Dynamics Business Central

surajv

Hey Guys,

Has anyone deployed Dynamics Business Central? (NAV SAAS)

I have question if anyone can help? Since, we do not have access to the database in Business Central. Our client would like to increase the length of characters.
One being Item code which is limited to 20 characters and description would like to increase from 50 characters to 60 or 65 character.

Can this be done?

Slawek_Guzek

Not possible I'm afraid. It would require modifying application existing code, which cannot be done in BC

kriki

FINALLY it can't be done anymore!
Too many people have done it and hurt their heads months or even years later.

The best way (and only way in BC) is to add a field and use that one everywhere it is needed.

Slawek_Guzek

kriki wrote: »

FINALLY it can't be done anymore!
Too many people have done it and hurt their heads months or even years later.

@kriki, while it is not the best idea putting it gently, this is @surajv 's company client system and their decision whether to extend Item No. or design/propose an alternative. "FINALLY it can't be done" does not sound good/right here, at least to me. You (and me) do not know what is the driver behind this requirement, and it is not our business to say FINALLY.

Personally I'd prefer to have possibility to modify or replace BC's source code, rather than only be able to add to it via extensions, and I'm not bothered that others are abusng that possibiliy n their systems, and burning their fingers. After all it's their systems and their experience.

kriki

I understand my comment sounded somewhat harsh, but I have seen (and heard even more) of people who did that and were bitten by it too many times, even after months or years, losing a lot of both customers and partners time to fix it.

Also in the companies I have worked for, people asked me that because a customer needed a longer description, but luckily I have been able to convince them each time not to do it. And after some time, I really got tired to have to explain it again and again.

Now I don't need to do that anymore.

But I guess I will need to explain again and again that in cloud BC it isn't possible anymore...
And it is still possible in on premises BC using C/AL...

Seems I was happy too early...

thomas_barbut

Hello,
You could use Extended Texts.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/ui-how-define-ext-text
Try using as much standard functionality as possible.
This could prevent headache in the future.

Miklos_Hollender

I dread the day when a manufacturer will put a longer than 20 char article number on a product. We are using their article numbers as internal item numbers as it makes things far better, bar codes and all that. Really it just makes sense that your internal reference should be whatever is printed on the box. To reinvent every possible custom report and whatever to display No. 2 or Description for a few specific items would be a nightmare. Or to reinvent everything with internal item numbers.

Slawek_Guzek

@Miklos_Hollender Don't you dread a day when some item you buy and sell will be available from two manufacturers each having own unique number for that item? Or the day where two different items from two manufacturers, each using their own item naming method, will have exactly the same numbers?

Miklos_Hollender

Slawek_Guzek wrote: »

@Miklos_Hollender Don't you dread a day when some item you buy and sell will be available from two manufacturers each having own unique number for that item? Or the day where two different items from two manufacturers, each using their own item naming method, will have exactly the same numbers?

No. Go Google AN515-52-7231 and I'll eat my hat if you will find anything but an Acer laptop. That is because it is considered extremely bad practice to reuse the item number of another company in the same sector so it always gets extensively googled before they finalize one. It could even result in a lawsuit. But there is a very low chance to have a match even outside the sector because they want people who google the item number find them and not something totally different.

Your question is very valid, you are looking at things from a program design best practices viewpoint. Indeed, if it was an add-on sold to 100 companies I would not dare to take this assumption. Perhaps it was not even responsible as an implementation partner. That's because consultants cannot assume to have enough domain knowledge of that particular kind of business to make such decisions. But I work at the end-user and I do. I know we deliver to large shops who will scan whatever barcode is on the box at a cash register and would freak out if it was not unique between the gazillion vendors they have.