, and everything else. So while the requisition worksheet is limited to purchases, the planning worksheet handles the full picture.
License requirements: Essential versus Premium
The requisition worksheet applies to the Microsoft Essential license. The planning worksheet applies to the Premium license. You have to have Premium to use the planning worksheet.
This is the main reason a company would choose one over the other. If you only have Essential, the requisition worksheet is what you get for purchase planning.
Copying lines from the planning worksheet to the requisition worksheet
When you do planning in the planning worksheet, the results also apply to purchase orders. When you carry out action messages, instead of creating the purchase orders directly, you can copy them to the requisition worksheet.
This is normally only relevant for a very large company. Picture a setup where production planners handle production on one side and purchase planners sit somewhere else. The production planners would move the lines over to the requisition worksheet for the purchase planners to handle.
In practice, this is rare. I have never actually heard of anybody using it.
Recommendation for choosing a worksheet
If you have a license that includes the planning worksheet, just use that and skip the requisition worksheet. The planning worksheet does more because it works across the complete hierarchy, not just purchases.
Q&A
What is the difference between the requisition worksheet and the planning worksheet in Business Central?
Both perform the same job and use the same calculation logic. The requisition worksheet handles purchase planning only and works with the Essential license. The planning worksheet covers purchases, production, transfers, and everything else, and requires the Premium license.
Which license do I need to use the planning worksheet?
You need the Premium license. The requisition worksheet, by contrast, works with the Essential license.
Can I move lines from the planning worksheet to the requisition worksheet?
Yes. When you carry out action messages, you can copy purchase order lines to the requisition worksheet instead of creating purchase orders directly. This is mainly useful for large companies that separate production planners from purchase planners, and it is rarely used in practice.
Which worksheet should I use?
If your license includes the planning worksheet, use that. It works across the complete hierarchy and covers more than the requisition worksheet, which is limited to purchases.