Yes, warehouse worker tracking in Business Central can show who did each scan, when, and on which document. Warehouse Insight is a warehouse management app, installed as an extension for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. It records handheld activity in a table called Device Activity Entries. Each entry carries a timestamp and the worker’s name.
Can warehouse worker tracking show which worker did each scan?
Yes. Everything a worker does on the handheld is timestamped with their name. Warehouse Insight writes each event to the Device Activity Entries table in Business Central. A supervisor can open that table and filter it by worker, document or time.
Each entry answers the basic questions a supervisor asks after a problem:
- Who: the user who was signed in on the handheld.
- When: the date and time of the event.
- What: the action, such as opening, posting or closing a document.
- Where: the document number the worker was working on.
- Which device: the scanner ID, when you want to know which handheld was used.
If a receipt posts with the wrong quantity, the office does not have to guess. The entries show who posted it and when.
How much detail does warehouse worker tracking record?
You decide. Every action on the scanner is tied to an event ID, and you choose which events get logged. The default setup records document level events, such as opening and posting a document.
You can go further when you need to. A location can log each line update, including the item, the bin and the quantity. Another location can log only who posted each document. The setting is made per event in Business Central. That keeps the table lean where extra detail adds little value.
Is activity tracked by worker or by device?
Both, depending on how workers sign in. When each worker signs in with their own Business Central login, every entry carries their user name. The entries can also record the scanner ID, so you see the person and the device together.
Some warehouses run handhelds on shared device logins, such as one generic login per scanner. On its own, a shared login only tells you which device did the work. Warehouse Insight adds a second sign-in layer for this case. You create a separate Warehouse Insight login for each worker in Business Central. The worker then scans a badge to sign in.
Those worker logins do not have to be Business Central users. Entries are still recorded under each worker’s name. Licensing is Microsoft’s policy, so confirm the right setup for your warehouse with your Microsoft partner.
Can managers see how long tasks took?
Yes, from the timestamps. Tracking covers handheld work such as receiving, put-away and warehouse picking. If a picker opened a pick at 8:41 and posted it at 8:51, the entries show a ten minute pick. Comparing those times across workers shows where a task runs long.
Warehouse Insight does not include built-in productivity or KPI reports. Every operation measures performance differently, so the data is left open for you to report on. Customers and their partners build their own reports from the Device Activity Entries data.
Power BI is a common choice for this. Microsoft’s introduction to Business Central and Power BI explains how to connect Power BI to Business Central data. Your partner can help design reports that fit the measures you care about.
Does removing a former worker erase their history?
No. Each Device Activity Entry stores the user ID as a value on the entry itself. Deleting that worker’s login later does not remove or blank out the entries already recorded. The history of what they did stays in Business Central.
This matters when staff turn over. You can remove logins for people who have left without losing the record of their past work.
Which warehouse worker tracking setup fits your warehouse?
The right setup depends on how your handhelds are signed in. An administrator sets it all up inside Business Central, including event logging, worker logins and device configuration. For more on device settings, see how to configure what workers see on each handheld device.
| Setup | What each entry shows | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Each worker signs in with their own Business Central login | The worker’s user name and the scanner ID | Teams where each worker already has a user |
| Shared device login only | The device login, not the person | Cases where knowing the device is enough |
| Shared device login plus Warehouse Insight worker logins | The worker’s name from their badge sign-in | Shared handhelds across shifts |
Frequently asked questions about warehouse worker tracking
Do workers have to log their own activity?
No. Entries are written as workers scan, open and post documents on the handheld.
Can I track only posting events?
Yes. You choose which events are logged, so a location can record only who posted each document.
Does Warehouse Insight include productivity dashboards?
No. It records the activity data, and you or your partner build the reports, for example in Power BI.
Is Warehouse Insight an app, an extension, or an add-on?
All three describe the same product. Warehouse Insight is a warehouse management app for Business Central. It installs as an extension from Microsoft Marketplace, and resellers often call it an add-on.
To see how activity tracking fits with the rest of your warehouse, visit the Warehouse Insight app page.