Business Central Quality Is a Starting Point—Here’s How Partners Take It Further

Introduction to Quality Management with Business Central

This session is a repeat of the presentation we did at Directions this year on quality management with Business Central and how we can take it further using the Quality Inspector application from InsightWorks.

We’ll briefly talk about InsightWorks, compare the base Quality Management module in Business Central with the Quality Inspector module from InsightWorks, review additional capabilities, and then wrap up with questions.

If you have questions throughout the session, feel free to enter them into the GoToWebinar question panel and I’ll do my best to answer them as they come in.

About InsightWorks

InsightWorks has been around for a little over 10 years and we focus primarily on manufacturing and warehousing. The Quality Inspector module applies to those areas, along with anything else you want to manage in Business Central.

Any time you’re working with physical inventory, whether it’s production scheduling, warehouse management, shipping, or related processes, that’s where our applications are designed to help.

Many of the applications in our suite are completely free. There are videos available on our website for all of them, and you can install and use them even if you’re not a partner.

Graphical Scheduler

Graphical Scheduler is designed for drag-and-drop production order scheduling, but it also supports assigning and scheduling quality inspections.

Doc Extender

Doc Extender integrates with Quality Inspector for drag-and-drop document management. It stores documents in SharePoint using a structured format that makes them easy to locate both from SharePoint and from within quality inspections.

If you capture photos during inspections, Doc Extender can automatically place those files into SharePoint as well.

Business Central Quality Management Module

Microsoft recently released the Quality Management module as an AppSource extension for Business Central.

The key point is that the Quality Management module is based on a subset of the InsightWorks Quality Inspector module that Microsoft licensed for use within Business Central.

Many of the concepts are the same. You can perform inspections for receiving, manufacturing, and production orders, automatically create tests, schedule inspections, and use templates for inspections.

The module also includes workflow capabilities that react to events occurring during quality inspections.

Overall, the built-in Quality Management module is a strong starting point and covers many common quality inspection use cases.

Technical Differences Between Quality Management and Quality Inspector

Quality Management and Quality Inspector are separate applications and do not depend on each other. They can be installed side-by-side and used independently if desired.

Microsoft renamed some concepts and pages in their module, so the terminology differs slightly from Quality Inspector.

We also provide a migration tool that allows customers to move from Quality Management to Quality Inspector. If a customer outgrows the base functionality, they can migrate their configuration into Quality Inspector and immediately gain access to the additional capabilities.

Advanced Features in Quality Inspector

Expression Evaluator and Rule Builder

One of the biggest advantages in Quality Inspector is the ability to use complex expressions and formulas through the Expression Evaluator and Rule Builder.

For example, instead of creating hundreds of different inspection tests for products with different dimensions, you can create one inspection template and dynamically calculate tolerances using item attributes or custom fields.

This significantly reduces setup complexity and maintenance.

Support for Any Business Central Table

Quality Inspector allows inspections to be created against virtually any table in Business Central, including custom tables, work centers, fixed assets, employees, sales orders, and more.

Microsoft Teams Integration

Using Power Automate and Adaptive Cards, users can complete quality inspections directly within Microsoft Teams.

This provides a lightweight mobile-friendly interface and can help reduce licensing concerns.

AI Capabilities

Quality Inspector uses Azure Document Intelligence to help organizations transition from paper-based quality systems to electronic quality management.

Existing paper forms can be converted into electronic templates, and handwritten inspection forms can be scanned and automatically imported into Business Central.

The system also supports AI-assisted voice data entry, allowing inspectors to verbally enter measurements while working hands-free.

Tool Management and Calibration

Quality Inspector supports tool management, including calibration tracking, serial number recording, and tooling details used during inspections.

Advanced Sampling

While both systems support fixed and percentage-based sampling, Quality Inspector extends this with:

• Individual sample measurements
• AQL (Acceptable Quality Limits)
• Sampling plans
• Skip-lot testing

Warehouse Management Enhancements

Quality Inspector can direct received inventory into quarantine or QC locations automatically during warehouse put-away processes.

Non-Conformance Reports and Balloon Inspections

Both systems support NCRs today, but upcoming releases of Quality Inspector streamline the process significantly.

Users will be able to create NCRs directly against purchase orders, sales orders, failed tests, outbound shipments, and more.

Quality Inspector also supports balloon inspections for matching drawing annotations with inspection measurements.

API and Mobile Capabilities

Extended API Features

Quality Inspector provides an expanded API compared to the base Quality Management module.

For example, users can automatically generate PDFs such as Certificates of Analysis through Power Automate workflows.

Phone and Tablet Interfaces

Quality Inspector includes mobile-optimized interfaces for phones and tablets through the Business Central mobile app.

Users can quickly enter inspection results, capture photos, scan handwritten forms, and review inspection details directly from mobile devices.

Warehouse Insight Integration

Quality Inspector can also run directly within Warehouse Insight on handheld barcode scanners through the add-on catalog.

Shop Floor Insight Integration

Operators recording production data can also capture quality inspection results directly from the shop floor interface.

How Quality Inspections Work

The inspection process begins with creating a test template that defines what data should be captured.

Generation rules determine when inspections should be created automatically, such as during purchase receipts, production output, or warehouse activities.

Once generated, the inspection document stores all captured results and remains linked to the related Business Central records through control information.

Dynamic Tolerances

Inspection tolerances can be calculated dynamically using item fields and formulas.

For example, package weight tolerances can automatically adjust based on the gross weight stored on the item card.

Grading

The system supports grading logic where inspection outcomes can be categorized into multiple quality levels such as Grade A, B, or C instead of simple pass/fail results.

Workflow Automation

One of the strongest capabilities in Quality Inspector is workflow automation.

When inspections fail, workflows can automatically:

• Move inventory to quarantine locations
• Block serial numbers
• Create put-away activities
• Generate NCR inspections automatically

These workflows run within the same Business Central transaction, unlike Power Automate flows, which operate asynchronously.

Mobile Inspection Experience

The tablet and phone interfaces are designed to simplify inspection entry in the field.

Users can select inspections, enter measurements, review related production or purchasing details, capture images, and scan handwritten forms directly from mobile devices.

Photos can either be attached directly to inspections or automatically stored in SharePoint through Doc Extender integration.

Final Thoughts

The base Quality Management module in Business Central is a strong starting point and may fully satisfy the needs of many organizations.

For organizations requiring advanced functionality such as AI-assisted data capture, advanced workflows, AQL sampling, mobile optimization, warehouse integration, and extended automation, Quality Inspector provides those additional capabilities.

Customers can easily migrate from Quality Management to Quality Inspector whenever additional functionality becomes necessary.

For more information, visit QC4Dynamics.com or InsightWorks.com for videos, demonstrations, and detailed product documentation.

Source transcript file: :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}