How do you set reorder points in Business Central?

To set reorder points in Business Central, open the item card, choose a Reordering Policy on the Planning FastTab, and fill in Reorder Point, Safety Stock Quantity and the order quantity fields. Set the Lead Time Calculation, then run Calculate Plan in the requisition worksheet to turn those settings into purchase order suggestions.

Which fields control reordering in Business Central?

Reordering is driven by planning parameters on the item card or, per location or variant, on a stockkeeping unit (SKU) card. If the Reordering Policy field is blank, the item is not planned at all.

Which reordering policy should you choose?

Microsoft's best-practice guide ties the policy to the item's ABC class. Use Fixed Reorder Qty. or Maximum Qty. for steady, low-value items; Lot-for-Lot for regular B items; and Order for expensive, irregular or make-to-order items.

• Fixed Reorder Qty. Orders at least the Reorder Quantity when stock hits the reorder point. Suited to C items with regular demand. Avoid it for items that are often reserved.
• Maximum Qty. Orders up to Maximum Inventory. Suited to C items with high carrying costs or limited storage. Combine it with order modifiers. Microsoft advises against using a Time Bucket with it.
• Lot-for-Lot. Covers the total demand that falls due in a period. Microsoft suggests it for B items and as the default when you are unsure. Select Include Inventory with this policy.
• Order. Plans one supply for each demand and ignores the other planning parameters. Use it for A items, drop shipments and special orders.

How do you set the reorder point on the item card?

Set the planning fields on the Planning FastTab of the item card. Microsoft calls this FastTab the center of a company's supply chain.

1. Select Search (Alt+Q), enter Items, and open the item.
2. On the Planning FastTab, choose the Reordering Policy.
3. Enter the Reorder Point. Base it on demand during the lead time: if the item sells 100 units in a 7-day lead time, Microsoft suggests at least 100.
4. Enter the Safety Stock Quantity for items with large swings in demand.
5. For Fixed Reorder Qty., enter the Reorder Quantity. For Maximum Qty., enter Maximum Inventory.
6. Add order modifiers if your vendor sells in packs: Minimum Order Quantity, Maximum Order Quantity or Order Multiple.
7. Leave Time Bucket blank so stock is checked every day, and set Safety Lead Time to at least one day.
8. Choose Vendors on the item card to link the item to its vendors in the Item Vendor Catalog.

How do you set the lead time?

Enter a date formula in the Lead Time Calculation field. Business Central uses the first formula it finds in this order: Item/Vendor Catalog, Item Card, Stockkeeping Unit Card, then Vendor Card.

Use fixed durations such as 10D or 2W. Microsoft warns that formulas without a fixed length, such as CW or CM, can produce wrong dates when Business Central calculates backward from a requested receipt date.

When should you use a stockkeeping unit instead?

Use a SKU when the same item needs different settings at different locations or variants. SKU values take priority over the item card.

1. Select Search (Alt+Q), enter Stockkeeping Units, and choose New.
2. Fill in Item No. and the Location Code and/or Variant Code.
3. Set the same planning fields as on the item card for that location.

To create several SKUs at once, use the Create Stockkeeping Unit batch job. If you plan by location, Microsoft recommends a SKU for each location.

How do you run the requisition worksheet to create purchase orders?

The requisition worksheet calculates replenishment for items whose replenishment system is Purchase or Transfer. It fills in an action message on each line, and you turn accepted lines into purchase orders.

1. Select Search (Alt+Q) and open the Requisition Worksheet.
2. Choose Calculate Plan. Set the starting and ending dates of the planning period and filter to the items, vendor or location you want.
3. Review each line's Action Message: New, Change Qty., Reschedule, Resch. & Chg. Qty. or Cancel.
4. Edit or delete lines you disagree with, and select Accept Action Message on the lines you want.
5. Choose Carry Out Action Message to create the purchase orders.

Make the planning period long enough to cover your longest lead time. If it is too short, items with long lead times are not ordered in time. Manufacturers usually work in the Planning Worksheet instead, using Calculate Regenerative Plan; it can pass purchase proposals to the requisition worksheet.

What does a worked example look like?

Here is an example with made-up numbers. Brightline Supply sells a 3/8-inch drive ratchet bought from Ironwell Tools.

• It sells about 20 a week, and Ironwell Tools takes two weeks to deliver, so demand during lead time is about 40.
• Brightline sets Lead Time Calculation to 2W and Safety Lead Time to 1D.
• It keeps 15 as Safety Stock Quantity and sets Reorder Point to 55 (40 plus 15).
• It picks Maximum Qty. with Maximum Inventory of 120, because shelf space is tight, and an Order Multiple of 10 to match Ironwell's case size.

Stock is projected to drop to 52. Calculate Plan suggests a New order of about 68 to bring the item back toward 120, rounded up to 70 by the order multiple. The buyer accepts the line and carries out the action message to create the purchase order.

What are the most common mistakes?

Most planning surprises come from a handful of setup slips. Check these before you trust a planning run.

• Leaving Reordering Policy blank, so the item is never planned.
• Reserving items that are planned with a reorder point, which disturbs the plan.
• Setting a Time Bucket such as 1W, which lets stock sit below the reorder point for a week.
• Skipping Safety Lead Time, so supply lands the same day it is needed.
• Setting values on the item card while a SKU exists, then wondering why they are ignored.
• Using CW or CM in lead time formulas.

These settings rely on someone keeping reorder points current as demand changes. If you would rather get a forecast-based purchase list from your sales history and draft POs from a conversation, see ReorderOwl for Business Central.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Reorder Point and Safety Stock Quantity in Business Central?

Reorder Point is the level that triggers a new order. Safety Stock Quantity is the minimum you want to protect. If stock is projected below safety stock, planning raises an exception warning. If Reorder Point is empty, safety stock acts as the reorder point.

Why is my item not showing up in the requisition worksheet?

Check that the item has a Reordering Policy and that its replenishment system is Purchase or Transfer. Also check the planning dates and filters you used in Calculate Plan.

Does Business Central calculate reorder points for me?

No. You enter the Reorder Point yourself. Microsoft suggests basing it on demand during the item's lead time.

Should I use the requisition worksheet or the planning worksheet?

Microsoft describes the requisition worksheet for purchase and transfer replenishment, often in wholesale. The planning worksheet covers production and assembly as well.

Sources

1. Design details - planning parameters, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
2. Setup best practices - Reordering policies, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
3. Setup best practices - Planning parameters, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
4. Create item cards for goods or services, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
5. Calculate dates for purchases, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
6. How to set up stockkeeping units, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
7. About planning functionality, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01
8. Run Full Planning, MPS, or MRP, Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-01