License Plating for Production Output in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Finished goods leaving the production floor need to be tracked from the moment output is recorded. Without license plates, pallets of completed goods move to storage without a Business Central-traceable identifier, creating a gap between production records and warehouse inventory. Warehouse Insight closes that gap by letting workers build license plates during production output recording. Completed pallets carry a tracked barcode from the output station to storage bins, and from storage bins to outbound picking and shipping, without re-verification at any stage.
At a Glance
- Build license plates for finished goods directly from the production output application on the handheld device.
- Print LP barcode labels at the moment output is recorded, so every completed pallet carries a tracked identifier before it leaves the output station.
- Move finished goods pallets from the production floor to storage bins with a single LP scan using the ad-hoc move application.
- Finished goods license plates feed directly into the outbound pick and ship workflow, carrying confirmed contents through to carrier label generation via Dynamic Ship.
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Key Capabilities
Build license plates during output recording. Workers open the production output application, select the production order, and press Start License Plate before recording output quantities. As they enter output quantities and lot or serial numbers, the finished goods are added to the active plate. When the pallet is complete, workers press Stop License Plate and print the LP label from the device.
LP label printing at output. The LP label prints to any BC-configured printer at the output station the moment the worker confirms the Stop License Plate action. Workers apply the label to the pallet before it moves. If Auto Print on Output is also enabled, item labels print simultaneously, giving each pallet both an item-level and a pallet-level barcode at the point of production.
- Lot and serial numbers on the plate. Lot and serial numbers generated or entered during output recording attach to the plate’s contents in Business Central. Workers confirm tracking numbers during the output quantity step. The plate carries lot and serial detail through storage, picking, and shipping, maintaining full traceability from the production order to the customer shipment.
Single-scan floor-to-storage moves. Workers use the ad-hoc move application to move completed pallets from the output station to storage bins. Scanning the LP barcode in the ad-hoc move application selects the entire pallet for movement. Scanning the destination bin confirms the move. Business Central updates the bin and inventory records for all items on the plate simultaneously, without requiring item-by-item scanning.
License plates feed outbound picking. Finished goods stored as license plates are available for outbound pick workflows. Pickers working against sales orders or warehouse shipments scan LP barcodes to pick entire pallets in single steps. The plate’s confirmed contents carry forward to the shipment, and Dynamic Ship generates the carrier label after LP confirmation at shipping.
Standalone license plate management. Workers access the License Plates application from the Warehouse Insight main menu to view, move, adjust, or manage license plates independently of any specific document. This supports scenarios where a finished goods pallet needs to be relocated, inspected, or adjusted between production output and outbound picking.
How License Plating Works for Production Output
Workers open the production output application on their device and select the production order they are recording against. Before entering the first output quantity, the worker presses the Start License Plate button. The device creates a new plate and displays the plate number in the status bar.
The worker selects the routing operation to output against, enters the output quantity, and confirms lot or serial numbers as required. The output records against the production order and adds the finished goods to the active license plate simultaneously. Workers continue recording output quantities until the pallet is physically complete, then press Stop License Plate. The device prompts to print the label, which prints to the configured output station printer. The worker applies the label to the pallet.
When the pallet moves to storage, the worker opens the ad-hoc move application, switches to Take mode, scans the bin the pallet is in, and scans the LP barcode. The device displays the plate contents and prompts for the handling action. The worker switches to Place mode, scans the destination bin, and confirms. Business Central moves all items on the plate to the new bin in a single transaction.
When outbound picking runs against the stored finished goods, pickers scan LP barcodes to confirm entire pallets against pick documents. At shipping, the LP barcode confirms the pallet contents against the warehouse shipment, and Dynamic Ship generates the carrier label, completing the chain from production output to carrier pickup with license plate scanning at every stage.
Why License Plating Closes the Production-to-Warehouse Gap
Finished goods produced without license plates are recorded in the warehouse as anonymous inventory. Business Central knows they exist, but there is no physical identifier linking the pallet sitting in a storage bin to the production order that created it. Workers put the pallet away by scanning individual items, and forklift operators move it by scanning individual items again. Every subsequent transaction adds scan steps because the pallet has no tracked identity of its own.
License plates built at the output station give finished goods pallets a tracked identity from the moment they are created. Every subsequent transaction — storage move, pick, shipment confirmation — executes with a single LP scan per pallet. The production order, lot numbers, and item contents travel with the plate in Business Central. When a customer asks which production lot shipped in their order, the traceability chain runs from the carrier label back to the production order through the license plate record.
Who Uses LP Receiving
Receiving clerks build license plates at the dock as pallets arrive, scanning items onto the plate as they process each receipt and printing LP labels before pallets move to staging. Forklift operators and put-away workers scan LP barcodes to move entire pallets from staging to storage bins with one scan per pallet, without scanning individual items. Warehouse supervisors configure the selection of the LP label report, printer assignment, and put-away posting behavior in Business Central.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. License plate building during receiving works for purchase orders, transfer orders, sales return orders, and inventory receipts in Business Central. The process is the same regardless of document type: press Start License Plate, scan items as normal, press Stop License Plate, print the label.
Yes. All receiving lines assigned to a license plate must share the same destination bin. This ensures the put-away transaction is clean: a single scan of the LP barcode confirms the entire pallet is placed in a single bin. For pallets that need to split across multiple bins, workers build separate license plates for each destination bin during receiving.
Yes. Workers press Start License Plate and select the reopen option from the prompt. The device displays a list of unassigned license plates and plates already assigned to the current document. Selecting an existing plate reopens it, and workers continue scanning items onto it. This supports pallets that build across multiple receiving sessions or where items process at different times within the same receipt.
Lot and serial numbers captured during the receiving process are attached to the specific items in the plate’s contents in Business Central. Workers enter tracking information in the standard quantity dialog when scanning each item. The plate carries the full tracking detail through put-away and all subsequent transactions, so lot and serial accuracy is maintained from the first scan at the dock.