The sales configurator in Business Central lets you build product hierarchies directly from a sales order line. Before that works, you have to set up your items correctly.
After you activate the sales configurator, you need to checkmark the field Include in Hierarchy on every item and stock keeping unit you want to be part of the hierarchy. The field sits on the Planning tab of the item card.
When you create a new stock keeping unit, the checkmark follows automatically from the item. On existing stock keeping units, it does not. You have to set the checkmark manually on those.
How to set up Include in Hierarchy on items
Once the sales configurator is active, open each item you want to include in the hierarchy. Go to the Planning tab and checkmark the field Include in Hierarchy.
You decide yourself which items to include. This applies to both production items and purchase items. The items you mark are the ones that become available when you build the hierarchy from a sales order line.
Handling stock keeping units
If you use stock keeping units, you need to be aware of how the field behaves. When you create a new stock keeping unit, the Include in Hierarchy field automatically inherits the setting from the item.
On existing stock keeping units this does not happen. Checkmarking the field on the item does not push the change down to stock keeping units that already exist. If you already have stock keeping units, open each one, find the Include in Hierarchy field, and checkmark it yourself.
Creating sales orders with the hierarchy
With the items and stock keeping units set up, you are ready to work with sales orders. From a sales order line, you create the hierarchy, and the lines that appear are the items you marked with Include in Hierarchy. You can then unfold hierarchies based on this checkmark.
Q&A
What do I need to do after activating the sales configurator?
You need to checkmark the field Include in Hierarchy on the items and stock keeping units you want to be part of the hierarchy. The field is on the Planning tab of the item card.
Does the Include in Hierarchy setting carry over to stock keeping units?
It carries over automatically only when you create a new stock keeping unit. For existing stock keeping units, you have to set the checkmark manually, because checkmarking the field on the item does not update them.
Which items end up in the hierarchy when I create it from a sales order line?
Only the items you have marked with Include in Hierarchy. This can include both production items and purchase items, and you decide yourself which items to include.