Getting Started
App Installation and Prerequisites
System Requirements
Manufacturing Planning Optimization is designed to run within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. As such, it requires an active Business Central environment with manufacturing capabilities enabled.
To ensure optimal performance and compatibility, the following conditions should be met:
- A supported version of Dynamics 365 Business Central (SaaS or On-Premises)
- Manufacturing module configured and operational
- Appropriate user permissions for production, inventory, and item tracking processes
Because the app extends standard manufacturing behavior, it is important that the underlying production setup - such as items, bills of material, and routing structures—is already in place and aligned with your operational model.
Application Requirements
Before using Planning Optimization, certain functional configurations should be considered to ensure the app delivers its full value:
- Basic knowledge of basic setup and use of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
- Only Production Orders with Routing information can be optimized and scheduled.
- Times configured in the Changeover Matrix do not impact on the production order Costs.
- The Optimization is based on Production Lines and respective Starting and Ending Time.
Installation Steps
Manufacturing Planning Optimization is installed as a standard extension within Dynamics 365 Business Central.
The typical installation process includes:
- Navigate to Extension Management in Dynamics 365 Business Central.
- Search for “Manufacturing Planning Optimization” by Bricklead in AppSource.
- Select Install and accept the terms and conditions.
- Wait for installation completion (typically 2-3 minutes).
- Refresh your browser to see new menu items.
First Steps with Manufacturing Planning Optimization
After installing Manufacturing Planning Optimization, it is recommended to follow a structured setup process before creating optimized production schedules. MPO is built around Production Lines, Planning Characteristics, and Factory Planning, which work together to generate efficient production plans.
Run Assisted Setup
Use the Search and look for Assisted Setup.
The wizard helps you:
- Configure default optimization settings
- Define planning periods and subperiods
- Configure maintenance planning options
- Create Production Lines
- Create Planning Characteristics and sample data (optional)
Understanding the Planning Process
The MPO planning process follows a simple workflow:
- Configure the planning environment.
- Retrieve production orders into Factory Planning.
- Organize and optimize production sequences.
- Review proposed schedules.
- Apply the optimized plan to Production Orders.
This approach allows planners to evaluate scheduling decisions before updating live production orders, providing greater control over the planning process.
Typical User Journey
Most organizations adopt Planning Optimization using the following approach:
- Configure: Set up the planning structure, production lines, and optimization rules that reflect the manufacturing environment.
- Plan: Retrieve production orders into Factory Planning and review planning demand.
- Optimize: Execute scheduling actions to generate the most efficient production sequence.
- Validate: Review proposed dates, times, workloads, and changeover impacts.
- Execute: Apply the optimized schedule to production orders and move forward with production execution.
Recommended Next Steps
Once the application has been installed, the next step is to configure the planning environment:
- Define Planning Optimization settings
- Create Production Lines
- Configure Planning Characteristics
- Define Changeover Rules
- Configure Factory Planning defaults
These activities are covered in the Setup & Configuration section of this documentation.