Feature Overview
The Item Variants feature in Master Data Information extends Business Central's standard item variant functionality with a matrix-based approach to creating, managing, and ordering variants. Instead of creating variants one by one, you define a template that describes the dimensions of variation — such as colour and size — and the app generates all combinations automatically. The result is a structured Style Master with individual Variant lines on sales and purchase documents, making it straightforward to order multiple variants of the same style in a single transaction.
The central concept is the Style. An item marked as a Style Master represents the product family — for example "T-Shirt Style A". Each variant of that item (Red/Small, Red/Medium, Blue/Small, etc.) is a separate item record linked back to the Style Master through a shared Style code. On sales and purchase orders, the Style Master item is added as a header line with zero quantity; the individual variant lines beneath it carry the actual quantities. This structure keeps the order clean while maintaining full traceability per variant.
Variant creation is driven by an Import Template that defines which Information Codes represent the variant dimensions. The template specifies the table (typically Item or Item Variant), the columns, and the sorting. When you run the variant creation process, the app reads the template, generates all dimension combinations, and creates the corresponding item or variant records automatically. The Style Matrix is a filtered view of the Information Matrix showing only the variants for a given style, and the Item Variant Inventory Level page shows current stock per variant combination in a grid.
The matrix is available in two views: a list view (Item Variant Overview / Item Variant Order) that shows each variant as a row with its specifications and order quantities, and a grid view (Item Variant Matrix Order) that shows one specification dimension as columns and the other as rows — useful for entering quantities across a colour/size grid in one operation. Prices on variant lines are updated automatically based on the total combined quantity across all variants when the Auto Update Price from Master setting is enabled — this means volume pricing tiers are respected even when quantities are split across multiple variant lines.
Important: All Variant Handling actions on the Item List and Sales/Purchase Order lines are only visible when the Item Variant Handling feature is enabled in Abakion Feature Management. Enable this feature before attempting to use any of the functionality described in this article.
Key Facts
| Area | Detail |
|---|---|
| Feature prerequisite | Item Variant Handling must be enabled in Abakion Feature Management |
| Where to set up | Item List — Variant Handling action group; Style Master setup on the Item Card |
| Key pages | Item Variant Creation Worksheet, Item Variant Inventory Level, Item Variant Overview, Item Variant Order, Item Variant Matrix Order, Style Matrix |
| Template-driven | Variant creation uses an Import Template to define dimensions |
| Document integration | Style Master line (qty 0) + Variant lines on sales and purchase orders |
| Integration points | Information Codes, Information Matrix, Import Worksheet |
Getting Started
- Set up an Import Template that defines the dimensions for your variants (e.g. Colour and Size as Information Code columns). This is done through the Import Worksheet template setup — refer to the Import Worksheet article for details.
- Open the Item Card for the item you want to designate as the Style Master.
- Enable the Style Master field and assign a Style code and a Style Template (the Import Template you set up in step 1).
- From the Item List, select the Style Master item and choose Variant Handling → Create Item Variant.
- The app opens the variant creation worksheet. Define the specification values for each dimension column.
- Confirm to generate all variant combinations as item or variant records.
- To view all variants for a style, use Variant Handling → Style Matrix from the Item List.
- To see inventory levels per variant, use Variant Handling → Item Variant Inventory Level.
- On a sales or purchase order, add the Style Master item as a line. The quantity on the master line is automatically kept at zero; add variant lines beneath it with the quantities per variant.
Related Features
Item Variants builds on Information Codes — the variant dimensions are defined as Information Codes in the Import Template, and each variant inherits specifications from those codes. The Import Worksheet and its template setup are the foundation for the variant creation process — the Import Template defines the structure of the variant matrix. The Information Matrix is closely related: the same matrix-style view used in Information Matrix underlies the variant grid, and you can use Information Matrix to manage specification values across many variants at once. The Order Matrix extends the variant concept to order lines, allowing users to enter quantities per variant directly in a grid during order entry.
User Stories
US-01: Set up an item as a Style Master for variant management
As a Purchasing Agent
I want to designate a base item as a Style Master so I can generate all colour/size combinations as variants
So that I can order multiple variants in a single purchase order without creating each combination manually
Setup:
- Open the Item Card for the base item.
- Enable Style Master and enter a Style code (e.g.
TS-001). - Set Style Template to the Import Template that defines the variant dimensions.
- Save.
US-02: Generate all variant combinations automatically using the Creation Worksheet
As a Business Manager
I want to create all size/colour combinations for a T-shirt style in one operation
So that I do not have to create each item or item variant record individually
Setup:
- Ensure the Style Master item has a Style Template assigned. The template defines which dimension columns (e.g.
COLOUR,SIZE) are used to generate combinations. - Open the Item Variant Creation Worksheet from the Master Data Information menu.
- Set the Template to the relevant style template and optionally set Copy From Item No. to copy base specifications from the Style Master.
- Use Suggest New Records to generate a line for each combination — the worksheet proposes all permutations of the dimension values defined in the template.
- Review the suggested lines. Remove any combinations you do not want to create.
- Set Accept Action Message on the lines you want to carry out.
- Choose Carry Out Actions. The app creates a new item record (or item variant, depending on the template's Table setting) for each accepted line.
Note: The Creation Worksheet generates records based on the Information Values already defined for each dimension Information Code. If a colour or size is missing from the Information Values list, it will not appear as a suggested combination. The template's Table field determines whether the combinations are created as separate Item records (table 27) or as Item Variants on the Style Master (table 5401).
US-03: View all variants for a style in a matrix layout
As a Business Manager
I want to see all variants for a style side by side in the Information Matrix
So that I can review and edit their specifications in one place without opening each variant individually
Setup:
- From the Item List, select any item belonging to the style.
- Choose Variant Handling → Style Matrix.
- The Information Matrix opens pre-filtered to show only the variant items belonging to that style, using the style's Import Template as the column definition.
- Review and edit specification values directly in the cells as you would in the standard Information Matrix.
Note: Style Matrix is a shortcut into the Information Matrix — it is not a separate page. It uses the same template and column layout as the style's Import Template. To see inventory quantities per variant in a grid, use Variant Handling → Item Variant Inventory Level instead.
US-04: Check inventory levels per variant before placing an order
As a Purchasing Agent
I want to see the current inventory and outstanding purchase order quantities per variant
So that I can identify which variants need replenishment
Setup:
- From the Item List, select the Style Master item.
- Choose Variant Handling → Item Variant Inventory Level.
- The matrix shows current inventory and order quantities per variant, filterable by location and date.
US-05: Enter quantities for multiple variants on a sales order in a matrix
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to enter quantities for all colour/size combinations of a style directly in a grid on the sales order
So that I can process a customer order for multiple variants efficiently
Setup:
- On the Sales Order, add the Style Master item as a line.
- The Style Master line is added with quantity 0.
- Use the Order Matrix action from the sales order line to open the variant matrix.
- Enter quantities per variant in the grid. The app creates individual sales order lines for each variant with a quantity greater than zero.
US-06: Show or hide variant items in the Item List
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to filter the Item List to show only Style Master items, hiding all individual variant items
So that the item list is not cluttered with hundreds of variant lines when I am searching for a style
Setup:
- From the Item List, choose Variant Handling → Set Style Master Filter.
- The list filters to show only items where Style Master = true. Choose the action again to toggle the filter off.
- To additionally hide individual variant items (items where Style Variant = true), choose Variant Handling → Show/Hide Style Variants. Choose it again to toggle them back on.
Note: Both filters are independent toggles and persist for your user session via the Master Data User Setup. Set Style Master Filter shows only Style Masters; Show/Hide Style Variants hides variant items regardless of the Style Master filter state. They can be combined.
US-07: Switch between showing Information Values and their descriptions in the matrix
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to toggle between showing the raw Information Value codes and their full descriptions in the variant matrix
So that I can use whichever view is clearest for the task at hand
Setup:
- Open the Item Variant Matrix or Style Matrix.
- Choose the Show Description action in the action bar to switch from Information Value codes to full descriptions.
- Choose Show Information Values to switch back.
US-08: Enter variant quantities on a purchase order using the list view
As a Purchasing Agent
I want to open the Item Variant Overview from a purchase order line and enter quantities per variant
So that I can replenish multiple colour/size combinations in a single purchase order efficiently
Setup:
- On a Purchase Order, add the Style Master item as a line.
- From the purchase order line, choose Variant Handling → Item Variant Overview (or the equivalent action on the purchase line).
- The Item Variant Overview opens showing all variants with their current inventory.
- Enter the quantity to order per variant row.
- Confirm. The app creates individual purchase order lines for each variant with a quantity greater than zero.
US-09: Enter variant quantities on a sales order using the matrix grid view
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to use the Item Variant Matrix grid view to enter quantities for a colour/size style
So that I can see sizes as rows and colours as columns and enter quantities efficiently in a two-dimensional layout
Setup:
- On a Sales Order, add the Style Master item as a line.
- From the sales order line, choose the Item Variant Matrix action.
- The grid view opens with specification values as columns and the other dimension as rows.
- Enter quantities in the relevant cells.
- Confirm. The app creates individual sales order lines per variant.
Note: Which specification dimension appears as columns is controlled by the Variant Matrix Column Code setting in Master Data Information Setup. If not set, the first Information Code column in the template is used.
US-10: Automatically update variant prices based on combined total quantity
As a Sales Manager
I want to ensure that when a customer orders multiple variants of the same style, the price per variant reflects the total combined quantity across all variants
So that volume pricing tiers are applied correctly even when the order is split across many variant lines
Setup:
- Open Master Data Information Setup.
- Enable Auto Update Price from Master.
- When a sales or purchase order is created with multiple variant lines for the same style, the app automatically calculates the total quantity across all variants and applies the appropriate price tier from the standard BC price list to each line.
Note: Prices are recalculated when variant quantities change and when the order header is recreated (e.g. when the currency or customer is changed).
US-11: Filter sales order lines to show only Style Master lines
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to hide all individual variant lines on a sales order and show only the Style Master summary lines
So that the order is easier to navigate when many variant lines have been added
Setup:
- On the Sales Order, in the lines subform, choose Variant Handling → Set Style Master Filter.
- The line list filters to show only Style Master lines. Choose the action again to toggle off.
- To additionally hide individual variant lines, choose Variant Handling → Show/Hide Style Variants.
Note: Both filters are independent toggles and persist per user session. The Total Variant Quantity field on the Style Master line always shows the combined quantity across all variant lines for that style.
US-12: Open the Style Master Item Card from a sales order line
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to open the Style Master Item Card directly from a variant line on the sales order
So that I can quickly check the master item's specifications or pricing without navigating away from the order
Setup:
- On a Sales Order line that belongs to a style, choose Variant Handling → Open Style Card.
- The Item Card for the Style Master item opens directly.
US-13: Enter variant quantities from a sales order line using the list view
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to open the Item Variant Order list from a sales order line to enter quantities per variant
So that I can see all variants for the style in a simple list and enter quantities row by row
Setup:
- On a Sales Order, add the Style Master item as a line.
- From the Style Master line, choose Variant Handling → Item Variant Order (shortcut:
Shift+Ctrl+O). - The Item Variant Order page opens showing all variants with their specification values and existing quantities from the order.
- Enter or adjust the quantity for each variant row.
- Confirm. The app creates or updates individual sales order lines for each variant with a quantity greater than zero.
US-14: Enter variant quantities from a sales order line using the matrix grid view
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to use the Item Variant Matrix grid view on a sales order to enter quantities in a colour/size layout
So that I can enter quantities for all combinations in a two-dimensional grid rather than a flat list
Setup:
- On a Sales Order, add the Style Master item as a line.
- From the Style Master line, choose Variant Handling → Item Variant Matrix Order (shortcut:
Shift+Ctrl+M). - The grid opens with one dimension as rows and the other as columns. Cells show existing order quantities for variants already on the order.
- Enter quantities in the cells.
- Confirm. Individual sales order lines are created or updated per variant.
Note: The column axis is controlled by the Variant Matrix Column Code in Master Data Information Setup.
US-15: Open the Information Matrix for a style from a sales order
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to open the Information Matrix for a style's variants directly from the sales order line
So that I can review all specification values for the variants without leaving the order
Setup:
- On a Sales Order line belonging to a style, choose Variant Handling → Style Matrix.
- The Information Matrix opens filtered to all items in the style for this order, using the style's Import Template as the column layout.
US-16: Create or refresh Style Master summary lines on a sales order
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to create the Style Master summary lines on a sales order that was imported or manually built with variant lines but no master lines
So that the order has the correct Style Master grouping lines with total quantities
Setup:
- On a Sales Order where variant item lines exist but no Style Master lines have been created, choose Variant Handling → Create Item Variant Master Lines.
- The app scans the order lines, groups them by style, and creates a Style Master line above each group showing the combined total quantity.
Note: This action also refreshes the total quantities on existing Style Master lines if variant quantities have been changed manually.
Item Variant Creation Worksheet
The Item Variant Creation Worksheet is the dedicated tool for generating new item and item variant records from specification dimension combinations. It is accessible from the Master Data Information menu and shares the Import Template infrastructure with the Import Worksheet — but its purpose is creation, not import. Where the Import Worksheet loads and applies data from external files, the Creation Worksheet proposes new record combinations based on your configured dimension values and lets you carry them out in one operation.
The workflow is: select a Template (an Import Template with Table = Item or Item Variant), optionally set a Copy From Item No. to copy base data from an existing item, run Suggest New Records to generate proposed combination lines, review and accept the lines you want, then Carry Out Actions to create the records.
Suggest New Records opens the Create Record Filters dialog where you define which dimension values to include — for example, selecting only specific colours and sizes rather than every possible combination. The worksheet generates one line per combination of the selected values. Each line shows the template, the target table, the copy-from item, the copy options, and the dimension column values.
Lines with Accept Action Message enabled are processed when Carry Out Actions is run. Lines left unchecked are ignored. Change Action Message can bulk-accept or bulk-ignore all currently filtered lines.
The Creation Worksheet only supports templates with Table = Item (27) or Item Variant (5401) — other tables are filtered out of the template lookup.
US-17: Generate all colour/size combinations for a new style using the Creation Worksheet
As a Business Manager
I want to generate all combinations of 5 colours and 4 sizes for a new T-shirt style in one operation
So that all 20 variant records are created without entering each one manually
Setup:
- Open the Item Variant Creation Worksheet from the Master Data Information menu.
- Set Template to the style's Import Template (e.g.
T-SHIRT). - Optionally set Copy From Item No. to an existing item to copy base specifications, unit of measure, and prices.
- Choose Suggest New Records. In the Create Record Filters dialog, select the colour values and size values to include.
- Confirm. The worksheet generates a line for each combination.
- Review the lines — remove any combinations you do not want, or leave their Accept Action Message disabled.
- Use Change Action Message → Accept Action Message to accept all remaining lines.
- Choose Carry Out Actions. The app creates one new item or item variant per accepted line.
US-18: Copy base specifications from an existing item when creating variants
As a Purchasing Agent
I want to create new variants for a style and have each new record automatically inherit the base item's specifications, unit of measure, and purchase prices
So that the new variants start fully configured without manual data entry
Setup:
- Open the Item Variant Creation Worksheet.
- Set Template to the relevant style template.
- Set Copy From Item No. to the Style Master item.
- On the worksheet lines, enable Copy Related Data, Copy Purchase & Sales Prices, and Copy Unit of Measure for the lines that should inherit data.
- Accept and carry out actions.
Note: The copy options can also be configured as defaults on the Import Template itself via Copy Masterdata Information, Copy Purchase and Sales Prices, and Copy Item Unit of Measure fields.
US-19: Add selected new combinations to an existing style
As a Business Manager
I want to add two new colours to an existing style that already has 10 variants
So that only the new combinations are created without touching the existing variants
Setup:
- Open the Item Variant Creation Worksheet and select the style template.
- Choose Suggest New Records and in the filter dialog, select only the two new colour values.
- The worksheet generates lines only for combinations that do not already exist.
- Accept and carry out actions.
Note: The worksheet's Action Message shows New only for combinations that do not yet exist — already existing combinations are not suggested.
US-20: Review and selectively accept creation lines before carrying out
As a Business Manager
I want to review all suggested lines and exclude a few combinations that are not being produced this season
So that only the wanted variants are created
Setup:
- After running Suggest New Records, review the worksheet lines.
- For lines you want to skip, leave Accept Action Message disabled (or delete the line).
- Use Change Action Message → Accept Action Message to bulk-accept all remaining lines.
- Choose Carry Out Actions — only accepted lines are processed.
Field Reference
| Field | Where to find it | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style Master | Item Card | Marks this item as the parent of a variant group | Disabled |
| Style | Item Card | The shared style code that links the master item to its variants | Blank |
| Style Template | Item Card | The Import Template that defines the variant dimensions | Blank |
| Style Variant | Item Card | Marks this item as a variant (child) within a style group | Disabled |
| Total Variant Quantity | Sales/Purchase Order line | Read-only total of all variant line quantities for this style on the document. Clicking the AssistEdit opens the Item Variant Order list | 0 |
| Long Description | Sales/Purchase Order line | Shows the item's SCB Long Description on the document line (visible when MDI is enabled) | Blank |
| Master Data Lines Exist | Sales/Purchase Order line | Indicates whether Master Data on Documents lines have been generated for this document line | Disabled |
| Master Data Group | Sales/Purchase Order line | Groups document lines by a specific Information Code value for grouping purposes. Visible when Sales Line Master Data Grouping is configured in Master Data Information Setup | Blank |
Creation Worksheet header fields:
| Field | Where to find it | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batch Name | Creation Worksheet header | Filters the worksheet to lines for a specific batch template | Blank |
| Template | Creation Worksheet header | The Import Template used for this session — only templates with Table = Item or Item Variant are shown | Blank |
| Copy From Item No. | Creation Worksheet header | The item whose base data is copied to each new record when copy options are enabled | Blank |
| No. of lines | Creation Worksheet header | Read-only count of lines currently in the worksheet | 0 |
Creation Worksheet line fields:
| Field | Where to find it | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template | Creation Worksheet line | The Import Template this line belongs to | — |
| Table Name | Creation Worksheet line | The target BC table (Item or Item Variant) | — |
| Copy From Keyfield 1 | Creation Worksheet line | The item number to copy from for this specific line | Blank |
| Copy Related Data | Creation Worksheet line | When enabled, copies specification entries from the Copy From item to the new record | Disabled |
| Copy Purchase & Sales Prices | Creation Worksheet line | When enabled, copies purchase and sales prices from the Copy From item | Disabled |
| Copy Unit of Measure | Creation Worksheet line | When enabled, copies unit of measure setup from the Copy From item | Disabled |
| Action Message | Creation Worksheet line | New — the record does not yet exist and will be created on Carry Out Actions | New |
| Accept Action Message | Creation Worksheet line | When enabled, this line is processed when Carry Out Actions is run | Disabled |
| Column 1–15 | Creation Worksheet line | The dimension values for this combination (e.g. Column 1 = Colour value, Column 2 = Size value). Column captions are driven by the template definition | — |