Report Selection and Email Scenarios for Non-Conformance Management

Overview

The Non-Conformance Management application for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central integrates with the standard Report Selection and Email Scenario features to provide flexible control over document printing and email distribution. This allows organizations to configure which reports are used when printing or emailing non-conformance documents, and to set up dedicated email accounts for different types of non-conformances.

For Food & Beverage organizations, this is particularly valuable for:

  • Sending professional non-conformance reports to customers or vendors
  • Using different email templates based on the type of non-conformance
  • Maintaining audit trails of communications regarding quality issues
  • Customizing report layouts for specific non-conformance categories

This documentation explains how to set up Report Selection and Email Scenarios specifically for the Non-Conformance Management app.

Reference: This feature follows the same patterns as standard Business Central report selection. For general information about Report Selection, see Set Up Report Selection on Microsoft Learn. For Email Scenarios, see Set Up Email on Microsoft Learn.

When to Use This Feature

Use Report Selection and Email Scenarios when you need to:

  • Configure Default Reports: Specify which report is used when printing non-conformance documents for different non-conformance types (Customer, Vendor, Internal, Transport)

  • Set Up Email Layouts: Define which report layout is used as the email body or attachment when sending non-conformances by email

  • Use Different Email Accounts: Configure separate email accounts for different types of non-conformance communications (e.g., one for customer complaints, another for vendor quality issues)

  • Customize Report Layouts: Select custom Word or RDLC layouts for non-conformance reports based on the non-conformance type

Prerequisites

Before configuring Report Selection and Email Scenarios:

  1. Email Account Setup: At least one email account must be configured in Business Central

  2. Permission Sets: Users configuring these settings need the Non-Conformance Mgt - Setup permission set

  3. Transport Management (Optional): To configure report selection for Transport non-conformances, the Bricklead Transport Management app must be installed

Understanding Report Selection Usage Types

The Non-Conformance Management app adds four new usage types to the standard Report Selection:

Usage Type Description
Customer Used when printing or emailing non-conformances with Source Type = Customer
Vendor Used when printing or emailing non-conformances with Source Type = Vendor
Internal Used when printing or emailing non-conformances with Source Type = Internal
Transport Used when printing or emailing non-conformances with Source Type = Transport (requires Transport Management app)

Each usage type can have its own report configuration, layouts, and email settings.

Understanding Email Scenarios

The Non-Conformance Management app adds four new email scenarios that can be mapped to specific email accounts:

Email Scenario Description
Customer Non-Conformance Used when sending emails for customer-related non-conformances
Vendor Non-Conformance Used when sending emails for vendor-related non-conformances
Internal Non-Conformance Used when sending emails for internal non-conformances
Transport Non-Conformance Used when sending emails for transport-related non-conformances

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Access Report Selection - Non-Conformance

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Report Selection - Non-Conformance, and select the related link.
  2. The “Report Selection - Non-Conformance” page opens.

Step 2: Configure Report Selection for Each Usage Type

  1. In the Usage field at the top of the page, select the non-conformance type you want to configure:

    • Customer
    • Vendor
    • Internal
    • Transport (only available if Transport Management is installed)

  2. Add report selection entries:

    Field Description
    Sequence The order in which reports are printed (1, 2, 3, etc.). Use multiple sequences to print multiple reports.
    Report ID Select the report to use. The default is 8121000 (Non-Conformance report).
    Report Caption Automatically populated based on the Report ID.

  3. Configure email options for each report:

    Field Description
    Use for Email Body Check this box if the report should be rendered as the email body content.
    Use for Email Attachment Check this box if the report should be attached as a PDF to the email.
    Email Body Layout Caption Click to select a specific layout for the email body.
    Report Layout Caption Click to select a specific layout for printing/attachment.

  4. Repeat for each usage type (Customer, Vendor, Internal, Transport).

Step 3: Set Up Email Scenarios

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Email Accounts, and select the related link.
  2. Ensure you have at least one email account configured.
  3. Choose the Search icon, enter Email Scenario Assignment, and select the related link.
  4. Add entries to map Non-Conformance email scenarios to email accounts:
    Email Scenario Email Account
    Customer Non-Conformance (Select your preferred account)
    Vendor Non-Conformance (Select your preferred account)
    Internal Non-Conformance (Select your preferred account)
    Transport Non-Conformance (Select your preferred account)

Tip: You can use the same email account for all scenarios, or configure different accounts (e.g., quality@yourcompany.com for vendor issues, customerservice@yourcompany.com for customer complaints).

Step 4: Customize Report Layouts (Optional)

If you need custom layouts for non-conformance reports:

  1. Choose the Search icon, enter Report Layouts, and select the related link.
  2. Find report 8121000 - Non-Conformance.
  3. Choose New Layout to create a custom layout.
  4. Select the layout type:
    • Word - For Word-based layouts (default)
  5. Design your custom layout.
  6. Return to Report Selection - Non-Conformance and select your custom layout in the Report Layout Caption field.

Reference: For detailed instructions on creating custom report layouts, see Get Started Creating Report Layouts on Microsoft Learn.

Using the Feature (Daily Operations)

Printing a Non-Conformance Report

  1. Open the Non-Conformance Card.
  2. Choose Print > Print Non-Conformance from the action bar.
  3. The system automatically:
    • Determines the Source Type (Customer, Vendor, Internal, or Transport)
    • Looks up the Report Selection for that usage type
    • Runs the configured report with the selected layout

Sending a Non-Conformance by Email

  1. Open the Non-Conformance Card.
  2. Choose Send by E-mail from the action bar.
  3. The system automatically:
    • Determines the Source Type
    • Retrieves the report configuration from Report Selection
    • Uses the Email Scenario to select the appropriate email account
    • Composes the email with:
      • Recipient: The Source E-mail Address from the non-conformance
      • Body: Based on the “Use for Email Body” layout
      • Attachment: PDF based on the “Use for Email Attachment” setting
  4. Review and modify the email if needed.
  5. Choose Send to send the email.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Different Layouts for Customer vs. Vendor

A company wants to use different report layouts when communicating with customers versus vendors.

Setup:

  1. Create two custom Word layouts for report 8121000:

    • “Customer NCM Layout” - includes customer-friendly language
    • “Vendor NCM Layout” - includes technical details and return instructions

  2. In Report Selection - Non-Conformance:

    • For Usage = Customer: Select “Customer NCM Layout”
    • For Usage = Vendor: Select “Vendor NCM Layout”

Result: When printing or emailing, the system automatically uses the appropriate layout based on the non-conformance type.

Scenario 2: Dedicated Email Account for Quality Communications

A company wants all vendor quality issues to be sent from a dedicated quality email address.

Setup:

  1. Create an email account: quality.complaints@company.com
  2. In Email Scenario Assignment:

Result: Emails for vendor non-conformances are sent from the quality department’s email address, while customer communications use the standard company email.

Scenario 3: Multiple Reports per Non-Conformance

A company needs to print both a summary report and a detailed line report when processing non-conformances.

Setup:

  1. In Report Selection - Non-Conformance (Usage = Customer):
    • Sequence 1: Report 8121000 (Non-Conformance) - main report
    • Sequence 2: Create and assign a custom detail report

Result: When printing, both reports are generated in sequence.

Troubleshooting

Email Not Sending

Symptom: The “Send by E-mail” action doesn’t send the email or shows an error.

Resolution:

  • Verify an email account is configured in Email Accounts
  • Check the Email Scenario Assignment for the non-conformance type
  • Ensure the Source E-mail Address field is populated on the non-conformance
  • Test the email account by sending a test email from Email Accounts page

Wrong Report Layout Used

Symptom: The printed report doesn’t use the expected layout.

Resolution:

  • Open Report Selection - Non-Conformance
  • Verify the correct Usage type is selected
  • Check the Report Layout Caption field for the correct layout
  • Ensure the layout is marked as the default if using the standard report

Transport Usage Not Available

Symptom: Cannot select “Transport” in the Usage field.

Resolution:

  • The Transport type requires the Bricklead Transport Management app
  • Contact your administrator to install the Transport Management extension

Email Body Is Empty

Symptom: The email is sent but the body is empty.

Resolution:

  • In Report Selection, ensure Use for Email Body is checked for the report
  • Verify a layout is selected in Email Body Layout Caption
  • Check that the layout is designed to render properly as HTML

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I use different reports for different non-conformance types?

A: Yes. Each usage type (Customer, Vendor, Internal, Transport) can have its own report configuration. You can even use completely different reports if needed.

Q: How do I create a custom email template?

A: Create a custom Word layout for the Non-Conformance report (8121000). Design it for email display (keep it simple, avoid complex tables). Then select this layout in the Email Body Layout Caption field in Report Selection.

Q: Can I send emails without attachments?

A: Yes. In Report Selection, uncheck Use for Email Attachment and only check Use for Email Body. The email will contain the report rendered as HTML in the body.

Q: What if I want to CC someone on all non-conformance emails?

A: This is controlled by the Email Scenario setup. Configure the email account settings or use email rules on your email server to add CC recipients.

Q: Is the default Non-Conformance report customizable?

A: Yes. The default report (8121000) uses a Word layout that can be customized. Export the layout, modify it in Microsoft Word, and import it as a custom layout.

For more information on Report Selection and Email features in Dynamics 365 Business Central, refer to these Microsoft Learn articles:

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Last updated on Jan 23, 2026