The master data grouping functionality is a way of grouping purchase line and sales lines that you can use, for instance, to move shipment dates.
The Master Data Grouping functionality lets you group sales lines and purchase lines so you can handle them together as one unit. You define a sales line master data grouping and a purchase line master data grouping in the master data information setup.
One common use is to align shipment dates across lines that belong to the same group. This requires the Reverse Planning app, which works together with master data grouping.
When you set up a master data field such as bike type as your sales line grouping, Business Central automatically fills in the group on each new sales line based on the item’s master data information. You can then use the Align Shipment Date function in Reverse Planning to postpone all shipment dates within a group to the latest date in that group.
What master data grouping does
Master data grouping is a way of grouping purchase lines and sales lines so you can act on them together. In the master data information setup, you define a sales line master data grouping and a purchase line master data grouping.
In a typical example, you set the sales line master data grouping to a field like bike type. When you enter a new sales line, the system takes the master data information (the bike type) and uses that value as the sales line master data grouping. This means the grouping is applied automatically as you add lines, with no manual entry.
How it connects to the Reverse Planning app
If you only needed the value on the line, you could simply use a replicate field. The real benefit comes when you also have the Reverse Planning app, which is a separate app.
In the Reverse Planning setup, you can align sales dates per group and copy groups from master data. This ties the two apps together. The master data group you define flows into the reverse planning group, so the grouping you set up in one app is reused in the other.
Working with groups on a sales order
When you add lines to a new sales order, the system creates the master data group column automatically based on the master data information on the items. It then fills in the reverse planning group, because the relevant check mark is set.
In the example, five lines are added to the order. Three of them end up in the same group, and the other two are in separate groups. The point is that you can handle sales lines per group. For example, you can ship all the city bikes together, handle clothing items as one group, or group items by transport method such as airplane or train.
Aligning shipment dates per group
With Reverse Planning, you can use the Align Shipment Date function to align dates per reverse planning group. In the example, the five lines start with five different shipment dates.
When you run the alignment, the shipment dates are postponed to the latest shipment date within each group. The two lines in separate groups keep their original dates. The three lines in the same group are postponed to the latest possible date so they ship together.
The grouping is not limited to shipment dates. You can set up your own master data and use it for many other purposes, with shipment date alignment being one practical example.
Q&A
What is master data grouping in Business Central?
It is a way of grouping sales lines and purchase lines so you can handle them together. You define a sales line master data grouping and a purchase line master data grouping in the master data information setup, and the group is applied automatically based on the item’s master data information.
Do I need the Reverse Planning app to use master data grouping?
Not for grouping itself. But to align shipment dates per group, you need the Reverse Planning app, which is a separate app. Without it, you could only use a replicate field to copy the value onto the line.
How does aligning shipment dates per group work?
You use the Align Shipment Date function in Reverse Planning. It postpones all shipment dates within the same group to the latest shipment date in that group, so the lines in a group ship together. Lines in separate groups keep their own dates.
What kinds of grouping can I set up?
You can group by any master data field you choose. Common examples include shipping all city bikes together, grouping clothing items, or grouping items by transport method such as airplane or train.