The flow inventory pick for production order in Business Central lets warehouse staff pick materials for production using a dedicated, focused list instead of working through every pick in the warehouse. You create the inventory pick directly from a released production order, and the warehouse worker then finds it by the production order number.
You can post the pick partially. When you post, Business Central registers the consumption on the production order, and you can see the picked items in the item ledger entries.
This functionality requires a location set up to use inventory picks only.
Creating an inventory pick from a production order
You start with a released production order. From the Actions on the production order, you can create an inventory pick, provided the location is set up to use inventory picks only. Once you do this, Business Central creates an inventory pick activity tied to that production order.
The pick is created with a source type of production order. This source type is what later lets the warehouse worker filter for the right picks.
Why production picks are kept separate
In a typical warehouse, you have people dedicated to specific tasks. Some pick for production, others pick for transfers, and so on. Splitting inventory picks into production, transfers, and other types keeps these tasks from getting mixed up.
You could still work from the full inventory pick list and select everything, including the production consumption. But the person picking for production normally goes straight to the inventory pick production list and uses the production order number to find their work, because the production order number is exactly what they have been told to pick for.
Picking the production order lines
As a warehouse user, you select the production order number, and Business Central finds the inventory pick activity for that order. You then work through the production order lines.
For each line, you confirm the bin code and enter the quantity. As an example, you might take a lamp on a given bin code with a quantity of five. You confirm the bin code and enter the quantity, then move to the next item, check and confirm the item number, confirm the bin code, and confirm the quantity.
You do not have to pick the full quantity. If you only have three of an item available, or if you need to stop for lunch, you can pick a partial quantity and post what you have.
Posting consumption to the production order
You can stop and post the pick whenever it makes sense. When you post, Business Central posts consumption for that production order.
To verify the result, open the production order and look at the item ledger entries. There you can see the items you have picked and posted for the production order.
Q&A
What do you need before you can create an inventory pick for a production order?
You need a released production order and a location set up to use inventory picks only. With both in place, you can create the inventory pick from the Actions on the production order.
How does a warehouse worker find the right inventory pick for production?
The worker goes to the inventory pick production list and searches by the production order number. That number is what they have been told to pick for, so it points them directly to the correct pick activity.
Can you post an inventory pick for production before picking everything?
Yes. You can pick a partial quantity and post it, for example if only part of the stock is available or if you need to stop work. Business Central posts consumption for the production order based on what you picked.
How do you check what has been posted to the production order?
Open the production order and look at the item ledger entries. There you can see the items that have been picked and posted as consumption for that order.
Why are inventory picks split into production, transfers, and other types?
Warehouse staff are usually dedicated to specific tasks. Splitting the picks keeps production picking, transfer picking, and other work from getting mixed up, so each worker sees only the picks relevant to their job.