Change NAV Customer and Vendor Code

Business Central/NAV Developers Forum
1

I’ve just started to do BI with the Navision data for a one company.
I noticed that the Customer coding is done by assuming it’s a numerical field but it’s a NAV Code format that similar to VARCHAR SQL. So, having it numerical is not giving any advantage except it’s shown as an inconsistent structure where we have e.g., 2089 and 222 and 241; 9, 900, 916, 997; etc. What would be entered next I’m not sure as it can be 10 but there are already 1000, 1008, etc.?
The Vendor coding is the same mess where we have codes as numbers such as 996 but after that it’s started with supposed to be a proper code such as V00010, etc.

It would be nice to have everything consistent as e.g., C000001 for the Customers and V000001 for the Vendors. But, there is a history with sales and purchasing. Please, advise if it’s possible to change the Customer/Vendor Codes.

Thanks

2

You can just rename the vendors/customers in navision. depending on the number of vendors/customers you might be able to do this manually.

But maybe the people in your organisation using NAV have an opinion on this to [:)]

3

Thanks Tvis. How could I do it? Are we talking about a Code or a Name? I need to change a primary key field for the Customer and Vendor tables that is the Customer Code and the Vendor Code. Would it rename the customers/vendors codes in sales and purchasing history? Please, advise.

4

Sorry, if there is any confusion the fields I‘m asking if it’s possible to change entries in are No. for the Customer and the Vendor tables.

5

Hi Alexander,

What Tvis is suggesting is that if you only have a few records that this can be done manually (go to the customer/vendor card and change the No. field). This is rename all dependant tables automatically. If there is a lot of customers/vendor then you will need to write a routine to do this.

6

Thanks, DaveT. I’m getting the message below “You may not enter numbers manually. If you want to enter numbers manually, please activate Manual Nos. Series CUST.” when I’m trying to rename the No. Code.

Please, advise if I could temporary activate the Manual No., do the renaming, and then put it back onto the automated sequence numbering.

Thanks

7

Hello

Yes

Do you know how to do it?

8

Please, advise as I never did it.

Thanks

9

Another question would be we don’t have a license to create a codeunits so would it be possible to do the update through a data-port creating an update/modify code there? My concern here would be if the related tables (sales/purchasing history) could be updated automatically after we modify the No. column or we’d need to create a special code to update those tables as well.

Thanks

10

you may create a Report for this purpose - Navision reports CAN UPDATE (and delete…) data, not only read them [:)]

Dave already wrote, that updating linked tables when you change Cust/Vend No in respective Cards is a standart Navision feature… That’s why it takes so long, but there is even a message displayed during this process, "Updating… "
If you have already many transactions recorded, this updating may take considerable time, and during this update other users can experience delays, as many locks are set.

Seems that you have autonumbering set not from “the begining”, but after part of Cards had been already created with manual No’s entry, that explains why the format changes to Vxxxxx / Cxxxxx, which sorts “normally”.

When you’re done with updates and will be setting back autonumbering, check Last Used field, and if necessary, change it to be equal (or greater) to really existing No, if it is less, it will cause error when you’ll create your next Cust/Vend…