Merge customers, vendors or items

Dynamics 365 Business Central/NAV Developers Forum
1

I noticed that a lot of our clients are creating 2 or 3 times the same vendors, customers or items in their database. For sure, after they figure out what happened, they are looking for a way to keep all the data and associate it with the “real guy”. I’m looking for a function to merge historical data for customers, vendors or items, in the case where duplicates where created. Does anyone know about that kind of tool?

2

Hi, This is very easy: Let sey you want merge Customer C001 with Customer C002 (C001 will stay in database and C002 will diappear); Customer1.get(‘C001’); Customer2.get(‘C001’); Customer2.delete(false); Customer2.get(‘C002’); Customer2.rename(‘C001’); Customer1.Modify; In case of Items you have to delete Unit of Measure Tabele also.

3

I found similar code made by another NSC in Navision 2.60. However, if you try this approach with an item in 3.70, the system will block you 2 or 3 times when doing this process. Here are some cases where it wouldn’t work:

  • Cannot delete base unit of measure because ledger entries exist with this UOM
  • The item you are trying to delete contains open ledger entries
  • The item has ledger entries in the open fiscal year
  • etc.
    Before we go in this approach (indirectly changing the information in the ledger), I want to make real sure there is no side effect or impact on accounting. Also, I’m looking for additional controls, for example, to include restriction to make sure two items will not be merged if they don’t have the same cost calculation (ex: FIFO vs Average). We can design it, but I was looking if there was an existing tool available, since this situation occurs very often.
4

Mind the line from Valintin: Customer2.delete(false);[8D]

5

quote:

Mind the line from Valintin: Customer2.delete(false);[8D]
Originally posted by Anfinnur - 2004 Dec 16 : 13:44:25

Thanks… I understand we can make it work “technically”. However, I am more looking to see if there may be side effects by doing this “non-recommended” action (changing ledger entries). Anyone did that with items?

6

We have merged GL-accounts, customers and vendors more than once - whitout any problem. And items as well, but that was in the old character-based 3.x.

7

Ok, we’ll go this way then. Thanks a lot for the information. This is the confirmation I needed.