Written By Argie Radics
When you work with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, effective Business Central item numbering matters more than ever. Poor numbering schemes will complicate inventory, manufacturing, and supply chain processes. This article explains three recurring problems with item numbers — and shows you simple, reliable fixes.
Common Issue 1: The 20-Character Limit for Item Numbers
Business Central limits the Item No. to 20 characters. In simple cases, this works. However, engineering part numbers or complex SKUs often exceed that limit. Rather than forcing long codes, treat the Item No. as a short, unique identifier. Use other built-in fields for details:
- Use Description for the product name.
- Use Extended Description for specifications or handling notes.
- Use Item References for vendor SKUs, customer SKUs, or barcodes.
- Use Attributes to store traits such as size, color, finish, or compliance status.
By doing this, you keep the Item No. short and stable — and avoid errors or code-breaking as your inventory grows.
Common Issue 2: Over-Engineered Item Numbers
Many teams attempt to encode material type, size, color, revision, plant location, customer details — all inside the Item No. This might seem logical early on, but it quickly becomes fragile. As products change over time, codes often break or become hard to manage.
Instead, consider this strategy:
- Use a short code format like
FG-001,RM-002,PK-003. - Manage structure and uniqueness with No. Series.
- Store descriptive details and variation data in other fields (Descriptions, Attributes, References).
Think of the Item No. like a license plate: short and unique. The real data lives elsewhere — clean, maintainable, and less error-prone.
Common Issue 3: Migrating Long Legacy Identifiers
When you switch to Business Central, you might bring in legacy identifiers that range from 30 to 80 characters. These don’t fit in the 20-character Item No. field. If you retain them without change, you risk losing traceability or damaging data integrity.
Here’s a practical approach:
- Create a new short Item No. for each product.
- Preserve the legacy identifier in the Item References field — or use an Attribute such as “Legacy Code.”
- Train users to search by the legacy identifier when needed while using the short Item No. as standard going forward.
- Gradually phase out reliance on the legacy codes over time.
This way, you keep your master data clean, yet maintain access to legacy history or audit trails.
Example Before / After
- Legacy code:
PLS-BLU-12OZ-GLOSSY-CTN-123456789 - Business Central setup:
- Item No.:
FG-001 - Description:
Shrinkable Plastic with Wire Closure - Legacy code stored in Item References
- Item No.:
With this setup, you retain full searchability and traceability — but gain simplicity and long-term maintainability.
Conclusion: Discipline Over Customization
Business Central item numbering often causes issues when teams rely on long codes or try to encode every detail into the Item No. Instead of custom extensions or workarounds, a disciplined approach works best.
Keep your Item Nos. short and stable. Use built-in standard fields — Descriptions, Extended Descriptions, Item References, Attributes, and No. Series — to hold product details, variations, or legacy identifiers. By doing so, you avoid future headaches and reduce maintenance overhead.
If you’re planning to migrate to Business Central — or reorganize your current setup — now is the right time to simplify. Use a clear numbering strategy, document your plan, and set up your data structure correctly from the start. Your future self (and your inventory team) will thank you.