Managing Blanket Sales and Purchase Orders in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Many companies work with long-term agreements where goods are delivered or received over multiple periods instead of a single shipment.

For example:

• A customer orders 500 machines to be delivered over six months
• A company signs an annual agreement to purchase 200 tons of steel with monthly deliveries

In these scenarios, businesses often ask:

• How can we manage the total committed quantity?
• How can we track delivered or received quantities?
• How can we control remaining quantities?
• How can we maintain fixed contract pricing?
• How can we avoid creating repetitive sales or purchase orders?

This is where Blanket Orders in Dynamics 365 Business Central become extremely useful.

What is a Blanket Order?

A Blanket Order acts like a long-term agreement or master contract between a company and its customer or vendor.

Instead of creating many separate orders manually, companies can:

• Define the total committed quantity
• Maintain agreed pricing
• Manage multiple delivery schedules
• Release actual orders when shipments are required

Blanket Sales Order

A Blanket Sales Order is commonly used when customers request large quantities but require deliveries over multiple phases or schedules.

Example:

• Customer orders 500 air conditioners
• Deliveries occur over six months
• Pricing is fixed according to the contract

When each shipment is required, the company can release part of the blanket order into a standard Sales Order for delivery and invoicing.

Business Central can track:

• Total contracted quantity
• Delivered quantity
• Remaining quantity
• Shipment schedules
• Contract pricing
  

Blanket Purchase Order

A Blanket Purchase Order is commonly used for long-term purchasing agreements with vendors.

Example:

• Purchase agreement for 200 tons of steel
• Goods received monthly
• Fixed pricing for one year

When inventory is needed, the purchasing team can release part of the blanket agreement into an actual Purchase Order.

Business Central can monitor:

• Received quantities
• Remaining quantities
• Vendor agreements
• Pricing commitments
• Delivery schedules

Business Benefits

Using Blanket Orders in Dynamics 365 Business Central helps companies:

• Reduce repetitive manual order entry
• Improve visibility of long-term agreements
• Control contract quantities more effectively
• Maintain agreed sales and purchase pricing
• Improve supply chain planning
• Avoid over-delivery or over-purchasing

Industries That Commonly Use Blanket Orders

• Manufacturing
• Distribution
• Retail
• Project-based businesses
• Long-term supply contract businesses

Many companies still manage these processes through spreadsheets, emails, or manual tracking methods.

Dynamics 365 Business Central already provides standard Blanket Order functionality that helps businesses manage long-term sales and purchasing agreements more efficiently within a single ERP platform.