When you create new items or modify master data on existing items in Dynamics 365 Business Central, the changes can be reflected automatically in your item hierarchy. You do not have to build the structure manually for each new item.
You copy an existing item and adjust its parameters. The new item then appears in the right place in your master data hierarchy based on its specifications.
Before a new item shows up in the hierarchy, you have to update the item relations. This is the underlying data that places the item in the structure. You can set this update to run automatically, or you can run it manually for a single item or for all items.
How copying an item works in the master data hierarchy
The idea behind the master data hierarchy is that creating or changing items automatically feeds into the structure. If you add a new item or change the master data on an existing one, it ends up in the correct segment of the hierarchy without extra work.
Take a practical example. In the master data hierarchy we have a Mill City bike in the Nexus 7 gear segment. To add another item there, you find an existing bike, for example bike number 1030, and make a copy of it. If you copy it without changes, it shows up in the same place in the hierarchy.
If you change some of the parameters on the copy, the item moves accordingly. For instance, you can copy a city bike and change it to a carry version. When you do that, it pops up in a different part of the hierarchy that matches the new specification.
Copying master data values along with the item
When you make a copy, you give the new item a new item number. You then choose to copy the master data information so the new item carries over all the master data values from the original.
After that, you enter the specification and change it. In the example, you change the bike type from a city bike to a carry. Keep in mind that there are dependencies between fields, so you cannot change everything freely. Some values depend on others.
Updating item relations to refresh the hierarchy
After creating the new item, it does not appear in the hierarchy right away when you refresh. That is because the item relations need to be updated first. The item relations are the underlying data that the hierarchy is built on.
You can set this update to run automatically. If you do it manually, you can update a single item or run the update on all items. Once you run the update and refresh the hierarchy, the new item shows up in the correct place.
The result is that the hierarchy data is created automatically from the master data. If you later change the master data, for example assigning another gear type or another bike type, the item moves to the matching position in the hierarchy.
Q&A
How do you add a new item to the master data hierarchy in Business Central?
You copy an existing item, give it a new item number, and choose to copy the master data values. You then adjust the specification on the copy. After updating the item relations and refreshing the hierarchy, the new item appears in the correct segment based on its specification.
Why does a new item not appear in the hierarchy immediately?
The hierarchy is built on item relations, which are the underlying data behind the structure. A new item only shows up after you update the item relations. You can run this update on a single item or on all items, and you can set it to run automatically.
What happens if you change the master data on an existing item?
The item moves to the position in the hierarchy that matches its new specification. For example, if you change the gear type or bike type, the item shows up under the corresponding segment after the hierarchy is refreshed.
Can you change every field freely when copying an item?
No. There are dependencies between fields, so some values depend on others. You cannot change everything independently when adjusting a copied item.