With the master data information variant handling, you can work with two or many dimension or even just one dimension, meaning if you open a sales order or purchase order and you enter the information or the variant matrixes, you can define different dimensions that you want to view.
Variant handling in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central lets you work with items that have multiple dimensions, such as color, length, size, and material. You can set up between one and 15 dimensions per item, and you name each dimension yourself.
When you open a sales order or purchase order and enter the variant matrix, you see the dimensions laid out in a matrix view. The columns and rows you see depend on the table template you define on the item card. Business Central automatically shows as many columns as the number of dimensions you have set up.
You can create items across all these dimensions, which makes the tool flexible for businesses that sell products in many combinations.
How variant handling works with master data information
With master data information and variant handling, you can work with one dimension, two dimensions, or many dimensions on the same item. The choice is yours, and you define it based on how your products are structured.
When you open a sales order or purchase order and enter the variant matrix, you decide which dimensions you want to view. For an item with a three-dimensional setup, the variant matrix shows two of the dimensions as columns on the left-hand side, for example color and length, and the third dimension, such as size, runs across the header.
You control which dimensions appear as columns. Instead of color, you could place length in the column position. The setup is entirely up to you.
Setting up dimensions on the item card
You can define up to 15 different dimensions per item. You could set up color, length, material, and so on, and you name each of these dimensions yourself.
The table template you define on the item card determines how the matrix displays. Business Central automatically shows as many columns in the matrix as you have set up in the dimensions, so the view always matches the way you have structured the item.
Q&A
How many dimensions can you set up for a variant in Business Central?
You can set up between one and 15 dimensions per item. You name each dimension yourself, for example color, length, size, or material.
How is the variant matrix displayed in a sales or purchase order?
When you enter the variant matrix on a sales order or purchase order, the dimensions appear as columns and rows. For a three-dimensional item, two dimensions show as columns on the left-hand side and the third dimension runs across the header. You decide which dimensions appear as columns.
What controls how the variant matrix looks?
The table template you define on the item card controls the display. Business Central automatically shows as many columns in the matrix as the number of dimensions you have set up.