With master data information copy functionality.
The Copy Master Data Action functionality in Business Central lets you control which master data fields transfer when you copy a serial number or lot number. You set up actions per field, choosing either to always skip the field or always change it to a fixed value.
This means you can copy the structure of a serial number’s master data without dragging along values that should not be reused. For example, you can keep the created date but blank out the assigned employee, the allocation status, the assigned date, and the last service date.
The result is a clean master data record on the new serial number. You avoid the risk of copying allocation data that belongs to a different unit, which would otherwise produce incorrect setups.
What the Copy Master Data Action does
The Copy Master Data Action is a small but useful feature tied to master data information copying. It applies only to serial numbers or lot numbers. On the Copy Master Data Action page, you define rules per field on the relevant table. In this example, the setup is made on the serial number table (table 6504).
Each field can be configured with an action such as Always Skip or Always Change. These actions decide what happens to that field when a serial number or lot number is copied.
The scenario: allocating master data to serial numbers
The typical use case is allocating master data to serial numbers. In this example, computers are allocated to employees, but the same logic works for any normal use of serial numbers where you attach master data and want to reuse the copy functionality.
When you create a new serial number, you want to transfer the master data structure. But when you copy the serial number, you only want to copy the information value and the value setup, not every specific field value.
Take a serial number where the information value is allocated. It could also have been reserved or not allocated. It has an assigned date, a created date, and a last service date filled in. When you copy this record to create a new serial number, you do not want all of that to carry over.
Configuring fields to skip or change
For the new serial number, the goal is a clean starting point:
- Employee number: removed, because the unit is not yet allocated. The field is always skipped and left blank.
- Allocation status: always changed to “Accessory Allocated: Not”, so the new record shows as not allocated.
- Assigned date: always skipped, since the unit is not assigned yet.
- Last service date: always skipped.
- Created date: maintained, so this value carries over to the copy.
This is exactly what the setup on the Copy Master Data Action page reflects: the employee is always skipped and left blank, the allocation field is always set to not allocated, and the assigned date and last service date are always skipped.
The result when you copy a serial number
When you copy a serial number with this setup, the new record reflects the rules. After a simple test, the new serial number shows the allocation status as not allocated, the employee removed, and the dates that should not carry over removed. The created date stays.
The outcome is a cleaner master data setup ready for use. Without these rules, the copy would carry incorrect allocation data, leading to wrong setups.
This gives you an easy way to control lot number and serial number master data when copying. You copy the new numbers and avoid having to manually re-enter or correct information to make sure everything is right.
Q&A
What does the Copy Master Data Action feature apply to?
It applies only to serial numbers and lot numbers. You use it to control which master data fields transfer when you copy these numbers.
What action types can you set on a field?
You can set Always Skip, which leaves the field blank on the copy, or Always Change, which sets the field to a fixed value such as “Not Allocated”.
Can you keep some field values while clearing others when copying?
Yes. You configure each field individually. For example, you can keep the created date while skipping the employee number, the assigned date, and the last service date, and force the allocation status to not allocated.
Why use this instead of copying everything?
Copying every field would carry over allocation data, assigned employees, and dates that belong to the original unit. That produces incorrect setups. The Copy Master Data Action gives you a clean record without manual corrections.