EDI Batches
D365 batches provide the ability to schedule the various processes involved with the EDI module. To reduce the number of batches and simplify the configuration and maintenance a batch control group form has been provided in which the EDI batch groups can be controlled from.
The EDI module process flow is made up of 5 basic steps:
| Process |
Description |
| Inbound documents |
|
| Import |
Files are retrieved and imported into the modules inbound file staging area |
| Process to staging |
Files in the inbound file staging area are read and transformed based on the templates into the EDI document type staging tables |
| Process to target |
The EDI document type staging tables are processed to their target D365 documents and business functions are performed. |
| Outbound documents |
|
| Process to outbound |
EDI document type staging table records are processed based on the templates and files are generated into the outbound file staging area |
| Export |
Files in the outbound file staging area are exported. |
Each of these steps has a batch job that can be scheduled to automate it. Each of these batch jobs is run per company or multiple companies; and will run over all enabled EDI document types.
This has the following advantages:
- Different companies can have different batch schedules/frequencies and can be turned on or off separately
- Different alert rules can be applied to different companies
- Without reconfiguring or even stopping a batch job, individual document types can be enabled or disabled
Users can access the form by navigating to EDI > Setup > Batch control group.
- Select New to create a new batch group
- Enable the applicable company/s the batch group applies to. The current legal entity is automatically enabled. Users can also use Enable all or Disable all.
For each of the 5 steps above, a separate fast tab will be displayed. For each step:
- Option 1: Select Enable for each of the Documents and Connection types you would like to create a batch for, then select Batch > Create Batch
- Option 2: Alternatively for all licensed documents, select Batch > Create Batch
- Enter the description of the batch in the Caption field
- Select the Batch group
- If you began setting up batch control with Option 2, select Enable all documents to setup up batch control for all licensed documents
- Import and Export batch: Select the applicable File transfer type (connection type) or leave blank if applies to all connection types.
- Update Recurrence and Alerts as required
- Select Create Batch
- Once the batches are created, documents and connection types can be enabled or disabled manually.
- To view the batch, select Batch > View batch
- Import and Export batch has to the option to create multiple batches on Batch control
Maintain Batch Control
Ongoing maintenance is an important aspect of D365 batches. The batch control form provides a status on the header of each fast tab as well as a link to the underlying batch job in the standard D365 form in which the standard batch logs can be found and updated.
Export batch jobs
Outbound staging records can be created either by:
- Send to EDI is set to Yes when posting the D365 source transaction, or
- Change tracking is utilised to determine if there are new records for the EDI document type. These documents require the Export batch jobs to create the outbound staging record based on the required recurrence.
The following section will describe the setup required for scenario 2.
Create outbound records manually
Users can access the form by navigating to EDI > Periodic tasks > Export batch jobs.
Create a new Export batch job by:
- Select New batch job
- Select the Company
- Select the EDI document type
- Select the Trading partner, where relevant
- Set the Recurrence
- Select OK