Table of Contents

Tradeable Packaging Items

Use tradeable packaging items to track and manage returnable packaging materials such as pallets, crates, or containers that you loan to customers. The system tracks packaging quantities sent to and returned from customers, helping you monitor outstanding balances and invoice for packaging materials when needed.

Important

To use tradeable packaging handling, the Tradeable Packaging Items Module must be enabled. Items used as tradeable packaging must be marked as Tradeable Packaging Item on the item card.

Set up items as tradeable packaging

Before you can track packaging items, you must identify which items in your inventory represent returnable packaging.

To mark an item as tradeable packaging

  1. Choose the Search, enter Items, and then choose the related link.
  2. Open the item card for the packaging item (for example, a pallet or crate).
  3. On the Wood FastTab, select the Tradeable Packaging Item check box.
  4. Verify that Registration Type is set to Single, Piece Leaded Posting, Non discountable (sales) and Allow Invoice Disc. is selected.
  5. On the Invoicing FastTab, set the VAT Prod. Posting Group to a group with 0% VAT.
  6. On the Invoicing FastTab, set the Gen. Prod. Posting Group to a posting group that fits the tradeable packaging item.
  7. If the module Transport Unit Module is enabled, then on the Transport Unit FastTab, set the Transport Unit Type field to the appropriate value for the packaging item.
Important

Tradeable packaging items must be set up with a VAT Product Posting Group that has a VAT percentage of 0%. Since tradeable packaging items are returnable deposit items and not sold goods, no VAT should be charged on them.

Set up the general product posting group

A dedicated general product posting group should be used for tradeable packaging items. This posting group allows you to configure separate G/L accounts for the sales and unit cost postings of tradeable packaging items.

Important

In most cases, the accounts used for tradeable packaging items should be balance sheet accounts rather than profit and loss accounts, because tradeable packaging represents deposit obligations rather than revenue or expense.

To assign the posting group to a packaging item

  1. Choose the Search, enter Items, and then choose the related link.
  2. Open the item card for the tradeable packaging item.
  3. On the Invoicing FastTab, set the Gen. Prod. Posting Group field to a posting group that fits the tradeable packaging item.

Add packaging to documents

You can add packaging items to sales orders, warehouse shipments, disposition planning, and transfer orders.

To add packaging items

  1. Open the document (Sales Order, Warehouse Shipment, Disposition Planning, or Transfer Order).
  2. Choose the Change Tradeable Packaging action.
  3. On the Tradable Packaging Item Lines page, review the available packaging items and their current inventory levels.
  4. In the Quantity field, enter the number of packaging units you want to add.
  5. Choose OK to add the packaging items to the document.

Track customer packaging balances

The system automatically tracks packaging quantities sent to and returned from each customer.

To view packaging balances for a customer

  1. Choose the Search, enter Customers, and then choose the related link.
  2. Open the customer card.
  3. On the customer card, the Packaging Qty. Outstanding field shows the total quantity of packaging items currently on loan to the customer.
  4. The Packaging Amount Outstanding field shows the value of the outstanding packaging.
Tip

With the On Route product, tradeable packaging items can also be handled in tours of the driver view. The product handles the collecting of the tradable packaging items during deliveries and credits them back to the customer in Business Central. For more information, see On Route Tradeable Packaging Items.