Logical Dependencies

Logical Dependencies is a feature in the Master Data Information app that controls which combinations of specification values are valid for a given product or record. It prevents users from selecting incompatible values across different Information Codes, reducing configuration errors before they happen. The feature works silently in the background — as soon as a value is selected, the system automatically narrows down what is available for related codes.

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Feature Overview

In many businesses, not every combination of product attributes or specifications makes sense. A racing bike should only ever have one specific gear type. A mobile phone accessory can only be paired with certain brands. Without any guardrails, users are free to select any combination of values — which leads to orders, records, or configurations that don't reflect real-world product logic.

Logical Dependencies solves this by letting administrators define rules that link Information Codes together. When a user selects a value for one code, the system immediately evaluates those rules and restricts the choices available for the related codes. The result is a guided, validated data entry experience that enforces product or business logic without requiring users to memorise what goes with what. Data stays clean, configurations stay accurate, and errors are caught at the point of entry rather than downstream.

Typical Use Cases

A product manager for a bicycle company wants to ensure that when a bike type of "Racing Bike" is selected, the gear field can only be set to the one compatible gear system — so that sales orders and item specifications never contain invalid product combinations.
A sales administrator at an electronics distributor wants to make sure that when an accessory type of "Mobile Phone" is chosen on a sales configuration, only the brands that actually make mobile phones appear as options — reducing the risk of selecting a brand that is irrelevant to that product category.
A master data manager wants to prevent a specific gender-targeted product line from being configured with a particular bike type that the company does not manufacture for that segment — using an exclusion rule to block that combination silently during data entry.
A Business Central consultant implementing a sales configurator wants to model complex product rules once in a central setup, so that all users — regardless of experience level — are automatically guided to valid configurations without needing product expertise.
A data quality officer wants to ensure that specifications entered through the Specification Search page respect the same product logic as those entered directly on item cards — so that search results and data records are always consistent with each other.

Key Concepts

Information Code — a category of specification or attribute (e.g. "Bike Type", "Gear", "Brand"). Logical Dependencies create relationships between these codes.
Information Value — a specific option within an Information Code (e.g. "Racing Bike" within "Bike Type"). A dependency rule is always triggered by a specific value.
Test type — the rule logic applied to the related code. The three main types are: Equal (must be exactly this value), Can be (one of an approved set of values), and Different from (this value is excluded).
Trigger and dependent code — every rule has one code that triggers the check (the one being filled in) and one code whose available values are then filtered or validated as a result.
Logical Dependencies toggle — each Information Code has a setting that activates dependency evaluation for that code. Rules are only applied at runtime for codes where this is switched on.

Relations to Other Features or Apps

Within Master Data Information:

The dependency rules are managed centrally on the Logical Information Value Dependencies page, which is accessed directly from the Information Code Card via the Logical Dependencies action.
The feature integrates with Specification Search, so that when users search for items based on specification criteria, the same value restrictions apply — ensuring search inputs are as consistent as data entry.
It works alongside the Sales Configurator feature, where selecting a configuration value on a sales document triggers dependency evaluation for all related codes on that document.
The feature also applies when entering specifications directly on master data records such as items, customers, or vendors through the standard Information factboxes and entry pages.

Standard Business Central:

Logical Dependencies works across all areas where Master Data Information is active, including sales orders, purchase orders, and item cards — wherever Information Codes are used for data entry.

When This Feature Adds Value

Product catalogues with structured attribute logic — when items have specifications that are interdependent (e.g. type determines compatible sub-types or components), Logical Dependencies ensures that structure is enforced consistently across all users and entry points.
Sales and configuration environments — where salespeople need to configure products for customers quickly and accurately, the feature reduces the cognitive load by only showing valid options at each step.
Organisations with strict data governance — where master data quality is critical and incorrect value combinations would cause downstream problems in pricing, production, or reporting.
Large teams with varying product knowledge — where it cannot be assumed that every user knows which value combinations are valid, and the system needs to carry that knowledge on their behalf.