When you build a production hierarchy in Business Central, customer specific information from the master data follows the orders down through the structure. This article explains how that master data moves from the sales order to both the purchase order and the production order, where you find it on each document, and how to keep it up to date when requirements change.
Master data added to the sales order transfers to the purchase order header, not the purchase line, because the same item can come from many different sub-production orders. To see it, navigate into the master data information on the purchase header.
On the production order, the master data transfers to the production order line, not the header.
Both the purchase order and the production order have a function to update master data directly from the sales order. Use it when the customer comes back with new requirements so the orders in the hierarchy reflect the latest information.
How master data transfers when you create a hierarchy
When you create the hierarchy, the customer specific information added to the master data is transferred to the orders in the hierarchy. This is controlled by the checkmarks Transfer to production order and Transfer to purchase order. If a checkmark is set, the relevant information follows the order down into the structure.
Where to find master data on the purchase order
On the purchase order, the information lands on the purchase order header. The reason is that the same item can be added from many different sub-production orders, so it does not make sense to tie the information to a single line.
To view it, open the hierarchy, navigate into one of the purchase orders, and look at the master data information on the purchase header section. Here you can see the specific information that came from the sales order.
You can also add master data directly to the purchase line for specific items. That information can come from the item card. If you enter the line and open the master data information, you may find values inherited from the item card, or nothing at all if the item card holds no master data. So a purchase line can hold information transferred from the sales line as well as information coming from the item card.
Where to find master data on the production order
On the production order, the master data transfers to the production order line, not the header. Open the document and you can enter or view the master data information on the line, including the customer specific information.
This information can also be printed to production, so the people working on the order have the customer specific details in hand.
Updating master data when requirements change
Requirements rarely stay still. When something changes, or the customer comes back with more information, you do not have to rebuild anything. Both the purchase order and the production order have a function to update master data from the sales order. This lets you push the latest information out to the orders in the hierarchy.
Q&A
Does master data transfer to the purchase order header or the purchase line?
It transfers to the purchase order header. The same item can come from many different sub-production orders, so the information sits on the header rather than a single line. You can still add master data directly to a purchase line for specific items, and that information can come from the item card.
Does master data transfer to the production order header or the production order line?
It transfers to the production order line. Open the production order document and you can enter or view the master data and the customer specific information on the line.
What controls whether master data follows the orders in the hierarchy?
The checkmarks Transfer to production order and Transfer to purchase order control it. When set, the customer specific information from the master data is transferred to the relevant orders when you create the hierarchy.
How do you update master data on the orders when customer requirements change?
Both the purchase order and the production order have a function to update master data from the sales order. When requirements change or the customer provides more information, use this function to update the orders in the hierarchy.
Can customer specific information be printed to production?
Yes. The customer specific master data on the production order line can be printed to production.