AX2012: Number sequences & Scope parameters

Hi Folks,

Hope you are doing great. It’s been a long time since my last post, may be sometimes it’s required to have a long vacation, isn’t it?. Of course it’s definitely required if you are starting a new page of your life.

Fine, Let me pull you into the DAX ocean to discuss about Number sequences. I consider that setting up the number sequences is one of the important things that we need to consider for a new implementation, don’t you?

So, we must know what’s new in AX2012 and how best we can leverage this new functionality. Probably most of you observed something called “Scope” while creating the number sequence. To decide which scope that you need to select, you must know what the difference in each scope is.

I would like to start the post by pointing you to “Segment configuration form” under organization administration> common>Number sequences, gives us a clear picture on which “scope” to be considered for the “references”.
In the below screen shot, you can see that the “Customer account” reference has the segment “Company”. So, the number sequence which needs to be linked to “Customer account” must have the scope “Company” and thus you can’t link a number sequence with “Legal entity” scope to this “Customer account”.

Also, you can see the “Countries/Region” field to know if the selected reference is country specific function.
As another example, we can observe “purchase requisition” reference which has no segments. That means its shared scope. To link the number sequence to purchase requisition the numbseq should have the “Shared scope”.

Similarly, if you look at the “Travel requisition number” in the “Travel and expense” area, it’s scope is “Legal entity” scope.

To link the number sequence to respective reference:

In AX2009, we link the number sequence by going to the parameters form in the respective module. In AX2012, It is suggested that we need to link it from the number sequences form.
Note: Clicking the references will show the appropriate reference in each area based on the selected “Scope”.

About each scope:
Number sequence scope -Shared: Applicable to all the shared tables.
Ex: Purchase requisitions, All product etc.,
As these tables are shared tables the number sequences with “Shared scope” can only be linked .

Number sequence Scope :Company: Applicable to all the tables which has the “Data area id” as field in the table.
Ex: Customer account, vendor account, Purchase order, Sales order.
Interesting scenario:
How to have the same number sequence followed in multiple legal entities? :

Scenario: let’s say I have three companies X, Y and Z and client requested that the “vendor account” must follow the continuous sequence in X and y Legal entities. i.e., if the sequence is like Vend -###, if some user creates the vendor in X company the vendor account should be “Vend-001” and next if a vendor is been created in Y company he should get “Vend-002”.

Solution:
“Number sequence scope – Company” supports the “Virtual company accounts” as well. So if a virtual company is created in the application, you can select the “Virtual company” as your company.
Create the virtual company accounts:
- Go to system administration >Setup> Virtual company accounts
- Create new record and click the company accounts tab
- Include the needed companies into “selected companies list”.

Image: Virtual company

Note: Not required to have any Table collections in the virtual company accounts.

Now, go to the Number sequences form, create a new sequence and select the scope as “Company”.
In the below screen shot, you can notice that the newly created Virtual company appears.
Image: Number sequence virtual

Select the virtual company in the “company” field and click “Add button”, Select the “Accounts payable” as area and “Vendor Account” as reference.

Important Note: Make sure that there is no number sequence is linked to “Vendor account” in any of the “Selected companies”. If any number sequence is attached in one of the companies, remove the same.
Once after attaching the number sequence to “Vendor account” reference. The “Vendor account” in all the companies will follow a same sequence.

Number sequence scope – “Legal entity”:
Most of us might got confused in the initial point in finding the difference between scopes “Legal entity” and “Company”.

As you know, AX tables have a column “data area id” to separate the data of each Company. Besides this there are a few tables which don’t have the field “Data area id” but still the data of each legal entity is separated using a field “Legal entity”.

For these kind of tables, you must select the Scope as “Legal entity”.

Those tables which have the legal entity column are Travel requisitions, Expense reports

Number sequence scope – “Company and Fiscal calendar period”, “Legal entity and Fiscal calendar period”, “Operating unit”:
I believe that the other Number sequence scopes are country specific. You can look at the below screen shot.

You can notice that the sequence appears in the screen shot is of “FRA” country specific. So, didn’t have much information on the other scopes.

Hope you will like the scenario of sharing the number sequence in multiple legal entities. I will be glad to hear your feedback.

Keep DAXing till next time!!