Distribution isn’t always just picking discrete items into a box.  Distributors often have to manage a wide array of different requirements to kit, assemble, and produce the products they sell.  Microsoft Dynamics Business Central offers two out-of-the-box modules that help you manage the spectrum from simple kitting to complex light manufacturing.

The Assembly module offers the ability to manage simple kitting.  Kits can be multiple layer “kits-of-kits-of-kits” and can include stock components as well as non-stock components such as labor or service charges.  Assembly can be used in both Make-to-Order and Make-to-Stock scenarios.  Assembly is perfect for businesses where your production process is shorter, and you don’t have the need for capacity planning, production scheduling, etc.  Assembly is included in the Essentials license level.

Manufacturing is a premium license level module which layers in much more support for managing your processes.  Additional entities such as work centers, machine centers, multiple work calendars and shift schedules, and support for different flushing methods allows you to accurately schedule and plan your production based on resource and component availability.  Like Assembly, it also supports Make-to-Order and Make-to-Stock scenarios and multi-level Bills of Materials.  Production BOMs and Routings both support versioning and they can be assigned to multiple finished goods making maintenance much more streamlined and less time-consuming.

If your business does assembly or light manufacturing, check out these two modules included with Business Central.