If you run a location in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with directed put-away and pick enabled, the outbound process involves several steps before goods leave the warehouse. You release the sales order to create a warehouse request, create a warehouse shipment, release it, create and register a warehouse pick, and finally post the shipment.
Releasing the sales order creates a warehouse request. The warehouse shipment is what you create next, and you can combine several sales orders into one shipment.
The warehouse pick is the document your warehouse employee uses to physically find and collect the items, either on a scanner device or on paper.
When you register the pick, Business Central moves the items into the shipping bin and creates a posted warehouse pick along with warehouse entries.
When you post the warehouse shipment, the system creates a posted warehouse shipment, a posted sales shipment, item ledger entries, and warehouse entries, and the items leave the shipping bin.
The outbound process on a location with directed put-away and pick
When you work on a location where you have set all the checkmarks for warehousing, including the directed put-away and pick checkmark, you have a number of activities to perform on the outbound side. This setup gives you the most detailed level of warehouse control, but it also means more steps before an order is shipped.
Releasing the sales order and creating a warehouse shipment
The process starts with the sales order, or with many sales orders. You need to release the sales order to be able to create a warehouse shipment, which is the next step. Releasing the sales order creates a warehouse request.
From there you can create the warehouse shipment in two ways. You can create it manually from each individual sales order, or you can use the filter functionality on the warehouse shipment to bundle several sales orders into one shipment.
Creating and registering the warehouse pick
Before you can make a warehouse pick, you need to release the warehouse shipment. Once the shipment is released, you can create a warehouse pick either directly from the shipment or from a pick worksheet.
The warehouse pick is the document the warehouse employee works from. The employee can take the pick on a scanner device, or print it out and use it by hand, then find all the items in the correct quantities and update the warehouse pick accordingly.
When the pick is registered, the items are moved. This creates a posted warehouse pick and the corresponding warehouse entries. The movement takes the items into the shipping bin, where they wait until the warehouse employee is ready to pack and ship them to the customer.
Posting the warehouse shipment
When you are ready to send the goods, you go back into the warehouse shipment and post it. Posting the warehouse shipment creates several entries at once:
- A posted warehouse shipment
- A posted sales shipment
- Item ledger entries
- Warehouse entries
At this point the items are taken from the shipping bin and sent away, so the shipping bin is reset for this document and all the correct entries are created.
What remains after shipping
After you have completed the full outbound flow, you are left with the sales order that still needs invoicing, along with the posted shipment, the posted warehouse shipment, and the posted warehouse pick as your documentation of the process.
Q&A
What is the first step in the outbound process on a directed put-away and pick location?
You release the sales order. Releasing the sales order creates a warehouse request, which lets you create a warehouse shipment as the next step.
Can you combine several sales orders into one warehouse shipment?
Yes. You can create the warehouse shipment manually from each sales order, or you can use the filter functionality on the warehouse shipment to bundle several sales orders into one shipment.
What happens when you register a warehouse pick?
The items are moved into the shipping bin, and Business Central creates a posted warehouse pick and warehouse entries. The items then wait in the shipping bin until they are packed and shipped.
What entries does posting a warehouse shipment create?
Posting the warehouse shipment creates a posted warehouse shipment, a posted sales shipment, item ledger entries, and warehouse entries. The items leave the shipping bin and the bin is reset for that document.
What is left after the warehouse shipment is posted?
You are left with the sales order that still needs invoicing, plus the posted shipment, the posted warehouse shipment, and the posted warehouse pick.