Master Data on Documents

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Master Data on Documents

Master Data on Documents controls how specifications, descriptions, and images from master data records flow to sales and purchase documents. When a sales quote, order, or invoice is created, the app can automatically include the relevant specifications from the item (or customer or vendor) directly on the document — so that printed quotes and orders contain rich product information without any manual copy-paste.

The feature is built around Document Templates. A template defines which Information Codes should appear on a specific document type, in what order, and with which formatting options. Templates are linked to document types (such as Sales Line or Purchase Line) through the Master Data on Document Setup, which maps each template to the specific sales or purchase document type it should apply to.

For each Information Code in a template, you configure whether to include the short description (from the specification entry), the extended text, the Report Description (from Merge Descriptions), or the Long Description. You can also control whether the specification transfers to related production order lines, purchase lines, or warehouse documents, and whether it should be suppressed on open (unposted) or posted documents.

The feature also supports Specifications on Pages for document lines — when an Information Code is configured as a Specification on Pages field on a Sales Line or Purchase Line table, the specification value appears directly on the document line as an editable field, in addition to flowing to the printed output.

Key Facts

Area Detail
Where to set up Master Data on Doc. Template list; Master Data on Document Setup
Template types Sales Line, Purchase Line, and others — one template per document type
What flows Specification value (short description), Extended Text, Report Description, Long Description — configurable per code
Transfer options Transfer to Production Order Line, Purchase Line, Warehouse Document — configurable per code in the template
Print control Suppress on open documents, suppress on posted documents — configurable per template line
Integration points Information Codes, Information Values, Extended Texts, Merge Descriptions, Specifications on Pages, Document Customizer (optional)

Getting Started

  1. Open Master Data on Doc. Template from the Master Data Information navigation.
  2. Review the existing templates. Standard templates for SALES LINE and PURCHASE LINE are typically created during default setup.
  3. Open the SALES LINE template and choose Master Data on Document Content to see the existing content lines.
  4. Add a new content line for an Information Code you want to include on sales documents:
    • Set Information Code to the code you want to include.
    • Set Order to control where this code appears in the document output (lower numbers appear first).
    • Enable Add Master Data Text to include the specification value.
    • Enable Add Extended Text if you also want the extended text to flow.
    • Configure transfer and print suppression options as needed.
  5. Open Master Data on Document Setup and ensure the template is linked to the correct document type and entity number range.
  6. Create a test sales quote for an item that has specifications configured. Print or preview the document to verify the specifications appear correctly.

Related Features

Master Data on Documents depends on Information Codes for the content definition — only codes that are added to a document template will flow to documents. Extended Texts can be included on documents alongside the short description when configured in the template content. Merge Descriptions provides the Report Description field that can be included in document output; the Report Description is the merged output from multiple specification codes formatted as a single block of text. Specifications on Pages shares the same underlying data — when a specification is added or modified on a document line via an embedded field, it is stored in the same Master Data on Documents data that is used for printing. Document Customizer (a separate Abakion app) works with Master Data on Documents to control the precise layout, positioning, and formatting of specification content on the printed page.


User Stories

US-01: Include a specification on printed sales quotes

As a Sales Manager
I want to include the Material and Certification specifications on printed sales quotes
So that customers receive full product specification details without the sales team having to write them manually

Setup:

  1. Open the SALES LINE document template and choose Master Data on Document Content.
  2. Add a line for MATERIAL: set Order = 10, enable Add Master Data Text.
  3. Add a line for CERTIFICATION: set Order = 20, enable Add Master Data Text.
  4. Save. Print a test quote for an item with these specifications set and verify the output.
US-02: Include extended text on sales documents alongside the specification value

As a Sales Manager
I want to include the extended marketing text for the Material code on sales quotes in addition to the short value
So that customers receive a full product description, not just the attribute code

Setup:

  1. Open the SALES LINE template content and find the MATERIAL line.
  2. Enable Add Extended Text on that line.
  3. Ensure the relevant Information Values have Extended Text configured.
  4. Print a test quote to verify that both the specification value and the extended text appear.
US-03: Include the merged Report Description on a document

As a Sales Manager
I want to include the Report Description — a combined description built from multiple specifications — on sales orders
So that the document shows a single, professionally formatted product description rather than individual attribute lines

Setup:

  1. Ensure the relevant Information Codes have Report Description configured in their Merge Descriptions settings.
  2. Open the SALES LINE template and enable Add Report Description on the template.
  3. Print a test order and verify that the merged description appears on the document.
US-04: Transfer specifications from a sales order to the corresponding purchase order

As a Purchasing Agent
I want to ensure that when a sales order is created with specific material and grade requirements, those specifications are automatically transferred to the linked purchase order
So that suppliers receive the correct technical requirements without the purchasing team re-entering them

Setup:

  1. Open the SALES LINE template content and find the relevant specification code lines.
  2. Enable Transfer to Purchase Line on each specification that should flow to purchase documents.
  3. Save. When a purchase order is created from a sales order, the specifications transfer automatically.
US-05: Suppress a specification on posted documents but show it on open documents

As a Sales Manager
I want to show technical specifications on open sales quotes for negotiation purposes, but suppress them on posted invoices
So that our invoices remain clean and concise while our quotes contain full technical detail

Setup:

  1. Open the document template content line for the relevant specification.
  2. Enable Dont print on posted documents.
  3. Leave Dont print on open documents disabled.
  4. Save. The specification will appear on quotes and orders but not on posted invoices.
US-06: Link a document template to a specific sales document type

As a IT Manager
I want to configure the Master Data on Document Setup so that the sales template only applies to sales orders and quotes, not to credit memos
So that credit memo documents are not cluttered with product specifications

Setup:

  1. Open Master Data on Document Setup.
  2. Review the setup lines for the Sales type.
  3. Ensure template links exist for Document Types = Quote and Order.
  4. Remove or do not add a link for Document Type = Credit Memo.
US-07: Transfer specifications from a sales order line to a production order

As a Production Planner
I want to ensure that customer-specific specifications from a sales order line are transferred to the resulting production order
So that production staff can see the exact configuration required for a specific customer's order

Setup:

  1. Open the SALES LINE template content and find the relevant specification code.
  2. Enable Transfer to Prod. Order Line on that line.
  3. Save. When a production order is created from a sales order, the specification transfers to the production order line.
US-08: Show a specification on inventory documents

As a Business Manager
I want to include the Lot Classification specification on inventory picking and put-away documents
So that warehouse staff can verify they are handling the correct product without looking up the item separately

Setup:

  1. Open the document template content for the relevant specification code.
  2. Enable Print on Inventory Document.
  3. Save. The specification will appear on warehouse documents such as picks and put-aways.

Field Reference

Master Data on Doc. Template fields:

Field Where to find it What it does Default
Template Code Template list Unique identifier for this template
Template Name Template list Display name
Type Template list Document category (Header, Line, Footer, Item Tracking)
Master Data Table Template list The master data table whose specifications are sourced (e.g. Item)
Add Report Description Template list Includes the merged Report Description on documents Disabled
Add Long Description Template list Includes the Long Description on documents Disabled
Transfer to Prod. Order Line Template list Default transfer setting for all content lines Disabled
Transfer to Purchase Line Template list Default transfer setting for all content lines Disabled
Transfer to Warehouse Document Template list Default transfer setting for all content lines Disabled
Action when posting Template list Controls what happens to specification data at posting time
Dont print on open documents Template list Suppresses output on unposted documents Disabled
Dont print on posted documents Template list Suppresses output on posted documents Disabled
Print on Inventory Document Template list Includes output on warehouse/inventory documents Disabled

Master Data on Document Content fields (per Information Code line):

Field Where to find it What it does Default
Information Code Content page The specification code to include on documents
Order Content page Display order on the document (lower = first)
Add Master Data Text Content page Includes the specification value (short description) Disabled
Add Extended Text Content page Includes the extended text for this code Disabled