Supplementary Items in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

Supplementary Items in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

Understanding and Using Supplementary Items in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations

In ERP and supply chain management, offering additional items with main products can greatly enhance customer satisfaction and streamline internal processes. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365 F&O) offers a powerful feature to handle this: Supplementary Items.

Whether you provide a free charger with a mobile phone or include a user manual with machinery, supplementary items can automate this process.

In this article, I’ll walk you through:

• What are Supplementary Items?
• How to set up a Supplementary Item in D365 F&O
• How to use them in Sales Orders (SO) and Purchase Orders (PO)
• Real-world scenarios and best practices

What is a Supplementary Item?

A Supplementary Item in D365 is an additional product automatically suggested or added to a sales or purchase order when a specific main item is selected.

These are typically:

• Free promotional items (e.g., giveaways)
• Accessories (e.g., charger, cables, manuals)
• Consumables (e.g., cleaning cloths, batteries)

They can be manually confirmed or automatically added to the order, depending on setup.

How to Set Up a Supplementary Item

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Create the Main and Supplementary Items

Ensure both the main item and supplementary item are created and active in the Released Products form.

Product information management > Products > Released products

2. Configure the Supplementary Item Group

Sales and marketing > Setup > Supplementary items > Supplementary item groups

• Create a new group.
• Click the Supplementary items button in the action pane.
• Add the supplementary item:

3. Assign the Supplementary Item Group to an Item

Product information management > Products > Released products > Sell FastTab

• Open the Released Product for the main item.
• Under the Sell tab, select the Supplementary item group created earlier.

Released products

Configure Supplementary Items:

• Go to the Sell tab (for sales orders) or the Purchase tab (for purchase orders).
• Click Supplementary Sales Items or Supplementary Purchase Items.
• Click New and define: Account Code (Table, Group, or All)
• Supplementary Item
• Quantity Limit
• Charge Option (Free or Discounted)
• Date Range (If applicable)
• Save the Configuration

How to Use Supplementary Items in Sales Orders (SO)

Step-by-Step:

Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders

1. Create a Sales Order and add a customer.
2. Add a main item that is linked to a supplementary item group.
3. When you move to the next line or save the order:
4. Adjust quantity or line details if needed.

Note: The supplementary item line will be listed under the same sales order with a reference to the main item.

How to Use Supplementary Items in Purchase Orders (PO)

Yes, you can also automate supplementary items in POs, especially useful for ensuring suppliers send accessories or documentation.

Procurement and sourcing > Purchase orders > All purchase orders

1. Create a PO and add a vendor.
2. Add the main item.
3. If a supplementary item group is assigned and applicable to POs:
4. Review the supplementary item line and proceed with confirmation.

Ensure the item group is correctly set up for procurement scenarios.

Best Practices

• Use automatic inclusion with caution, especially for costly supplementary items.
• Maintain clear documentation or item names to avoid confusion during fulfillment.
• Train sales and procurement teams on the purpose and usage of supplementary items.
• Monitor customer feedback — supplementary items can enhance satisfaction when used correctly.

Analysis:

Supplementary items in D365 F&O are a great way to increase efficiency, reduce manual errors, and add value for your customers. Whether in sales promotions, customer service, or product completeness, this feature helps you automate what would otherwise be manual work.