Automatic Entry Processing

Introduction

Business Central offers advanced business process automation capabilities through job queuing mechanisms. We present two complementary approaches to queue management:

  • ShopFloor Queue Management Panel - intuitive graphical interface
  • Standard Job Queue Configuration - advanced technical configuration

Process automation for import and posting helps save time, minimize human errors, and ensure regular operation execution without manual intervention.

ShopFloor Queue Management Panel

To simplify ShopFloor queue management, we've introduced a central management system, available on the ShopFloor Setup page.

Queue Management Panel

Panel Features

  • Access to all available ShopFloor queues in one place
  • Quick creation of new queues
  • Starting and stopping queues
  • Opening queue details
  • Operation status monitoring
  • Tracking time since last queue execution
  • Automatic settings validation (Automatic Import & Automatic Posting fields)

Using the Management Panel

After opening the information panel, you can perform the following operations:

  1. Create Queue - select the appropriate item and use the creation option

  2. Start Queue - select a queue and click the start button

    Starting a Queue

  3. Stop Queue - select an active queue and click the stop button

  4. View by Type - click on Queue Type to display all queues of that type

Technical Job Queue Configuration

For users requiring more detailed control, you can configure standard Job Queues in Business Central.

Available Operation Parameters

Parameter Description
OUTPUT_IMPORT Import output entries to journal.
OUTPUT_POST Post existing output entries from journal.
CONSUMPTION_IMPORT Import consumption entries to journal.
CONSUMPTION_POST Post existing consumption entries from journal.
OUTPUT_IMPORT_WITH_POSTING Import output entries to journal and post automatically.
CONSUMPTION_IMPORT_WITH_POSTING Import consumption entries to journal and post automatically.
OUTPUT_AND_CONSUMPTION_IMPORT_WITH_POSTING Import both output and consumption entries with posting of both journals.

Execution Schedule

For each job queue, you can set a schedule specifying:

  • Earliest Start Date/Time: First execution moment
  • Recurrence: Execution frequency (daily, weekly, etc.)
  • Run on Days: Specific days of the week
  • Start Time / End Time: Time frame during the day

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Execution Tracking

Queue execution can be monitored through:

  1. ShopFloor Panel - visual overview of statuses and recent executions
  2. Standard Job Queue Interface:
    • Queue status (Ready, In Progress, Error, Completed)
    • Message log
    • Verified output/consumption journals

Common Issues and Solutions

In case of queue malfunction, check:

  • Correctness of configured parameters
  • Availability of source data for import
  • Compliance of data to be posted with system requirements
  • Queue execution user permissions
  • Message logs for detailed errors

Summary

The queue management system offers two complementary approaches:

  • ShopFloor Panel - for quick, intuitive management
  • Technical Configuration - for advanced settings and schedules

The choice of approach depends on user needs and process automation complexity.