You can speed up the creation of new subscriptions in Business Central by copying existing ones instead of building them from scratch. The function relies on the standard Copy Document feature used for blanket orders. You set the document type to Blanket Order, pick the document number of the subscription you want to copy, and choose whether to copy the header and the lines.
If you copy to the same customer, copying the header brings across the customer number and the rest of the header details. You can also choose to recalculate the lines during the copy if prices or conditions need updating. This approach saves time when you need a similar subscription on the same customer or want to reuse the lines.
When copying beats using templates
For some users it does not make sense to work with actual templates that you can copy. But the copy functionality can still be useful, because you can copy an existing subscription from another customer or from the same customer. If you know that one subscription is very similar to the one you are about to create, copying it is the fastest route.
How to copy a subscription with Copy Document
The process builds on the standard Business Central functionality for blanket orders, so it will feel familiar if you already work with those.
- Start by creating a new subscription with Create new.
- Find the Copy Document function.
- Set the document type. Since the feature builds on blanket orders, the document type should always be Blanket Order when you copy into a new subscription.
- In the document number field, choose the subscription you want to copy. For example, you might copy a subscription from the customer Bikes Paris.
- Decide whether to copy the header. If it is the same customer, copying the header makes sense, because it carries over the customer number and everything else.
- Decide whether to recalculate the lines. This is optional, but in some cases it is relevant.
Copying the header and copying the lines are both simple yes or no choices that you make when you run the copy function.
Adjusting the copied subscription
Once you have copied the other subscription, you can work with it like any new document. You can add extra lines or adjust the prices to fit the new subscription. This gives you a quick starting point when you need another type of subscription on the same customer or want to reuse the lines from an existing one.
Q&A
Can you copy an existing subscription in Business Central?
Yes. You can use the Copy Document function to copy an existing subscription from the same customer or from another customer, instead of creating a new one from scratch.
Which document type should you use when copying a subscription?
Set the document type to Blanket Order. The subscription functionality builds on the standard blanket order feature, so the document type should always be Blanket Order when you copy into a new subscription.
Should you copy the header when creating a subscription for the same customer?
Yes. Copying the header makes sense for the same customer, because it brings over the customer number and the rest of the header details automatically.
Do you have to recalculate the lines when copying a subscription?
No. Recalculating the lines is optional. It is a yes or no choice when you run the copy function, and it can be relevant in some cases where prices or conditions need updating.