The Reverse Planning app for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central includes two journals: the MRP worksheet and the Direct Replenishment journal. Both use more or less the same underlying logic. The difference is how many fields they show and which users they target.
The Direct Replenishment journal is the simple option. It strips away most of the columns that add complexity, so it suits inventory staff and shop employees who replenish manually rather than planners who need the full picture.
The journal does not check safety stock, reorder points, or other planning rules automatically. Instead, it imports every item that matches your filter, shows you the relevant quantities, and lets you do the ordering manually. You filter by vendor, location, or any item criteria, enter the quantity to order, mark the lines you want, and carry out the action. The lines transfer to the reverse planning worksheet, where you create the orders.
From there you can create purchase orders, transfer orders, assembly orders, and production orders, all from the same manual flow.
How the Direct Replenishment journal works
The idea is to pull in all items within your filter rather than figuring out which ones fall below safety stock or reorder point. You apply the items with their quantities, see the safety stock, the reorder point, and how many you have on hand, and then order directly.
To replenish from a vendor, you select a template for that vendor. Each template comes with a default suggest-quantity template and a default item filter, so all items for that vendor are included. If you look at vendor number 20,000 on a specific location with whatever item filter you want, the journal imports all matching items. You can keep adding vendors to the same view, and each time it brings in every item that meets your criteria.
On the lines you can see the vendor number, your default quantity to order (generated from the quantity-to-order template), and planning information such as the first date below safety stock, the first date below reorder point, and the quantity on sales orders and purchase orders.
You are not locked into the suggested quantities. You can configure the template not to suggest a quantity at all and enter the numbers manually, or override any suggested number with whatever value you want.
Templates and out-of-the-box setup
The templates you get out of the box in the Direct Replenishment journal are set up to plan in a simple way. You can use the journal with high complexity if you choose to mix it up, but the default templates keep things straightforward.
Who should use the Direct Replenishment journal
Use the simple replenishment journal by default for inventory staff, people in sales shops, and other places where replenishment happens more or less manually. Planners who need the full set of fields and clever planning logic should use the MRP worksheet instead.
Q&A
What is the difference between the MRP worksheet and the Direct Replenishment journal in the Reverse Planning app?
Both journals share more or less the same underlying logic. The difference is how many fields each one shows and which users it targets. The MRP worksheet is for planners who need the full picture, while the Direct Replenishment journal is a simpler view for inventory and shop staff who replenish manually.
Does the Direct Replenishment journal check safety stock and reorder point automatically?
No. It does not figure out whether an item is below safety stock or reorder point. It imports all items within your filter, shows you the quantities, safety stock, reorder point, and stock on hand, and lets you order manually. The safety stock and reorder point information is shown on the lines so you can decide for yourself.
Can I override the suggested quantity to order?
Yes. The default quantity comes from a quantity-to-order template, but you can configure the template not to suggest a quantity and enter it manually, or override any suggested number with whatever value you want.
What types of orders can I create from the Direct Replenishment journal?
When you mark the lines and carry out the action, they transfer to the reverse planning worksheet. From there you can create purchase orders, transfer orders, assembly orders, and production orders.
Can I include items from several vendors in one view?
Yes. You can keep adding vendors to the same view. Each time, the journal imports every item that meets your criteria for that vendor, based on the vendor number and any item filter you apply.
Who should use the Direct Replenishment journal?
Use it by default for inventory staff, people in sales shops, and other places where replenishment happens manually. It uses simpler templates and fewer columns, which suits less complex scenarios.