Mobile Flow in Business Central lets you scan a single barcode that contains multiple parameters at once. Instead of scanning three separate barcodes for a production order number, a label number, and a unit of measure, you set up one bundled barcode that delivers all three values in a single scan.
You build these bundled barcodes using a data processing code that defines a start identifier and a set of parameters. The standard setup uses a hashtag as the start identifier, followed by parameters separated by the standard Business Central separator. Each parameter can hold up to 20 characters.
You can run a Mobile Flow directly from the flow overview without a mobile device. This makes it easy to test the setup, either by entering the values manually or by scanning a bundled barcode.
How Mobile Flow is built in Business Central
Everything in Mobile Flow is configured through setup. A flow is made up of different actions, and each action has a sub page that performs a task. When you look at a flow, you see this structure laid out as a series of steps.
The setup is complex once you look beneath the surface, which is why it usually pays off to get help configuring it. From the flow overview you can both design a flow and run it, so you can adjust the setup and test the result in the same place.
Defining bundled barcodes with a data processing code
The core of the bundled barcode is the data processing code. You can use one of the existing codes, manipulate it, or create your own.
The setup works like this:
- Start identifier: a hashtag that marks the beginning of the barcode.
- Parameters: each parameter is defined by a character range. For example, from one character up to 20 characters you can read the production order number, then the next segment, and so on.
- Separator: you separate the parameters using the standard Business Central separator.
In the example, the flow is named “carton level”. The name itself does not matter. What matters is that the flow returns the barcode, the label number, and the unit of measure. With this approach you can set up as many different bundled labels or barcodes as you need.
Running a flow manually versus scanning a bundled barcode
To see how it works, you can run the flow from the overview. If you are not using the bundled barcode you designed, you enter the information manually. You leave the barcode field blank, press yes, and then select the production order number, the unit of measure code, and the label number one step at a time. At the end the flow asks whether you want to register the data.
With a bundled barcode the same registration happens in one action. If the barcode contains the hashtag, the production order number, the label number, and the unit of measure, scanning it goes straight to registering the data. So instead of scanning three times, you scan once.
This is the point of building a bundled flow. You print or apply a single barcode on a pallet or label that carries all the parameters, and a single scan completes the registration.
Q&A
What is a bundled barcode in Mobile Flow?
A bundled barcode is a single barcode that contains several parameters, such as a production order number, a label number, and a unit of measure. Scanning it once enters all the values in one go instead of requiring separate scans.
How do you define a bundled barcode in Business Central Mobile Flow?
You define it with a data processing code. The code uses a start identifier (a hashtag), a set of parameters defined by character ranges of up to 20 characters each, and the standard Business Central separator between them. You can use an existing data processing code, modify it, or create your own.
Can you run a Mobile Flow without a mobile device?
Yes. You can run a Mobile Flow directly from the flow overview. This lets you test the setup by entering values manually or by scanning a bundled barcode, and adjust the design in the same place.
What is the benefit of using bundled barcodes?
You replace several scans with one. Instead of scanning the production order number, the label number, and the unit of measure separately, a single bundled barcode on a pallet or label registers all the data in one scan.