The Move Demand Dates journal in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central helps you handle situations where supply and demand no longer line up. When you calculate demand dates, the system suggests actions for either moving existing supply or replenishing items that are missing.
The action message “Move” routes your work to one of two worksheets. Changes to production orders, assembly orders, and transfer orders go to the Reverse Planning Worksheet. Changes to sales orders go to the Sales Order Handling Worksheet.
You cannot carry out a “Replenish Item” action from the Move Demand Dates journal. That action message means there is no supply to move, so you have to create new supply yourself.
The Sales Order Handling Worksheet is a separate worksheet built specifically for sales orders, because the standard planning worksheet does not handle them.
How the Move Demand Dates journal calculates actions
When you calculate demand dates and run the journal, the system looks at your supply and demand and suggests different actions. Every suggestion is about either moving existing supply or replenishing items.
The action message “Move” can come from several source types. It can be a sales order, a transfer order, an assembly order, or a production order. These are all orders that can have supply tied to them, so if the supply is not good enough, the system suggests moving them.
Where the action messages end up
Where a moved line ends up depends on its source type.
- If the source type is a production order, assembly order, or transfer order, the line ends up in the Reverse Planning Worksheet.
- If the source type is a sales order, the line ends up in the Sales Order Handling Worksheet.
When you carry out the action messages, the system moves the lines accordingly. In the example shown, five lines move into the Reverse Planning Worksheet and one line moves into the Sales Order Handling Worksheet. After carrying out, the system asks whether you want to open each worksheet, so both can open on top of each other.
Why some lines cannot be moved
The last two lines in the example are “Replenish Item”, and you cannot check those off. The reason is that there is nothing to move. “Replenish” is the signal that you have demand but no supply to shift around.
In this case, there is one sales order with two lines that you cannot supply. If you look at the graphical profile, you see a demand of 18 pieces but zero inventory. Since there is no inventory and no supply order, there are no dates to move. As a planner, you have to supply those items some other way.
If you run a simple MRP on these lines, they show up as critical, because something has to be done about them before they can be fulfilled.
Working in the Sales Order Handling Worksheet
The Sales Order Handling Worksheet lists all your sales orders, each with a shipment date and a new shipment date. In the example there is only one sales order, but normally you would see all of them here.
This worksheet is meant for the sales assistant to handle. The message is that you have to contact the customer and tell them the item is not available on the original date. The customer either waits until the new date, or you handle the order however your process requires. The point is that you cannot fulfil it as planned.
Working in the Reverse Planning Worksheet
The Reverse Planning Worksheet contains changes to your own existing production orders, assembly orders, and transfer orders. This is internal supply chain handling, where you decide what to do.
If the calculation comes back and says a situation is bad and needs action, you have to plan back the other way. You might buy items, pay more to get them faster, or take whatever step gets things unstuck. That decision is up to you. From here, planners normally carry out the changes to the supply orders.
What stays in the journal
The lines you cannot act on stay in the Move Demand Dates journal, because there is nothing the system can do with them automatically. The salesperson can contact the customers and carry out the rest, while the remaining lines stay in the journal until you handle them. If nothing can be done, you can simply delete them.
Q&A
What is the difference between the Reverse Planning Worksheet and the Sales Order Handling Worksheet?
The Reverse Planning Worksheet handles changes to your own production orders, assembly orders, and transfer orders as part of internal supply chain handling. The Sales Order Handling Worksheet handles sales orders, listing them with a shipment date and a new shipment date so the sales assistant can contact the customer.
Why can I not check off “Replenish Item” lines in the Move Demand Dates journal?
Because there is no supply to move. “Replenish” means you have demand but no existing supply order or inventory to shift. You have to create new supply yourself instead of moving dates.
Why does the standard planning worksheet not handle sales orders?
The standard planning worksheet in Business Central does not handle sales orders, so a dedicated Sales Order Handling Worksheet was built specifically to handle them.
What happens to lines I cannot act on in the Move Demand Dates journal?
They stay in the journal because the system cannot move or replenish them automatically. If you run a simple MRP they show up as critical. You either supply the items some other way or delete the lines.