Dispatch control

Practical guide for daily dispatch runs with filter logic, line selection, and document creation.

Purpose

Dispatch control helps you bundle due document lines and move them into shipping, picking, or posting flows in a controlled way.

Standard BC setup context

Dispatch control always runs against a standard location setup. The relevant question is whether the location requires shipment, picking, or both:

  • No warehouse requirement: standard posting without warehouse documents.
  • Shipment required: dispatch control creates or fills the warehouse shipment step.
  • Picking required: dispatch control creates pick documents.
  • Shipment and pick required: both steps are processed in sequence.

For sales control, the relevant actions are Create Document, Create Document And Pick, Create Pick, Post Document, and Add to Whse. Shipment. For transfer control, the equivalent transfer actions are Create Whse. Shipment, Create Whse. Shipment and Pick, Create Whse. Pick, Add to Whse. Shipment, and Post Document.

Clear separation of the two control processes

Area Sales control Transfer control
Business objective Convert customer demand into executable shipping flow Rebalance stock between locations based on demand
Document starting point Sales order and delivery call-off lines Transfer order lines
Typical actions Create Document, Create Document And Pick, Create Pick Create Whse. Shipment, Create Whse. Shipment and Pick, Create Whse. Pick
Warehouse result Warehouse shipment, optional pick, then shipment posting Transfer shipment, optional pick, then transfer posting
Typical reporting view Customer and shipping oriented Location and transfer oriented

Process A: Sales control in daily operations

Process 1) Select sales-relevant lines Use filters to move due sales demand into the operational worklist.
  • Filter by due date, customer, location, and shipping window.
  • Validate quantity, requested date, and location per line.
  • Select only lines that are operationally released for the current run.
Process 2) Execute the matching sales action Create shipment, pick, or both depending on location setup.
  • Create Document: creates or extends the shipment step.
  • Create Document And Pick: prepares shipment and pick in one run.
  • Create Pick: creates focused warehouse pick workload in pick-oriented scenarios.
Process 3) Secure downstream execution Ensure created documents are complete and ready for posting.
  • Verify that all selected lines were transferred to target documents.
  • Resolve quantity differences before posting.
  • Handover the run to shipping and warehouse teams for execution.

Process B: Transfer control in daily operations

Process 1) Select transfer-relevant lines Build transfer workload by demand and location logic.
  • Filter by source location, destination location, due date, and inventory readiness.
  • Prioritize lines with immediate replenishment need.
  • Verify transfer lines are released for shipment/pick execution.
Process 2) Execute the matching transfer action Run transfer flow according to warehouse setup.
  • Create Whse. Shipment: creates outbound transfer shipment.
  • Create Whse. Shipment and Pick: creates transfer shipment and pick together.
  • Create Whse. Pick: creates focused pick documents for transfer handling.
Process 3) Complete transfer processing Validate created transfer documents and move to transfer posting.
  • Validate quantities and source/destination assignment.
  • Post transfer only after complete warehouse checks.
  • Record deviations for location-level analysis.

Consignment process in the context of sales control

Consignment is operationally initiated through sales control but can intentionally be treated as transfer-oriented in logistics reporting. This keeps replenishment and location analytics consistent.

Required setup

  • Controlled Sales Core Setup with a valid Transport Nos. number series.
  • Dedicated dispatch-control setup with clear filters for consignment-relevant documents.
  • Location setup aligned to actual shipment/pick requirements.
  • Maintained stockkeeping data for relevant item/location combinations so replenishment and transfer derivation are unambiguous.

Concrete setup: where is each step maintained?

Setup area Where in Business Central What to maintain concretely Why it matters for the process
CSC base parameters Controlled Sales Core Setup page Transport Nos., Cum. Received Qty. Required, Previous Workday Delivery Date, Delete Partially Posted Whse. Enables core process logic for call-off, dispatch runs, and transport.
Dispatch-control run Dispatch Control page Control code, type (Sales/Transfer), date logic, filters for location/customer/due date Defines which lines are processed in which run.
Location process behavior Location Card for each involved location Shipment requirement, picking requirement, and operational shipping rules Determines whether Create Document, Create Pick, or combined actions are required.
Key consignment control Location Card of the consignment location Enable Consignment toggle/option Activates consignment-specific process behavior for replenishment and transfer-oriented analytics.
Consignment-relevant master data Stockkeeping data and item/location setup Clear source/destination assignment plus replenishment parameters Enables transfer-demand derivation from consignment demand.
Transport completion Transport document + shipping/carrier master data Carrier, handoff/delivery time, route/notes Ensures consistent transport handoff and correct process-type reporting.

Most important setup: Consignment on the Location Card

The single most important switch is the Consignment option on the Location Card of the relevant location.

Process impact when enabled:

  • Sales-side execution remains operationally controlled via dispatch, shipment, and pick.
  • Consignment demand can be translated into downstream transfer replenishment steps.
  • Transport processing classifies consignment scenarios in a transfer-oriented way.
  • Reporting and KPI follow location and replenishment logic, not only pure sales perspective.

Recommended implementation order:

  1. Complete Controlled Sales Core Setup.
  2. Create separate dispatch-control runs for Sales and Transfer.
  3. Approve location logic for each involved location.
  4. Validate stockkeeping data for consignment-relevant items.
  5. Start productive dispatch and consignment runs afterwards.

Automated transfer orders from stockkeeping data

When stockkeeping data and process parameters are maintained consistently, consignment demand identified in sales control can be moved into downstream transfer orders. In operational terms:

  • Sales control identifies demand at the consignment location.
  • Replenishment logic uses maintained stockkeeping data to derive source, destination, and replenishment quantity.
  • The transfer order is provided as a preceding logistics step and then executed via Transfer Control.

Downstream process and transport mapping

  1. Sales control creates the operational shipment/pick step for the sales context.
  2. In consignment scenarios, replenishment is added through transfer processing.
  3. Shipment or transfer posting provides the posted source for transport creation.
  4. In transport processing, consignment can be classified as Transfer where required, even if the source was sales-related.

This keeps sales control, transfer control, and transport reporting aligned in one consistent consignment flow.

When this page matters most

  • Daily or multi-run shipping operations.
  • Teams sharing one operational order base.
  • Frequent filter adjustments for changing priorities.

Prerequisites

  • A suitable dispatch control setup exists.
  • Documents are in a processable status.
  • Selection and release responsibilities are clearly defined.

Flow

Process 1) Select dispatch control setup Choose the correct control code for the current run.
  • Open dispatch control.
  • Check type, date logic, and active filters.
  • Start only with operationally validated filter values.
Process 2) Review result lines The list is the operational work basis of the run.
  • Verify due date, quantity, and location per line.
  • Use targeted line selection instead of processing all lines by default.
  • Check indicators for existing shipment/pick processing.
Process 3) Create required documents Use shipment, shipment+pick, or posting depending on process design.
  • Use the action that fits your warehouse process.
  • Verify quantity-to-ship before execution.
  • Check line statuses after processing.
Process 4) Close the run Ensures transparency and smooth handover to follow-up work.
  • Remove open selections that should not be processed further.
  • Record deviations and manual corrections.
  • Handover run status to warehouse/shipping coordination.

Troubleshooting

Process No lines visible Filters are too strict or no matching documents are currently available.
  • Check date formula, filter fields, and filter values.
  • Run a test with simplified filters.
  • Align exclusion criteria with process owners.
Process Blanket line exists but shipment document cannot be created Without an operational sales line, dispatch control cannot create shipment documents.
  • Check whether the blanket line is selected in the sales dispatch run.
  • With Create Document, selected blanket lines are converted into an operational sales order.
  • Shipment/pick documents are then created from those generated sales order lines.
  • If conversion fails (for example due to missing required data), shipment creation will not continue.
Process Shipment/pick creation fails Often caused by missing location process prerequisites.
  • Verify location process setup.
  • Verify document status and quantity readiness.
  • Repeat only for corrected lines.

Links

Further Information

Related processes