When you run intercompany trade in Business Central, you can let the supply company change the variant code on a sales order, and the change flows back automatically to the originating sales company. This is useful when the supply company cannot deliver the exact variant that was requested.
You control whether the supply company is allowed to change the variant code in the intercompany partner setup. If you enable it, the supply company reopens the order, changes the variant, and releases the order again. The updated variant code then appears on the sales order in the sales company.
Changing the variant code in the supply company
In an intercompany setup, the sales company creates a sales order, and that order is passed on to the supply company. The sales line on the order can carry a variant code.
Sometimes the supply company cannot deliver the variant that was originally requested. As long as this has been agreed with the sales company, the supply company can change the variant code to one it can actually deliver.
The process in the supply company is straightforward:
- Reopen the sales order
- Change the variant code on the sales line
- Release the order again
Controlling the permission in the intercompany partner setup
Whether the supply company is allowed to change the variant code is not left to chance. You set this in the intercompany partner configuration. There you decide for each partner whether changing the variant code is permitted.
If you do not want the supply company to alter what the sales company requested, you simply leave the permission off. If a change is acceptable, as in this example, you enable it.
The change syncs back to the sales company
After the supply company releases the order with the new variant, the update is reflected in the sales company. When you refresh the sales order in the sales company, the variant code shows the value the supply company set.
This keeps both companies aligned on what is actually being delivered, without anyone having to manually copy the change from one company to the other.
Q&A
Can the supply company change the variant code on an intercompany sales order?
Yes, but only if it is allowed in the intercompany partner setup. When permitted, the supply company reopens the order, changes the variant, and releases it again.
Where do you control whether the variant code can be changed?
You control it in the intercompany partner setup. There you decide per partner whether the supply company is allowed to change the variant code.
Does the variant code change in the supply company update the sales company?
Yes. Once the supply company releases the order with the new variant, the variant code is updated on the sales order in the sales company. Refreshing the page shows the new value.