Mass updating data or adding numbers from number series

Master Data Information in Business Central lets you mass update items, customers, and vendors with running numbers from a number series. You can use this for EAN codes on items, serial numbers, lot numbers, or chain numbers on customers.

You build each number from a number series with an optional prefix or suffix, and you can add a check digit either after the prefix or after the full number. The middle part of the number runs sequentially across all the records you update.

You can update a single record or mass update many records at once. You filter out records that already have a value, then run the action to assign numbers from the chosen number series. You can update several information codes in one operation, for example EAN codes for Denmark, the UK, and China at the same time.

A number series can also be set to manual, which means it does not follow the standard Business Central number series logic, and you fill in the number yourself.

Mass updating EAN codes on items using number series

A common need is to update items with running numbers such as EAN codes. In Master Data Information, you set this up using information codes and a template.

In the example, three information codes are defined on the item, one EAN code each for China, Denmark, and the UK. Some items already have an EAN code assigned from a number series, but others do not, and those are the ones you want to update.

You work from the information matrix using a template. You can create a dedicated template, for example one called Item EAN, or you can add the EAN fields to an existing template. The template holds fields such as product area and the three country EAN codes. The columns available in the matrix are defined by the template.

To get the relevant records into the matrix, you import data from informations, filtered to the records you care about, for example product type “bikes”. You can already see that some of them have EAN codes assigned from a number series, while others are empty.

Before assigning numbers, you remove the records that already have an EAN code. You can do this manually by deleting the lines, or you can use an advanced filter on import to bring in only the records without an EAN code.

Adding number series to lines in the information matrix

From the Actions menu in the matrix, you choose “Add number series to line”. This works like “Add value to line” and by default displays all the columns defined in your template.

When you drill down on one of those fields, you select the number series you want to use. The lookup shows the number series you have set up. You can define a number series for almost anything, including serial numbers on serial number items, lot numbers, and customer chain numbers.

In the example, three number series exist for the Danish market: one for bikes, one for clothes, and one for electronics. For China and the UK, only one number series is set up, because only bikes are manufactured there and need separate EAN codes.

For each number series you can:

• Set up a prefix.
• Define whether it runs from a number series or is manual. A manual number does not follow the standard Business Central number series logic, and you fill it in yourself.
• Add a check digit, placed either after the prefix or after the full number.

In the bike example, the same middle and end of the number series is used across the three countries, so the middle of each EAN code becomes the running number. You can also choose different number series per product type, for example a separate one for electronics.

Updating multiple EAN codes at once

You can assign several EAN codes in a single operation. In the example, you select the EAN for Danish bikes, the EAN for UK bikes, and the EAN for China bikes together. You could also do them one by one if you prefer.

When you confirm the update, Business Central assigns the numbers from the chosen number series. The middle of the number becomes the running number across all three instances.

Using chain numbers to group customers

The same approach works for customers. In the example, a customer such as Future Bikes in Düsseldorf gets a specification with a chain number, where the chain relation is Future Bikes.

This lets you work with different bike chains worldwide, for example Future Bikes, Bike Master, and Discount Bikes. For Future Bikes you set up a number series that defines a Future Bike number, with each shop getting its own separate number so you can distinguish them.

In the information matrix for customers, you add the chain number field. You import based on the chain relation and filter to show only Future Bikes. As with items, some customers already have a number, so you delete those lines first.

Then you add the number series to the line on the chain number field. The Future Bikes number series is defined with a Future Bike worldwide number and, in this example, a suffix to show how it works. When you run the update, each shop gets the next running number, which is unique to that shop and lets you identify it.

After the update, you can open a customer such as customer 80,000 and see the assigned chain number on its specification, for example number 56.

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