Product numbering SWOT for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

Area

Smart numbering

Plain number

Product definition

·       Helps in easy identification of item using its item code

·       More effort upfront needed to smartly code

·       Could use product name (~100char), product description (~250char) which are helpful for trading partners/external consumption (vendors/customers…)

·       Utilize search name (~20char) for smartly identifying the item

·       Possibly use plain numbers only for new product creation

Transactions entry

Smart Item number is easy directly type in

Search name can be used to find the item, it is an additional step

Inquiries

Item number is available in all inventory screens

·       Search name is not available out of box but can be used to filter, it is an additional step

·       On-hand list has both search name and product name

Reports/Analytics

Item number is available in all inventory reports

Search name is not available out of box but can be used to filter, it is an additional step (e.g. aging report, valuation report

Historical data

Migrating with smart numbers

Migrating with smart numbers