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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

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Hello!

I'm new to BC and currently on the trial to figure out processes and what I need etc.

I'm losing my mind here, but no matter what I try, whenever I try to either reserve components on a Production Order or Journal, there is nothing there or no stock.

I have inventory - (WAY more than i need, including any other demands), but the system still says there is no on hand qty to reserve from/use.

- I was super lazy and just adjusted the stock in via the item card, could that be the issue?

I have tried Directed put away, bin codes, zones, different warehouses, my own BOMs, the demo data and BOMs.

I've googled, read this page, watched a million video's but I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.

Here's the kicker - sometimes it works, randomly, and I have no idea how (in these instances, settings haven been changed, it just decides to go).

If I go to create a sales order for the same components and specify the location, they all reserve automatically.

Is there a specific setting in BC for on hand stock, or reservations from a location?

- I am suspecting this is a set up issue, not a system issue if that makes sense. (in other words, I've done something somewhere, I just don't know where)

I've messed with everything, and I can't move forward with my processing until I can get this working consistently.

Please, Save me.

Thanks in advance!

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Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Jun Wang 8,194 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

Hope it helps

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-ca/dynamics365/business-central/inventory-how-to-reserve-items

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Jainam M. Kothari 14,071 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

Hello,

if you're unable to reserve inventory on production orders despite having stock, it's likely due to how the inventory was added - adjusting stock via the Item Card bypasses warehouse logic, especially in locations using Directed Put-away and Pick (DPPA).

This means the system doesn't recognize the inventory as available for reservation or consumption.

You can use the Warehouse Item Journal to bring in stock properly, ensure bin setup allows picking, and check that reservation settings on the item and location are correctly configured

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Jeffrey Bulanadi 8,748 on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

Hi,

You're absolutely right to suspect this is a setup issue rather than a system bug—especially since reservation works in some cases but not others. The fact that you manually adjusted inventory via the item card is a key clue.

Let’s break it down:

1. Why reservation fails despite available inventory
BC doesn’t treat manual quantity changes on the item card as actual inventory. These changes don’t create Item Ledger Entries, which are required for reservation logic to work.

Reservations rely on ledger entries to identify available stock

Without those entries, the system sees zero availability—even if the item card shows quantity

To fix this, use the Item Journal to adjust inventory properly. This creates the necessary ledger entries and makes the stock reservable.

2. Directed put-away and bin setup can block reservations
If your location is set up with Directed Put-away and Pick, reservations must be made against specific bins. If bin codes aren’t assigned or the setup is inconsistent, reservation will fail.

Go to the Location Card and check if Directed Put-away and Pick is enabled

If yes, make sure bin codes are assigned during inventory adjustments

Use the Warehouse Item Journal instead of the standard Item Journal for these locations

3. Why it works for sales orders but not production orders
Sales orders often auto-reserve from available inventory, especially if the location setup is simple. Production orders, however, require more precise setup:

Components must be available in the correct location and bin

Reservation must be triggered manually via the Reserve action on the production order line or journal

If the flushing method is set to Manual, reservation won’t happen automatically

4. How to consistently reserve items for production
Here’s a checklist to get it working reliably:

Use Item Journal or Warehouse Item Journal to adjust inventory

Assign bin codes if your location requires them

Confirm that the location code on the production order matches where the inventory is stored

Use the Reserve action on the production order line or journal line

Check the Reservation Entries page to confirm the reservation was created

Here’s a reference that walks through reservation logic and setup:

How to reserve items – Microsoft Learn
BC: An Introduction to Reservation Entries – Probitas
How to add elasticity to BC’s reservation system – Netronic

If you find this helpful, feel free to mark this as the suggested or verified answer.

Cheers
Jeffrey

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Gerardo Rentería Ga... 24,091 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

Hi, good day
I hope this can help you, and give you some hints.

You have insufficient quantity on item X

Reserved Item ***** Is Not On Inventory

Best Regards
Gerardo

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Ben Baxter 6,453 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

This is likely a data issue, not a system issue. Reservations rely on Quantity on Hand, Date of Entry, and Location. Check your date on the Production Order Component Lines is in the future. Check that your Item Ledger Entry posting date is in the past (or at least behind the Component's date). Check that both the Item Ledger Entry AND the Component Line have the same Location. Once you have verified these three things, you should be able to reserve your stock inventory for your Production Order.

Adjusting the inventory directly on the Item Card isn't advised, but mainly for costing reasons. It still creates all the required Ledger Entries for the Item; you just have less control over dates and costs. I do not recommend using that feature and would encourage you to disable it in your environment, so you aren't tempted to use it going forward.

Hopefully this information was helpful. If so, please mark it as a verified solution.

P.S. If you are using a Location which requires Warehousing, be sure you have fully put-away the Item into inventory into a Pickable Bin.

Best Regards,

Ben Baxter

Accent Software Inc

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Sohail Ahmed 11,110 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Can't Reserve on a Prod. Order OR Journal

Use the Item Journal to adjust inventory instead of the Item Card. Make sure to include Location, Bin, and Lot/Serial No. if required. This ensures stock is available for reservation on production orders.

✅ Mark this as the verified answer if it helped.

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