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Warehouse Manager

  • Published on Jun 29, 2026
  • 12 minute(s) read
  • Bo Hansen Hansen
  • AF
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App Overview

Warehouse Manager is a third-party logistics (3PL) integration app for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It connects Business Central to one or more external warehouse providers, so that sales shipments, purchase receipts, and stock regulations at 3PL-managed locations flow through BC as the system of record — while the physical operations are handled by the external warehouse.

At the heart of the app is the connector concept: a named integration configuration that authenticates a specific 3PL system and controls which document flows are enabled. Connectors are linked to BC warehouse locations, and from that point on BC warehouse shipments and receipts at those locations automatically enter a defined status lifecycle — Ready to Send, Successfully Sent, Qty Updated, and Posted — driven by API calls from the 3PL. A complete Activity Log and Error Log provide visibility into every integration event.

Beyond the core document flow, the app adds two supporting feature areas. Shipment Bundling automates the creation of warehouse shipments by grouping sales order lines from multiple orders into a single shipment document based on configurable rules, reducing the number of individual shipment documents sent to the 3PL. 3PL Stock Regulations enables the external warehouse to send stock adjustments and physical inventory counts directly into a BC buffer, from which they can be reviewed and transferred to the standard BC item journals.

Feature Map

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

Feature What it solves Who uses it
Connector Setup & Location Linking How do I connect BC to an external warehouse? Defines connectors, authentication tokens, sync settings, and links BC locations to 3PL providers. IT Manager, Logistics Coordinator
Warehouse Shipments & Receipts with 3PL How do warehouse documents flow between BC and the 3PL? Covers the full lifecycle for both outbound shipments and inbound receipts — sending, quantity confirmation, item tracking, posting, and error handling. Warehouse Manager, Logistics Coordinator
Shipment Bundling How do I avoid sending one shipment per sales order to the 3PL? Automatically groups eligible sales order lines into combined warehouse shipments based on Ship-To address, carrier, and date rules. Warehouse Manager, Logistics Coordinator
3PL Stock Regulations How does the 3PL correct stock discrepancies in BC? Lets the external warehouse post adjustment and physical inventory count data into a BC buffer for review and journal transfer. Warehouse Manager, IT Manager

Common Infrastructure

Several concepts are shared across all features. Understanding them once makes the feature articles easier to follow.

Connectors and Tokens

A connector is a named record that represents one 3PL integration endpoint. It holds a unique numeric token that the 3PL includes in every inbound API call to identify itself, along with flags controlling which sync operations are permitted (items, shipments, receipts) and whether BC can auto-post documents on the 3PL's instruction. A single BC environment supports multiple connectors, enabling companies that use more than one 3PL provider.

Warehouse Connector Links

A Warehouse Connector Link ties a BC location to a specific connector. Once the link exists, warehouse shipments and receipts created for that location are automatically assigned to the correct connector when released. Each link also carries an External ID — the identifier the 3PL uses for that location — so BC sends the right location code in the API payload even if the 3PL's naming differs from BC's.

Connector Status Lifecycle

Every warehouse shipment and receipt managed by the app carries a Connector Status field that tracks its position in the integration lifecycle:

Status Meaning
Blank Not yet sent or not a 3PL document
Ready to Send Released and queued for the 3PL to pick up
Successfully Sent Acknowledged by the 3PL
Qty Updated 3PL has confirmed quantities
Error 3PL reported a processing error
Posted Warehouse document has been posted

Activity Log and Error Log

Every API interaction is recorded. The Activity Log captures informational events sent by the 3PL — useful for auditing the full communication history. The Error Log captures errors reported by the 3PL, including a short text message and an optional detailed payload, so BC users can investigate without contacting the 3PL directly.

API Endpoints

The app exposes a REST API under the Abakion publisher group warehousemanager at version v2.0. The 3PL uses this API to read documents (shipments and receipts in Ready to Send state), write back quantities, update tracking information, trigger posting, and insert stock regulation lines. Authentication is handled by the connector token.

Typical Workflows

Outbound shipment to a 3PL warehouse

  1. A sales order is created for a customer. The delivery location is a 3PL-linked warehouse.
  2. Optionally, Shipment Bundling groups this order with others going to the same Ship-To address or using the same carrier, and creates a combined warehouse shipment automatically.
  3. The warehouse shipment is released (manually or automatically). BC sets Connector Status to Ready to Send.
  4. The 3PL polls the getShipmentToSend API endpoint, retrieves the shipment, and processes the physical outbound.
  5. The 3PL calls back to confirm quantities and optionally provides tracking numbers. BC updates the shipment and creates or updates the linked waybill.
  6. Depending on connector configuration, the shipment is either posted automatically by the 3PL's API call, or posted manually by a BC user.

Inbound receipt from a 3PL warehouse

  1. A purchase order is created with a delivery location managed by the 3PL.
  2. A warehouse receipt is created and released. BC sets Connector Status to Ready to Send.
  3. The 3PL retrieves the receipt from the getReceiptsToSend API endpoint, processes the physical inbound, and calls back to confirm received quantities — including lot or serial numbers if the items are tracked.
  4. BC applies item tracking to the source purchase order lines automatically.
  5. The receipt is posted manually or automatically depending on connector settings.

3PL stock correction

  1. The 3PL discovers a stock discrepancy at the external warehouse.
  2. The 3PL POSTs correction data to the insertItemJrnlBuffer API endpoint, specifying item, location, quantity, and template type (adjustment or physical count).
  3. A BC user opens the 3PL Item Journal Buffer, reviews the pending lines, and chooses Update Item Journal or Update Physical Inventory Journal to transfer them.
  4. Lines are posted — automatically if auto-posting is configured, or manually after review.

Setup

The setup user stories below cover the complete configuration of Warehouse Manager from first activation to a fully operational environment. Work through the Core Setup group first, then complete the feature-specific groups that apply to your scenario.

Core Setup

SETUP-01: Activate the app via the Assisted Setup wizard

As a IT Manager
I want to activate Warehouse Manager using the Assisted Setup wizard
So that the app is registered, the trial is started, and users can begin configuring connectors

Setup:

  1. In Business Central, search for Assisted Setup and open the page.
  2. Find Abakion Warehouse Manager in the list and open it.
  3. On the welcome step, optionally enable I am a partner activating this on behalf of a client.
  4. Enter the Email Address — this is mandatory to proceed.
  5. Click Activate Trial.
  6. On the next step, configure the Waybill No. Series: either select an existing series or enable Default No. Series to let BC create a standard WAY-BILL series automatically.
  7. Click Finish.

Note: Activation starts a 30-day free trial. It does not commit you to a subscription.

SETUP-02: Create a connector for the 3PL provider

As a IT Manager
I want to create a connector record for the external warehouse provider
So that BC can authenticate the 3PL's API calls and control which document flows are enabled

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup and choose Third Party Logistics → Connectors.
  2. Create a new line. Enter a unique ID (e.g. 3PL-MAIN) and a Description.
  3. Assign a unique integer Token and share it with the 3PL — they include it in every API call to identify themselves.
  4. Enable Sync Warehouse Shipments and/or Sync Warehouse Receipts depending on which flows the 3PL will handle.
  5. Enable Sync Items if the 3PL needs to read item master data (weights, dimensions, GTIN, packaging units) from BC.
  6. Save the record.
SETUP-03: Link a BC location to the connector

As a Warehouse Manager
I want to link a BC warehouse location to the connector
So that documents created for this location are automatically assigned to the correct 3PL connector when released

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup and choose Third Party Logistics → Warehouses.
  2. Add a new line. Set Location Code to the BC location managed by the 3PL.
  3. Set Connector ID to the connector created in SETUP-02.
  4. Review the External ID field — it defaults to the Location Code but can be changed to match the 3PL's own identifier for this location.
  5. Save.
SETUP-04: Configure unit of measure preferences

As a Logistics Coordinator
I want to set the length, weight, and volume units used when sending item data to the 3PL
So that item dimensions are automatically converted to the units the 3PL expects

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup. In the Unit of Measures section, set Length Unit Of Measure, Volume Unit Of Measure, and Weight Unit Of Measure (e.g. CM, KG, L).
  2. Optionally set Pallet Unit Of Measure and Package Unit Of Measure for pallet and package data.
  3. On the connector record (via Third Party Logistics → Connectors), set the same unit fields at the connector level if this 3PL uses different units than the global default.
  4. Save.
SETUP-05: Enable auto-posting of warehouse documents

As a IT Manager
I want to configure the connector to allow the 3PL to trigger posting of warehouse documents
So that shipments and receipts are posted automatically after the 3PL confirms quantities, without requiring manual action

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup → Third Party Logistics → Connectors and open the relevant connector.
  2. Enable Auto. Post Shipments if the 3PL should be able to post warehouse shipments.
  3. Enable Auto. Post Receipts if the 3PL should be able to post warehouse receipts.
  4. Save.

Note: With auto-posting enabled, the 3PL controls the posting date. Test this carefully before enabling in production.

Shipment Behaviour Setup

SETUP-06: Configure Qty. to Ship / Qty. to Receive reset behaviour

As a Logistics Coordinator
I want to configure whether Qty. to Ship and Qty. to Receive values are cleared on release or on API call
So that the 3PL fills in the actual quantities rather than inheriting BC's expected quantities

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup, section Setup 3rd Party Behavior.
  2. Under Warehouse Shipments, enable Reset Qty. to Ship on Warehouse Shipments when release and/or Reset Qty. to Ship on Warehouse Shipments from API as appropriate.
  3. Under Warehouse Receipt, enable Reset Qty. to Receive on Warehouse Receipts when release and/or Reset Qty. to Receive on Warehouse Receipts from API.
  4. Save.
SETUP-07: Enable auto-release of warehouse shipments at a 3PL location

As a Warehouse Manager
I want to enable automatic release of warehouse shipments created for a 3PL location
So that shipments are queued for the 3PL immediately on creation, without a manual release step

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup → Third Party Logistics → Warehouses.
  2. On the relevant location link, enable Auto Release Shipments.
  3. Save.
SETUP-08: Configure pick handling behaviour

As a IT Manager
I want to configure how the app handles pick documents at 3PL locations
So that the pick creation process matches our warehouse workflow

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup, section Create Pick handling.
  2. Enable Do Not Fill Qty. to Handle (Pick) if you want pick lines to start with a blank Qty. to Handle, requiring warehouse staff to fill it in manually.
  3. Set Pick Sorting Method to control the sort order of lines in pick documents (e.g. by item, bin, or shelf).
  4. Save.

Shipment Bundling Setup

SETUP-09: Create a shipment bundling rule

As a Warehouse Manager
I want to create a bundling rule that groups eligible sales orders into combined warehouse shipments
So that the 3PL receives fewer, larger shipments instead of one per sales order

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup → Order Bundling → Setup.
  2. Create a new record. Enter a Code and set the Location Code for the 3PL location.
  3. Set Warehouse Source Filter Code to an outbound warehouse source filter that selects the relevant sales orders. The filter must have Sales Orders enabled and all other types disabled.
  4. Enable Bundle Ship-To Code to group orders by delivery address, and/or Bundle Shipping Agent and Service to group by carrier.
  5. Optionally set date window formulas (Shipment End Date Calculation) to limit which orders are included per run.
  6. Save.
SETUP-10: Schedule the shipment bundling job queue

As a IT Manager
I want to schedule the bundling process to run automatically on a recurring basis
So that warehouse shipments are created continuously throughout the day without manual intervention

Setup:

  1. Open Job Queue Entries and create a new entry targeting the shipment bundling codeunit.
  2. Set the Parameter String to the bundling setup code created in SETUP-09.
  3. Set the recurrence interval (e.g. every 15 minutes).
  4. Set Status to Ready.

3PL Stock Regulations Setup

SETUP-11: Configure the Item Journal for stock adjustments

As a IT Manager
I want to configure which Item Journal template and batch 3PL stock adjustments are written to
So that adjustments from the 3PL land in a known, controlled journal batch for review

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup, section Setup 3rd Party Behavior → Stock Regulations.
  2. Set Adjust Jrnl. Template Name to an existing Item-type journal template (non-recurring).
  3. Set Item Adjustment Jrnl. Batch Name to an existing batch within that template.
  4. Optionally enable Post Adjustment Jrnl. Lines to auto-post lines when transferred from the buffer.
  5. Save.
SETUP-12: Configure the Physical Inventory Journal for stock counts

As a IT Manager
I want to configure which Physical Inventory Journal template and batch 3PL stock counts are written to
So that physical count data from the 3PL flows into the correct journal for review and posting

Setup:

  1. Open Warehouse Manager Setup, section Setup 3rd Party Behavior → Stock Regulations.
  2. Set Phys. Jrnl. Template Name to an existing Phys. Inventory journal template (non-recurring).
  3. Set Item Phys. Jrnl. Batch Name to a batch within that template.
  4. Optionally enable Post Phys. Invt. Journal Lines to auto-post lines when transferred.
  5. Optionally enable Calculate Exp. Qty. (Base) to have BC pre-calculate the expected inventory quantity when a count is received, so the journal shows the variance before posting.
  6. Save.

Integration with Other Abakion Apps

App Integration
Shipping Manager Warehouse Manager creates and updates Waybills from Shipping Manager when the 3PL returns tracking numbers via the API. The Waybill No. Series configured in Warehouse Manager Setup is managed by Shipping Manager.
App Manager Core Required dependency. Provides the licensing, activation, and notification infrastructure used by Warehouse Manager.
Abakion Manager Foundation Required dependency. Provides the shared connector framework, warehouse connector links, shipment bundling tables, and the setup infrastructure shared across Abakion manager apps.
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