Quality management in Business Central records inspections of incoming goods, production output, returns, and inventory moves. An inspection collects measurements against tests, such as moisture content, weight, or a visual check, and the result can block or release the lot. The feature arrived in version 28.0 (2026 release wave 1). Update 28.2 added Word report layouts and demo data, and version 29.0 reduced the manual entry in tests and inspections.
The setup has four layers: the general setup, the tests you measure, the templates that group tests, and the generation rules that decide when an inspection is created. This guide goes through them in that order.
When to Use This
- You inspect samples of purchased goods before they are put away.
- Production output needs a check before it goes to stock, and you want the result linked to the lot.
- Customers or auditors ask for a Certificate of Analysis per batch.
- You track non-conformances today in spreadsheets.
Production inspections need the Premium experience. Purchase, transfer, and warehouse inspections work with Essential.
Step 1: Check the Extension and Permissions
The Quality Management extension is preinstalled in new environments. In older environments, install it from Extension Management.
Assign the permission sets:
| Permission set | For |
|---|---|
| Quality Admin & Supervisor | Quality managers. Full access to setup, tests, templates, rules, and inspections. |
| Quality Inspector | People who perform inspections. They can take ownership of unassigned inspections, record values, and finish inspections, but can’t change setup. |
| Quality Auditor | Read-only access for review and reporting |
| Quality Inspection - Create | Users whose transactions create inspections, such as warehouse staff posting receipts |
Only admins and supervisors can assign inspections to other users, reopen or delete finished inspections, or change quantities on an inspection.
Step 2: Prepare Base Data
Quality management builds on data you probably already have, but check it first:
- Locations and bins: a bin or location for goods waiting for inspection, and warehouse handling if you use it.
- Item tracking: lot or serial numbers on items you inspect per batch. Without tracking, an inspection can’t be tied to the goods it covers. See the link at the end of this post.
- Vendors: if inspections differ per vendor.
Step 3: Run the Assisted Setup
- Search for Assisted Setup using
Alt + Q. - Select Quality Management.
- Select Open My Settings, set Role to Quality Manager, and close My Settings.
- Select Done.
This only switches your Role Center. It doesn’t create tests, templates, or rules.
To explore with sample data first, open Quality Management Setup and select Install Demo Data. It installs the Quality Management Contoso Coffee Demo Dataset with sample tests, templates, and two generation rules. Run the action again after the install to generate the modules.
Step 4: Configure Quality Management Setup
- Search for Quality Management Setup.
- On the General FastTab, set:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Quality Inspection Nos. | Default number series for inspections. A series on a template takes precedence. |
| Inspection Creation Option | Whether to always create a new inspection, create a reinspection, or reuse an existing one |
| Inspection Search Criteria | How Business Central looks for an existing inspection: by source fields, source record, item tracking, or document and item |
| Certificate of Analysis Contact | The contact in the signature block of the Certificate of Analysis report |
| Additional Picture Handling | Whether pictures are saved as attachments, optionally uploaded to OneDrive |
If you receive one lot in several shipments and want all receipts to share one inspection, set Inspection Creation Option to Use existing open inspection if available and Inspection Search Criteria to By Item Tracking.
- On the Generation Rule Trigger Defaults FastTab, choose which events create inspections automatically:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Purchase Orders Trigger | Never, When Purchase Order is received, When Purchase Order is released |
| Warehouse Receipts Trigger | Never, When Warehouse Receipt is created, When Warehouse Receipt is posted |
| Sales Returns Trigger | Never, When Sales Return is received |
| Transfer Orders Trigger | Never, When Transfer Order is received |
| Production Order Trigger | Never, When Production Output is posted, When Production Order is released, When a Released Production Order is refreshed |
| Prod. trigger output condition | Any Output Entry, Any Quantity Output, Only with Quantity, Only with Scrap |
| Assembly Trigger | Never, When Output is posted |
| Warehouse Movement Trigger | Never, When Warehouse Movement is registered |
Posting an open purchase order releases it first. With When Purchase Order is released, a failed posting can leave an inspection behind, and the next attempt may create another one. When Purchase Order is received avoids that.
- On Bin Movements and Reclassifications and Inventory Adjustments, choose the journal batches used when an inspection result moves or writes off stock.
- On Item Tracking, set Item Tracking Before Finishing. Allow only posted item tracking fits finished goods. Allow reserved or posted item tracking fits goods being received.
Step 5: Create Quality Tests
A test is one measurement.
- Search for Quality Tests.
- Create one test per measurement, with a description, a Test Value Type (decimal, integer, boolean, option, or a lookup to another table), and the allowed values.
For numeric tests, enter allowed values as a range, for example 8..12.
| Test | Value type | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
MOISTURE |
Decimal | 8..12 (percent) |
BEAN-SIZE |
Option | Small, Medium, Large |
VISUAL-OK |
Boolean | Yes, No |
WEIGHT-KG |
Decimal | 59.5..60.5 |
Step 6: Build Inspection Templates
A template groups the tests for one kind of inspection.
- Search for Quality Inspection Templates and select New.
- Enter a short code, for example
RECV-BEANS, and a description. - Choose a sample source. Depending on the choice, a sample amount or sample percentage field appears.
- Add the tests. You can override a test’s pass conditions for this template only.
To create a similar template, select an existing one and use Copy Template.
Step 7: Create Generation Rules
Generation rules connect templates to transactions.
- Search for Quality Inspection Generation Rules.
- Create a rule and set:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Sort order | 10 for a specific rule, 90 for a fallback |
| Template | RECV-BEANS |
| Intent and source table | Purchase, purchase receipt line |
| Filters | Item category GREEN-BEANS, or a specific vendor |
| Activation trigger | Manual or automatic, manual only, automatic only, or disabled |
| Schedule group | Only for rules that run through the job queue |
Business Central evaluates rules from the lowest sort order up and uses the first match. Put specific rules low and general fallbacks high.
The assisted setup guides for receiving, bin movements, and production can create typical rules for you.
Step 8: Test the Flow
- Post a purchase receipt for an item that matches the rule.
- Open the inspection that was created, record the values, and finish it.
- Check that the lot is blocked or released as expected.
If no inspection appears, check the trigger on Quality Management Setup first. It is the most common cause.
Each user can turn on the Quality Inspection created and Assign Quality Inspection to yourself notifications in My Notifications.
Reports
Three reports ship with quality management: Certificate of Analysis, Non-Conformance, and General Purpose Inspection. Since update 28.2 they use Word layouts by default, with RDLC as an alternative. Assign the defaults on Report Selection - Quality Management.
Quality inspections per batch depend on lot numbers. See How to Configure Item Tracking (Lot and Serial Numbers) in Business Central.