Purchase Container Handling

App Overview

Purchase Container Handling is a procurement logistics app for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It gives purchasing teams a single point of control over incoming shipments that arrive in shared containers, grouping multiple purchase order lines and transfer order lines under one container record so they can be tracked, managed, and received together.

At the heart of the app is the Inbound Container Card: a workspace where a purchasing agent creates a container record before a shipment arrives, populates it with the purchase order lines and transfer order lines physically inside that container, and then posts all receipts in a single action when the container is delivered. Rather than opening and posting each purchase order individually, the entire container is handled from one place.

Beyond the core receiving workflow, the app tracks physical and financial data per container — weight, volume, number of packages, container size, and total order value — and integrates with Business Central's warehouse management layer so the container code travels from source lines through warehouse receipt documents all the way to Item Ledger Entries.

Feature Map

Use this table to find the right article for your task.

Common Infrastructure

Several concepts are shared across all three features.

Inbound Container Record

Every workflow in the app starts with an Inbound Container record. A container has a unique Container ID (assigned from a number series), a Planned Receipt Date, and a Status (Open, Received on ramp, Posted). It acts as the parent for all the order lines it contains. The container card shows two live sub-lists — Open Container Lines (purchase and transfer lines with outstanding quantity) and Posted Container Lines (purchase receipts and transfer receipts already posted) — refreshed automatically whenever the card is opened or changed.

Container Code on Source Lines

The container code is the linking mechanism between the container record and the underlying documents. It is stored as a field on purchase order lines (Container Code) and on transfer order lines (Inbound Container Code). Once a line carries a container code it appears in the container's Open Container Lines sub-list, and the container's Receive Lines action will include it in the bulk posting. The code is preserved through posting to purchase receipt lines, transfer receipt lines, and Item Ledger Entries.

Container Statuses

Containers move through three statuses that can be set manually or are set automatically by the app:

• Open — the container has been created and is being populated.
• Received on ramp — the container has arrived; this status is set manually to reflect physical progress.
• Posted — all lines have been received. The container card becomes read-only. The container can be reopened if corrections are needed.

Number Series

Container IDs are assigned from a number series configured in Inbound Container Setup. If no series has been configured when the first container is created, the app offers to create a default series (PCONTAINER) automatically. Manual numbers are also supported if the series has Manual Nos. enabled.

Typical Workflows

Receiving a standard container

1. Create a new Inbound Container record and set the Planned Receipt Date.
2. Use Get Purchase Order Lines (Ctrl+H) to add the relevant purchase lines to the container.
3. For any transfer order lines in the same container, open the Transfer Order and fill in the Inbound Container Code on the relevant lines.
4. When the container arrives, open the container card and click Receive Lines (F9).
5. Confirm the prompt. All linked purchase orders and transfer orders are received in one step. The container status changes to Posted.

Updating the expected arrival date

1. A delay is confirmed by the vendor. Open the Inbound Container Card.
2. Edit the Planned Receipt Date field and confirm the prompt to propagate the change to all linked order lines.
3. The date is updated on every purchase and transfer line belonging to the container — no need to open each order individually.

Receiving a container going to a warehouse-managed location

1. Assign the container code to purchase order lines as normal.
2. In the warehouse, create a Warehouse Receipt from the source documents. The container code flows automatically to the warehouse receipt lines.
3. If needed, use Add Container Code To All Lines on the warehouse receipt to stamp all lines at once.
4. Post the warehouse receipt. The container code is preserved on the posted receipt lines and on Item Ledger Entries.
5. Return to the container card — the posted lines appear in the Posted Container Lines sub-list. Set the status to Posted manually.

Calculating container weight and value before customs

1. During unloading, enter the actual measured weights and volumes on each Open Container Line (Receipt Net Weight, Receipt Gross Weight, Receipt Volume, Total Package).
2. Fill in the physical container dimensions on the header: No. of Colli, Container Size (Feet), Container Cubic Meters.
3. Click Calculate Content and Value to sum all line-level data into the header totals.
4. Use the resulting Order Total and Handling weight/volume/value fields for freight invoices or customs declarations.

Integration with Other Abakion Apps

Setup

The setup user stories below cover the full configuration of Purchase Container Handling. Work through them in order the first time you set up the app. Each story is independent once the earlier ones are complete, so you can return to any individual step later without repeating the others.

Core Setup