RFID Scanning for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Barcode scanning requires line of sight: one item, one scan. RFID changes that. Workers hold down a trigger on an RFID-capable device, and the reader captures every tagged item within range, whether it’s sitting in the open or buried in the middle of a pallet. Warehouse Insight identifies each item, removes duplicate reads, and posts the results directly to Business Central. A pallet of tagged items that would take minutes to scan individually can be captured in seconds with RFID.
At a Glance
- Read multiple RFID-tagged items simultaneously in a single trigger-hold scan and post directly to a Business Central receiving or count document.
- Warehouse Insight decodes RFID tag data using the same GS1 barcode rules already configured in the system, so items already using GS1 barcodes need no additional mapping to work with RFID.
- The system automatically deduplicates multiple reads of the same tag, delivering accurate unique item counts every time.
- Confirmed workflows: receiving against purchase orders, inventory counting, and shipping; Business Central updates as soon as the worker confirms and posts.
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Key Capabilities
Simultaneous multi-tag reading. Workers hold down the trigger on an RFID-capable device, and the reader captures all tags in range in a single pass. Warehouse Insight receives the full tag dataset, identifies each unique item, and presents the results on screen. Workers review and press Finish. Business Central updates the document immediately.
Item resolution via existing GS1 barcode rules. RFID tags encoded with GS1 data use the same barcode rule infrastructure already configured in Warehouse Insight, so the system reads the tag, decodes the GS1 data, and resolves it to the correct Business Central item just as it does with a GS1 barcode scan. Workers never interact with raw RFID tag identifiers. Tags that don’t carry GS1 data, such as a bare serial number with no encoded item information, are matched through a one-time cross-reference set up in Business Central, so the tag only needs to be linked to an item once.
Automatic tag deduplication. When a worker holds the trigger over a group of tagged items, the reader may capture some tags multiple times. Warehouse Insight automatically deduplicates the reads and reports only the unique tag count. Workers see accurate item quantities, not inflated read counts.
RFID receiving against purchase orders. Workers open a purchase order in the Warehouse Insight receiving application, press Scan RFID, hold the trigger over the inbound goods, and Warehouse Insight automatically populates the receipt quantities against the correct lines. Workers review the results and post; Business Central updates the warehouse receipt as soon as they do.
RFID shipping. Workers activate RFID scanning from the shipping application and hold the trigger over outbound goods; Warehouse Insight matches the reads to the shipment. It performs best on palletized shipments. A busy packing station with several outbound orders staged close together needs more care with tag placement and reader range, and Insight Works can help scope that during setup.
RFID inventory counting. Workers open an inventory count document, activate the RFID scan, hold the trigger over the storage area, and Warehouse Insight adds all identified tags to the count sheet. The count updates Business Central’s inventory count document immediately, without the need for individual item-by-item scanning.
Serial number support. For operations that track serial numbers on RFID tags, Warehouse Insight captures and records the tag’s serial data during the receiving or count workflow. Serial number capture is configurable: operations that do not require serial-level tracking can turn it off without affecting the rest of the RFID workflow.
Compatible RFID hardware required. RFID scanning requires an Android device with RFID reading capability, either built in or via an attached sled. Contact Insight Works or your Microsoft Partner for current hardware options and compatibility guidance.
How RFID Scanning Works in Warehouse Insight
Warehouse Insight’s RFID capability works through compatible RFID hardware connected to a supported Android device. When a worker activates the RFID scan from within the receiving or count application and holds down the trigger, the reader captures all RFID tags within its range. The device collects the raw tag data, deduplicates multiple reads of the same tag, and passes the unique tag list to Warehouse Insight.
Warehouse Insight resolves each tag to a Business Central item using the GS1 barcode rules already configured in the system. RFID tags encoded with GS1 data carry the same item identification information as a GS1 barcode: the same GTIN, serial number, lot number, or other encoded fields. Warehouse Insight reads this data from the tag identically to how it reads it from a barcode scan, using the existing barcode rule infrastructure, so no separate RFID item mapping is required for tags that already carry GS1 data. A tag with no GS1 data, just a bare serial number, is matched to an item through a one-time cross-reference set up in Business Central.
Once the tag reads resolve to Business Central items, Warehouse Insight displays the identified items and quantities on screen. Upon receiving, the results are populated against the matching purchase order lines. During inventory counting, the results are added to the count sheet. Workers review and confirm, and Warehouse Insight posts the results to Business Central as soon as they do.
Where RFID Delivers the Most Value
RFID delivers its clearest throughput advantage at receipt and during inventory counting, specifically in operations where items carry vendor- or manufacturer-supplied RFID tags.
At receiving, the difference between scanning individual barcodes on a pallet of tagged goods and holding an RFID reader over the same pallet is measured in minutes per receipt. A worker receiving fifty tagged items confirms all fifty in a single trigger-hold rather than fifty individual scans. For high-volume inbound operations, that adds up across every shipment.
For inventory counting, RFID removes the line-of-sight constraint that makes counting dense storage areas time-consuming. Workers move the RFID reader through a storage area and Warehouse Insight captures every tagged item in range, including items on shelves that would require physical repositioning to scan individually. Count accuracy improves because the reader captures items a barcode scanner would miss, and count time decreases because workers cover more inventory per pass.
RFID performs best when tagged items are grouped together and apart from other tagged stock nearby, and when those tags carry GS1 data from the vendor or manufacturer. Product density and packaging material can also affect read range; Insight Works can advise on tag placement and reader settings for your specific product mix.
Who Uses RFID Scanning
In apparel, footwear, retail, pharmaceutical, and other industries where vendors apply RFID tags at the item or case level, RFID scanning accelerates receiving and counting workflows. Receiving teams use it to process inbound tagged goods in seconds rather than scanning each item individually. Inventory teams use it for rapid cycle counts in dense storage environments where line-of-sight barcode scanning would be impractical. Operations managers evaluating RFID adoption pair it with Warehouse Insight’s existing barcode-based workflows, running both in the same deployment depending on which items carry tags. Contact Insight Works or your Microsoft Partner for hardware options and implementation guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Warehouse Insight resolves RFID tags to Business Central items using the same GS1 barcode rules already configured in the system. RFID tags encoded with GS1 data carry the same item identification fields as a GS1 barcode. Warehouse Insight reads the fields from the tag and automatically matches them to the correct Business Central item. Workers never see or interact with raw RFID tag data. A tag with no GS1 data, just a bare serial number, is matched to an item through a one-time cross-reference set up in Business Central instead.
No separate item mapping is required for tags that already carry GS1 data: RFID tags encoded with GS1 data use the same barcode rules already in place for barcode scanning. A tag with no GS1 data, just a bare serial number, is matched to an item through a one-time cross-reference set up in Business Central. Initial RFID configuration in Warehouse Insight is required before use; contact Insight Works or your Microsoft Partner for guidance on setup.
Yes. When a worker holds the RFID reader over a group of tagged items, the reader may capture some tags multiple times. Warehouse Insight automatically deduplicates reads and reports only the count of unique tags. Workers see accurate item quantities on screen before they confirm and post to Business Central.
RFID scanning currently supports receiving against purchase orders, inventory counting, and shipping in Warehouse Insight. Workers activate RFID scanning from within those applications using the Scan RFID button. Results are populated in the active receiving, count, or shipment document and posted to Business Central once confirmed.
Yes. For operations that encode serial numbers in RFID tags, Warehouse Insight captures and records the serial data from the tag during the receiving or count workflow. Serial number capture is configurable — operations that track items at the serial level enable it, and those that do not require serial tracking can turn it off without affecting the broader RFID workflow.