The graphical inventory profile in Business Central lets you view inventory across multiple companies. If you run separate sales and inventory companies, or operate several shops, you can check stock in another company directly from your own. This is useful when you work with intercompany functionality or when you split your setup into sales hubs and inventory hubs.
You start by viewing the inventory profile in your own company. If you have a sales order with customer demand but no stock for the item, you can run the profile again and filter on another company. That lets you see whether the item is available elsewhere and whether you can source it from there.
Viewing inventory across multiple companies
The graphical inventory profile makes it possible to view the profile in other companies, not just the one you are currently working in. This matters in two common setups: when you run one or more sales companies alongside a dedicated inventory company, and when you have several physical shops.
A simple example: you work in a shoe shop and a customer wants a shoe you do not have in stock. Instead of telling the customer no, you can check the neighbouring shoe shop’s stock through the graphical profile and see if the item is available there.
How it works in practice
By default, you look only in your own company. Say you have a sales order representing customer demand, but the item is not on stock at all in your company. You can run the profile again and filter on other companies.
From there you choose which companies to include. You might filter on the main company, or on several different companies at once. This gives you a view of the inventory profile in those other companies, so you can decide whether it is possible to get the item from one of them.
When to use this functionality
This is most relevant if you use intercompany functionality, where transactions move between related companies. It is also valuable if you have split your operation into sales hubs and inventory hubs, where the demand sits in one company and the stock sits in another. In both cases, the graphical inventory profile gives you visibility across the companies so you can find and move stock where it is needed.
Q&A
What does the graphical inventory profile let you do across companies?
It lets you view the inventory profile in companies other than the one you are working in. You can check stock availability elsewhere and assess whether you can source an item from another company.
How do you check stock in another company?
You run the graphical inventory profile and filter on other companies. You can filter on the main company or on several different companies to see their inventory profiles.
When is this functionality most useful?
It is most useful if you use intercompany functionality, or if you run separate sales hubs and inventory hubs. It also helps if you operate several shops and want to check stock at another location.
Can you use it to fulfil a sales order when you have no stock?
Yes. If you have a sales order with customer demand but no stock for the item in your own company, you can use the profile to check whether the item is available in another company and get it from there.