This is what happens in the video
Flexible Forecast lets you create a sales order directly from the forecast view in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. You enter the quantity you want to sell next to each item, then click Create Sales Order Lines.
You can add the lines to an existing sales order or create a brand new sales order for the customer you are working with. This works well when you have the customer on the phone or standing in the shop.
You can build the forecast selection from master data, a dimension code, or a dimension value. That means you can group items together, for example for a specific campaign, and sell directly from that view.
Creating a sales order from the forecast view
With Flexible Forecast you can create a sales order directly from the forecast view on selected items. This is useful when you are talking to a customer on the phone or standing in the shop with them, and they want to buy items from a specific campaign you have set up.
In this example, the selection is made for a Christmas campaign, so the view shows the sum of all the items on that campaign. The selection itself can be made in different ways. You can use master data, or you can build it directly from a dimension code or dimension value.
Entering quantities while talking to the customer
While you are with the customer, you simply fill in the quantity to sell for each item. It can help to hide some of the columns so you keep the item description visible on the left-hand side and a clear field for the quantity.
Then you enter what the customer asks for. For example, 2 of one item, 43 of another, 5 of the next, 8 of another, and so on. When you are done, you select Create Sales Order Lines.
Adding lines to an existing or new sales order
When you create the sales order lines, you choose where they go. You can:
- Select an existing sales order and add the quantities to it
- Create a new sales order directly for the customer you are talking to
Once you select the sales order, Business Central creates it and adds all the lines with the quantities you entered.
A simple flow from forecast to inventory
This gives you a straightforward way to create a sales order from a view of items on forecast, with the specific quantities you need. From there it is easy to release the order and send it to the inventory so the warehouse can pick it.
Q&A
Can you create a sales order directly from the forecast view in Business Central?
Yes. With Flexible Forecast you enter the quantity to sell on selected items in the forecast view and click Create Sales Order Lines to generate the order.
Can you add forecast lines to an existing sales order?
Yes. When you create the sales order lines, you can either select an existing sales order to add the quantities to, or create a new sales order for the customer.
How do you build the selection of items in the forecast view?
You can build the selection from master data, or directly from a dimension code or dimension value. This lets you group items, for example for a specific campaign.
What happens after you create the sales order from the forecast?
Business Central creates the order with all the lines and quantities you entered. You can then release it and send it to the inventory so the warehouse can pick it.