How to set up a special order for a customer in Business Central?
Special orders are when we order something special for a customer at our vendor and the shipment is sent directly to us and then we send it on to a customer, with other items that the customer has ordered.
This is what happens in the video
Special orders in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central let you order a specific item from your vendor for a specific customer and link the purchase order directly to the sales order. You set up a special order on a sales line by selecting the special order purchasing code, then create a purchase order and pull the line in using Actions, Functions, Special Order, Get Sales Order.
When you retrieve the special order onto the purchase order, the shipping address changes from the customer’s address to your own address. The vendor ships the item to you, and you then ship it on to your customer together with the rest of the items on the order.
You can jump straight from the sales order to the linked purchase order under Order, Special Order, Purchase Order.
What a special order is
A special order is when you order something specific for your customer from your vendor, and the shipment is sent directly to you. You then forward it to your customer together with the other items the customer has ordered. This is useful when an item is not a standard stock item but something you procure on demand for a particular sale.
Creating the sales order and marking the line as a special order
Start by creating a normal sales order and filling out the information on the line as usual. To flag the line as a special order, use the Purchasing Code field on the line and select Special Order. This sets up the line as a special order line.
You can use the description field to add details, for example which column or specification you want the item to have.
Creating the purchase order and linking it to the sales order
Next, create the purchase order that will cover the special order. Search for Purchase Order, create a new one, and specify the vendor you want to order the item from.
To bring in the special order line from the sales order, go to Actions, Functions, Special Order, Get Sales Order. You will see a list of all the orders for the customer. Pick the sales order you just created and confirm. The sales order line is then transferred onto the purchase order.
How the shipping address works on special orders
Before you retrieve the special order, the customer’s address is set as the shipping address on the purchase order. Once you pull in the sales order line through the special order function, the shipping address updates to your own address.
This reflects the physical flow of goods. The vendor ships the item to you, and you then ship it on to the customer. That way the item arrives at your location so you can combine it with the other items the customer has ordered before sending everything out.
Navigating between the sales order and purchase order
The sales order and purchase order stay linked. From the sales order you can go to Order, Special Order, Purchase Order to jump directly to the purchase order you just created. This makes it easy to move between the two documents and keep track of the special order.
Q&A
What is a special order in Business Central?
A special order is when you order a specific item from your vendor for a specific customer. The vendor ships the item directly to you, and you then forward it to your customer together with the other items the customer has ordered.
How do you mark a sales line as a special order?
On the sales order line, use the Purchasing Code field and select Special Order. This sets up the line as a special order line.
How do you link a purchase order to a special order sales line?
Create a purchase order, select the vendor, then go to Actions, Functions, Special Order, Get Sales Order. Pick the relevant sales order from the list and confirm. The sales order line is transferred onto the purchase order.
Why does the shipping address change to your own address on a special order?
When you retrieve the special order onto the purchase order, the shipping address updates to your own address because the vendor ships the item to you. You then ship it on to the customer along with the rest of the order.
How do you get from the sales order to the linked purchase order?
On the sales order, go to Order, Special Order, Purchase Order to jump directly to the purchase order created for the special order.