Copy Items and Add an Alpha Character

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Posted on by JE-20081519-0

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Hi:

In Business Central, I need to copy multiple inventory items into new items. The number of new items is 221!

The new items will be the same, except for one thing. There needs to be an "I", at the beginning of the "new" item numbers.

Normally, I would simply export the items, replicate the data in Excel, and import through a Configuration Package.

But, with an import, there's no guarantee that newly imported items would contain such data as converted units of measure.

How can this copying be accomplished, without importing new items altogether?

Thanks!

John

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Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Teagen Boll 3,187 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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You can use configuration packages but you will need to look at copying multiple tables. You mentioned converted units of measure as one thing you need. Here are some of the tables i'd include in a configuration package for new item creation.

Item (27) - this one is obvious

Item Variant (5401) - if you have variants

Item Unit of Measure (5404) - you will need this one based on your post

Item Substitution (5715) - if you have substitutes

Stockkeeping Units (5700) - if you have locations and SKUs used for items

If you have price lists you will also need to look at those tables too.

It won't be just a simple copy and paste for new items as there are plenty of differently tables connected to the Item table. As long as you make sure those are included you should be good to go.

Best,

Teagen Boll

Work: Catapult ERP

Social: LinkedIn

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Grigorios Mavrogeorgis 2,514 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello,
You can do it with a Configuration Package, but the issue you worry about is real, the Item table alone will not bring the unit of measure conversions, because those live in a separate table (Item Unit of Measure). So a single-table package will give you items without the case/each conversions.

The trick is to put more than one table in the same Configuration Package, not only Item. Add at least: Item (27), Item Unit of Measure (5404), and if you use them also Item Variant, Item Vendor, Extended Text, and the price tables. Then export each table to Excel with a filter on your 221 source item numbers.

In Excel you replicate every sheet and change the item number to "I" + old number, in all the tables, not only the Item sheet, so the Item Unit of Measure rows also point to the new "I" items.

Then apply the package and all tables import together, the converted UoM comes correct.
One advice, do it first in a sandbox and check one item fully before the real run.

✅ Tick the checkbox below to mark the answer as verified, if it helped resolve your question.

Regards

Gregory Mavrogeorgis

Work: GMSOFT Limited
Blog: Inside Business Central
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gregorymavrogeorgis

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YUN ZHU 101,995 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Writing a batch script would be faster because if you directly modify the Item No. in the Configuration Package or Edit In Excel, it will be added to the BC as a new item and won't trigger a Rename.
If you don't want customization, you can only modify it directly on the BC page. Spreading 221 items among 5 people isn't impractical.

Thanks

ZHU

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OussamaSabbouh 17,586 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello John,
Use the standard Copy Item function, not a Configuration Package import. Microsoft has a built-in action on the Item Card/List called Copy Item, where you select the existing item and enter the new Target Item No. — so in your case the target would be the old item number prefixed with “I”. That function is safer than importing because it is meant to create a new item based on an existing item and should carry the related item setup much more reliably than a flat Excel import, including setup such as item units of measure. The only downside is that standard UI copying is one item at a time, so for 221 items I’d either use the standard action manually if this is a one-off, or ask your partner/developer to create a small processing report/codeunit that loops through the selected items and calls the same copy logic with I + old item no. Avoid direct table imports unless you include all related tables, especially Item Unit of Measure, because alternate UoM setup is stored separately from the Item record.
Regards,
Oussama Sabbouh

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