When you run a mobile warehouse solution in Business Central, the way you are licensed by Microsoft has a direct impact on how many devices and users you can have. The two options are a full Business Central user and a device user. With a full user, one person can use as many devices as they want. With a device user license, each physical device needs its own license, but any number of people can share that device. So if you have 10 scanners in your warehouse, you need 10 device user licenses.
You log in to the mobile flow with a user code that is a resource number, or with a PIN code if you prefer. All registrations are then tied to that resource number, even when several people share the same device. To save time, you can lock a device to a specific resource in the mobile flow user setup, so you don’t have to enter the resource number every time.
How licensing affects your mobile warehouse setup in Business Central
Because the mobile warehouse solution works directly in Business Central, the Microsoft licensing model decides what your setup can look like. You need to know up front whether you are using a full Business Central user or a device user, because the two work in opposite ways when it comes to the relationship between people and hardware.
With a full Business Central user, the license follows the person. One full user can work on as many devices as they want. This is the right model when you have a smaller number of people who each move between several scanners, terminals or computers.
With a device user license, the license follows the hardware. Each device has to be licensed on its own, but you can have many people use the same device. This is the right model when you have a fixed number of devices in the warehouse and a larger group of staff sharing them. The practical example is straightforward: if you have 10 scanners in your inventory, you need 10 device user licenses to be correctly licensed.
Logging in with a resource number or PIN code
You open the mobile warehouse flow and enter your user code, which is a resource number. Each person has their own resource number, so one user might log in as Simon and another logs in with a different number. If you prefer, you can also use a PIN code to sign in.
Once you are logged in, all registrations are recorded against your resource number. This holds even when the same physical device is shared by several people, so each registration stays correctly attributed to the person who made it.
Locking a device to a specific resource
In the mobile flow user setup, you can lock a device to a specific resource. For example, you can lock your Windows login on a given computer to a specific resource, so the system knows who you are and you don’t have to enter the resource number every time you start working.
With this setup and a full Business Central user, one person can move across many computers and devices without extra licensing, and the device can still be tied to the right resource for faster login.
Q&A
What is the difference between a full Business Central user and a device user license for mobile warehouse?
A full Business Central user lets one person use as many devices as they want, because the license follows the person. A device user license requires each device to be licensed on its own, but many people can share the same device, because the license follows the hardware.
How many licenses do I need for 10 warehouse scanners?
If you use device user licenses, you need 10 device user licenses for 10 scanners, one for each device, regardless of how many people use them.
How do I log in to the mobile warehouse flow?
You enter a user code, which is your resource number, or you can use a PIN code. All your registrations are then recorded against your resource number, even when you share the device with others.
Can I avoid entering my resource number every time?
Yes. In the mobile flow user setup, you can lock a device, such as your Windows login on a specific computer, to a specific resource. Then you don’t have to enter the resource number each time.