Receiving goods against a purchase order in Business Central usually means you have to keep track of how much is left to receive on each line. The Receive on Purchase Order flow handles that for you. It lets you receive directly against a purchase order, fill in quantities as goods arrive, pause halfway through, and pick up again later without losing track of what is left. Here is how the flow works in practice.
You start by selecting a purchase order, either by typing the number, scanning a barcode, or looking it up. The flow then asks whether to blank the quantity to receive on all lines, so you start from a clean slate and enter only what physically arrived.
You can enter quantities in the unit of measure you actually handle. If a line is set up in cartons rather than base units, you scan or look up the item and enter the number of cartons. One carton can contain 25 base units, and the flow handles the conversion for you.
If you are not finished receiving everything, you do not have to post. You can stop the flow, leave the quantities entered on the purchase order, and continue later. When you come back, you choose not to blank the quantity to receive, so you keep what you already registered and simply add the rest.
Receiving against a purchase order with the mobile flow
Take a purchase order with three lines and different quantities. One of the lines is not in the base unit of measure but in cartons, where each carton contains 25 base units. On the purchase order, the quantity to receive shows as 10, 5 and 8 across the lines. The challenge when receiving in a flow-based way is to maintain those quantities to receive correctly as goods come in.
You leave the purchase order open in the background and start the mobile flow. Choose Receive on Purchase Order, then select, scan, or look up the purchase order number.
Next you set the posting date, which defaults to today, and enter the vendor shipment number if one exists. You can scan it or take it from the shipping bill. The flow then asks whether to update the purchase order header with the vendor shipment number and the posting date you just entered. You confirm with yes.
Blanking quantity to receive before entering what arrived
The flow then asks whether to blank the quantity to receive on all purchase order lines. You say yes. This clears the existing quantities to receive so you can fill them in again based on what actually arrived.
Now you register the goods. Scan the first item number or look it up. For example, you need 5 cartons but only 3 arrived, so you enter 3. Move to the next item, scan or look it up, and enter the quantity received, for instance 4 pieces. Continue line by line for everything that has arrived.
Pausing the receipt and continuing later
When you are not done, you do not have to post. On a large purchase order where you want to take a break, you can stop. The flow asks whether you want to post, and you answer no because you want to continue receiving later. The flow then prepares for the next purchase order.
If you look at the purchase order at this point, it has first blanked the quantity to receive and then entered the quantities you just registered. Nothing is posted yet.
When you come back, start the flow again and select or scan the purchase order number. This time, when the flow asks whether to blank the quantity to receive, you answer no. That keeps the quantities you already entered so you continue where you left off. Add the remaining items, for example the saddle with 5 pieces.
Posting the completed receipt
Once everything that arrived has been registered, you post the purchase order. After posting, the flow is ready to receive the next purchase order.
The flow receives the quantities you entered and then refills the quantity to receive on the purchase order lines. That means the next time you continue with a new receipt on that purchase order, you blank the quantity to receive again and start fresh.
Q&A
Can I receive goods in cartons instead of base units?
Yes. If a purchase order line is set up in cartons, you enter the number of cartons received and the flow handles the conversion. For example, one carton can contain 25 base units.
Can I receive part of a purchase order, take a break, and continue later?
Yes. You register what has arrived and then answer no when the flow asks whether to post. The quantities you entered stay on the purchase order without being posted. When you return, you start the flow again, answer no to blanking the quantity to receive, and continue where you left off.
What does blanking the quantity to receive do?
When the flow asks whether to blank the quantity to receive on all lines and you answer yes, it clears the existing quantities to receive. This gives you a clean slate so you only enter what physically arrived rather than the full ordered amount.
What does the flow do with the quantity to receive after posting?
After posting, the flow refills the quantity to receive on the purchase order lines. The next time you continue receiving against that purchase order, you blank the quantity to receive again before entering the new arrivals.
What information does the flow update on the purchase order header?
The flow updates the purchase order header with the posting date and the vendor shipment number you enter at the start of the flow, after you confirm the update.