When you work with sales orders in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, you can print a range of documents from both the open and posted documents. Each document has a specific purpose, from confirming an order to instructing the warehouse and invoicing the customer.
The sales order confirmation goes to the customer after you enter the order. The proforma invoice is used when you ship goods across customs borders and need a financial document before posting. The pick instruction and work order help the warehouse and service staff pick items and register hours and components used.
The actual invoice you send to the customer is always printed from the posted sales invoice, not from the open document. You can print a draft invoice beforehand to see how the final invoice will look.
Documents you can print from the open sales order
From the sales order itself, you can print several documents depending on what you need.
- Sales order confirmation: Normally sent to the customer right after you enter the order. It simply confirms the order.
- Proforma invoice: Used when you need to ship goods across customs borders. You need a financial document for the items even though the order is not yet posted.
- Pick instruction: Meant as an instruction for the warehouse staff to pick the items. This applies when you are not using the advanced warehouse functionality and instead pick directly on the sales order.
- Work order: Looks similar to the pick instruction but has a section to fill in. If you create a sales order for service work, you can register hours and components. A work order can follow a service person doing work at a client site, who then enters which components and hours they used.
Documents on sales quotes and blanket orders
On the sales quote, you have the sales quote document to send to the customer. On the blanket order, you have the sales blanket order that you can also send to the customer.
Documents you can print from posted sales documents
Once you post a document, a different set of printouts becomes available.
- Posted sales shipment: A printout that normally follows the item with the shipment. It is used by the logistics staff.
- Sales invoice options: From the sales invoice, you can also print a proforma invoice, and you can print a draft invoice that shows how the invoice will look before you post it.
The actual sales invoice is printed from the posted sales invoice. It does not matter whether you invoice from the sales order or from the sales invoice. The invoice sent to the customer is always based on the posted document.
Documents on sales return orders
On the sales return order, you have a confirmation, just like on the sales order. When you post the sales return order, it creates a posted sales return receipt and a posted sales credit memo.
An overview of all sales documents
Together, these documents give you a full picture of what you can print across the sales process. The structure mirrors the order flow: open documents for confirmations, picking and quoting, and posted documents for shipments, invoices and returns. Knowing which document comes from where makes it easier to keep your sales workflow under control.
Q&A
Where is the actual sales invoice printed from in Business Central?
The actual sales invoice is always printed from the posted sales invoice. It does not matter whether you invoice from the sales order or the sales invoice. The invoice sent to the customer is based on the posted document.
What is a proforma invoice used for?
A proforma invoice is normally used when you need to ship goods across customs borders and need a financial document for the items even though the order is not yet posted. You can print it from both the sales order and the sales invoice.
What is the difference between a pick instruction and a work order?
A pick instruction tells the warehouse staff which items to pick when you are not using the advanced warehouse functionality. A work order looks similar but has a section to fill in, so a service person can register hours and components used at a client site.
What documents does posting a sales return order create?
When you post a sales return order, it creates a posted sales return receipt and a posted sales credit memo. The sales return order also has a confirmation, just like the sales order.
Can I see how an invoice will look before posting it?
Yes. You can print a draft invoice from the sales invoice, which shows how the invoice will look when you print it. The final invoice is then printed from the posted sales invoice.