When you enter a container from the container list, you can see both open outbound container lines and posted outbound container lines, and it’s actually possible to have both like in this scenario, where some of the lines are posted and therefore, the sales shipment or posted transfer orders and others are still open and still yet to be posted.
When you work with outbound containers in Business Central, you can track exactly what has been shipped and what still needs to be handled. The container list gives you a single place to see the full picture of goods leaving on a container, including both the work that is done and the work that remains.
A container can hold a mix of posted and open outbound container lines at the same time. Posted lines correspond to sales shipments or posted transfer orders. Open lines are still waiting to be posted. This means a partially processed container is normal and fully supported.
When you set a container’s status to completed, it disappears from the container list and is no longer visible from the related sales order or transfer order. Completion removes the container from the active filter, so the list always shows only containers that still need attention.
Viewing outbound container lines from the container list
When you open a container from the container list, you see both open outbound container lines and posted outbound container lines. The open lines represent goods that are still to be shipped. The posted lines represent goods that have already been posted as sales shipments or posted transfer orders.
It is entirely possible to have both types on the same container. In a typical scenario, some of the lines are already posted while others remain open and are yet to be posted. This gives you a clear overview of what is supposed to be done and what has already been done on the container.
How container status affects the list and the related orders
As long as a container holds open lines, it stays on the list of containers for all goods. This keeps it visible so you can finish the remaining work.
When you change the status to completed, the container is no longer visible from the sales order or the transfer order, and it drops out of the filter on the container list. Completing a container therefore cleans up your view and confirms that all the goods on it have been handled.
Q&A
Can a container have both posted and open outbound container lines?
Yes. A container can hold posted and open lines at the same time. Posted lines correspond to sales shipments or posted transfer orders, while open lines are still waiting to be posted.
What happens when you set a container’s status to completed?
When you change the status to completed, the container is no longer visible from the sales order or transfer order, and it is removed from the filter on the container list.
Why does a container stay on the container list?
A container remains on the list of containers for all goods as long as it has work to be done. This keeps it visible until it is completed, giving you an overview of what still needs handling.