Blanket sales orders in Business Central let you handle sales agreements where you and the customer have agreed on a minimum quantity to be withdrawn within a specific period. You create the blanket order, fill it out like a normal sales order, and ship parts of the agreed quantity as the customer calls in to order more.
You enter the full framework quantity on the blanket order line, then specify a quantity to ship and a shipment date each time the customer withdraws part of the amount. From the blanket order you press Process and Make Order to generate a regular sales order for that withdrawal.
The remaining quantities on the blanket order are taken into account when you run MRP planning. As you post the individual sales orders, the quantity shipped updates on the blanket order, and the remaining quantity to ship is filled in automatically if you have set that up in your sales setup.
What a blanket sales order is and when to use it
In Business Central, you create blanket sales orders to handle sales agreements with your customers. The blanket order captures what the customer has committed to withdraw at minimum within a given period. It is the framework for the agreement, not the individual deliveries.
You create a new blanket sales order and fill it out like a normal sales order. You enter the customer number and all the information fields in the header, and you have the same tabs and structure you know from the regular sales order. On the line, the quantity you enter is the framework quantity, which is the total amount agreed for the period.
Typically you also define the end date of the agreement in the header. You use the date field in the header to record when the agreement runs out.
How to ship partial quantities from a blanket order
When the customer calls and wants to withdraw part of the agreed amount, you enter the quantity to ship on the line. The blanket order shows you what has already been shipped, so you always know where you stand on the agreement.
For example, if six and ten pieces have already been shipped on two lines, and the customer now wants another eight of the first item and twelve of the second, you enter those numbers in the quantity to ship fields. You then enter the corresponding shipment date, for instance May 1st, based on when the customer wants delivery.
Creating a sales order from the blanket order
When you have entered the quantity to ship and the date, you press Process and Make Order. Business Central asks whether you want to create a sales order. When you confirm, it creates the sales order, which is the last one in your sales order list, so it is easy to find.
On the new sales order, the quantities match what you entered on the blanket order, eight and twelve in this example. The sales order is tied to the blanket order, so the link between the agreement and the actual delivery is kept.
How blanket orders interact with MRP planning
The remaining quantities on the blanket order are included when you run MRP planning. This means your planning takes into account what the customer is still expected to withdraw under the agreement, not just the sales orders you have already created.
Tracking shipped and remaining quantities
When you post the sales order, for example on the May 1st shipment date, the blanket order updates automatically. Going back to the blanket sales order, you can see the quantity shipped has increased, for instance to 18 and 18, and the remaining quantity to ship is filled in by default if you have configured this in your sales setup.
This is how you work with blanket orders through successive withdrawals on the same order. At the end of the agreement, you have to agree with the customer what to do with any small remaining amount. Ideally the customer withdraws all of it, exactly as you agreed.
Q&A
What is a blanket sales order in Business Central?
A blanket sales order is an agreement that captures the minimum quantity a customer has committed to withdraw within a given period. You create it like a normal sales order, enter the framework quantity on the line, and ship parts of it as the customer orders more.
How do you create a sales order from a blanket order?
Enter the quantity to ship and the shipment date on the blanket order line, then press Process and Make Order. Business Central asks whether you want to create a sales order, and when you confirm, it generates a sales order with the quantities and dates you entered.
Where do you set the end date of a blanket sales agreement?
You define the end date in the header of the blanket sales order, using the date field in the header to record when the agreement runs out.
Does the blanket order affect MRP planning?
Yes. The remaining quantities on the blanket order are taken into account when you run MRP planning, so your planning reflects what the customer is still expected to withdraw.
How do you track how much has been shipped on a blanket order?
When you post the related sales order, the quantity shipped updates automatically on the blanket order. The remaining quantity to ship is filled in by default if you have set that up in your sales setup.