Integration with Transport Management System
Overview
The Non-Conformance Management (NCM) application for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides comprehensive integration with Bricklead’s Transport Management System (TMS) application. This integration enables organizations to track and manage quality issues related to transportation and logistics, such as damaged goods during transit, temperature excursions, or delivery delays.
When both applications are installed, users can:
- Create non-conformances with Source Type “Transport” linked to Shipping Agents
- Reference Posted Transport Orders as source documents
- Track quality issues by transport order lines
- View all non-conformances associated with a specific shipping agent
- Retrieve item tracking information from transport orders
This integration is particularly valuable for Food & Beverage organizations where:
- Temperature-controlled transportation is critical
- Product damage during transit must be tracked
- Carrier performance needs monitoring
- Regulatory compliance requires transport incident documentation
Prerequisites
To use the TMS integration features:
-
Transport Management System (TMS) app must be installed
- TMS provides the Transport Order functionality
-
Non-Conformance Management (NCM) app must be installed
-
Shipping Agents must be configured with linked Vendor records (in TMS)
Integration Features
Feature 1: Transport Non-Conformance Type
When TMS is installed, NCM adds a new Source Type option:
| Source Type | Source No. | Available When |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Customer No. | Always |
| Vendor | Vendor No. | Always |
| Internal | (None) | Always |
| Transport | Shipping Agent Code | TMS Installed |
Feature 2: Posted Transport Order as Source Document
For Transport type non-conformances, lines can reference Posted Transport Orders:
| Source Document Type | Available For | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Posted Sales Shipment | Customer | Standard BC |
| Posted Sales Invoice | Customer | Standard BC |
| Posted Purchase Receipt | Vendor | Standard BC |
| Posted Purchase Invoice | Vendor | Standard BC |
| Posted Transport Order | Transport | TMS Integration |
Feature 3: View Non-Conformances from Shipping Agents
Location: Shipping Agents page > Actions > Non-Conformance > View Non-Conformances
Displays all non-conformances (Source Type = Transport) for the selected shipping agent.
Creating Transport Non-Conformances
Step 1: Create Non-Conformance Header
- Open the Non-Conformance List
- Choose New to create a new non-conformance
- Set Source Type to Transport
- This option only appears when TMS is installed
- In Source No., select the Shipping Agent responsible for the transport issue
- Complete other header fields (Category, Sub-Category, Severity, etc.)
Step 2: Add Non-Conformance Lines
- In the Lines section, set Source Document Type to Posted Transport Order
- Click the lookup on Source Document No.:
- The system displays Posted Transport Orders filtered by the selected Shipping Agent
- Select the relevant transport order
- Click the lookup on Source Document Line No.:
- The system displays lines from the selected transport order
- Select the specific line(s) with quality issues
- The following fields are populated automatically:
- Item No.
- Variant Code
- Unit of Measure Code
- Quantity
- Description
- External Document No.
Step 3: Complete Line Details
- Enter Non-Conformance Quantity (the affected quantity)
- Add Line Description with details of the issue
- Optionally select Lot No., Serial No., or Package No. from item tracking
Data Flow: Transport Order to Non-Conformance
Posted Transport Order
├── Document No. → Source Document No.
├── External Document No. → External Document No.
└── Lines
├── Line No. → Source Document Line No.
├── Item No. → Item No.
├── Variant Code → Variant Code
├── Unit of Measure Code → Unit of Measure Code
├── Quantity → Source Quantity
└── Description → Line Description
Note: Unit Price = 0 (Transport orders don't have pricing on lines)
Item Tracking Retrieval
Transport order lines link to underlying source documents. NCM retrieves item tracking based on the transport line’s source:
| Transport Line Source | Item Tracking Retrieved From |
|---|---|
| Sales Order | Sales Shipment Lines |
| Sales Return Order | Return Receipt Lines |
| Purchase Order | Purchase Receipt Lines |
| Purchase Return Order | Return Shipment Lines |
Viewing Non-Conformances for Shipping Agents
From Shipping Agents Page
- Open the Shipping Agents page
- Select a shipping agent
- Choose Actions > Non-Conformance > View Non-Conformances
- This action is only visible when TMS is installed
- The Non-Conformance List opens, filtered to show:
- Source Type = Transport
- Source No. = Selected Shipping Agent Code
From Non-Conformance List
- Open the Non-Conformance List
- Filter by:
- Source Type = Transport
- Source No. = (Shipping Agent Code)
Limitations
No Return Order/Credit Memo Creation
For Transport type non-conformances, the Create Return Order and Create Credit Memo actions are not available:
- Transport non-conformances relate to the carrier, not the item supplier
- Financial claims against carriers typically follow different processes
- Users should create separate vendor non-conformances against the carrier’s vendor record if needed
Unit Price Not Available
Posted Transport Order lines don’t include unit pricing:
- Source Unit Price = 0
- Non-Conformance Unit Price can be manually entered if needed
- Amount calculations are based on manually entered values
Example Scenarios
Scenario 1: Temperature Excursion During Transit
A food distributor receives a shipment where temperature monitoring shows the cold chain was broken.
Steps:
-
Create Non-Conformance:
- Source Type: Transport
- Source No.: CARRIER-001 (the shipping agent)
- Category: QUALITY
- Sub-Category: TEMPERATURE
-
Add Lines:
- Source Document Type: Posted Transport Order
- Source Document No.: PTO-00125
- Select affected lines (items that were temperature-compromised)
-
Document Details:
- Enter Non-Conformance Quantity for each affected item
- Add Line Description: “Temperature exceeded 8°C for 4 hours during transit”
- Attach temperature logger data as document
-
Follow-up:
- Create Action Plan for investigation
- Send report to carrier via email
- Create separate vendor non-conformance against carrier if claiming compensation
Scenario 2: Damaged Goods on Delivery
A wine producer receives multiple cases with visible damage from transport.
Steps:
-
Create Non-Conformance:
- Source Type: Transport
- Source No.: EXPRESS-SHIP
- Category: PACKAGING
- Sub-Category: PHYSICAL-DAMAGE
-
Add Lines:
- Source Document Type: Posted Transport Order
- Select the transport order for the delivery
- Add lines for each damaged item/lot
-
Track by Lot:
- Use lot number lookup to identify specific lots affected
- This enables forward traceability if needed
-
Documentation:
- Attach photos of damage
- Record delivery driver acknowledgment
Scenario 3: Carrier Performance Review
A quality manager wants to review all transport issues for a specific carrier over the past quarter.
Steps:
- Open Shipping Agents page
- Select the carrier to review
- Choose View Non-Conformances
- The filtered list shows all transport issues for that carrier
- Analyze patterns:
- Most common issue types
- Frequency of incidents
- Routes or products most affected
Troubleshooting
“Transport” Option Not Available in Source Type
Symptom: Cannot select “Transport” as Source Type.
Cause: TMS app is not installed.
Resolution:
- Verify TMS installation in Extension Management
- Contact administrator to install TMS if needed
Cannot Look Up Posted Transport Orders
Symptom: Lookup on Source Document No. shows no results.
Possible Causes:
- No posted transport orders exist for the selected shipping agent
- TMS integration issue
Resolution:
- Verify posted transport orders exist for the shipping agent
- Check TMS is functioning correctly
“View Non-Conformances” Not Visible on Shipping Agents
Symptom: The Non-Conformance action group doesn’t appear.
Cause: TMS app is not installed (the action visibility is controlled by TMS detection).
Resolution:
- Install TMS app
- The action will appear automatically
Cannot Create Return Order/Credit Memo
Symptom: Error when trying to create follow-up documents.
Cause: These functions are not implemented for Transport type.
Resolution:
- This is by design for Transport non-conformances
- If financial compensation is needed, create a separate vendor non-conformance against the carrier’s vendor record
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why can’t I create a Return Order from a Transport non-conformance?
A: Transport non-conformances track issues with the carrier, not the item supplier. Return Orders would go back to the supplier (Customer or Vendor), not the carrier. If you need to return items, create a separate non-conformance against the appropriate entity.
Q: How do I claim compensation from a carrier?
A: Create a vendor non-conformance against the carrier’s vendor record (which TMS links to the Shipping Agent). This allows you to create purchase credit memos for carrier claims.
Q: Can I use Transport non-conformances without TMS?
A: No. The Transport type requires TMS to be installed. Without TMS, there are no Posted Transport Orders to reference.
Q: How is item tracking retrieved for transport orders?
A: Transport order lines reference underlying sales/purchase documents. NCM retrieves item tracking from the posted shipment/receipt documents linked to the transport order lines.
Q: Why is the Unit Price always zero for transport lines?
A: Posted Transport Order lines in TMS don’t include item unit prices (transport orders focus on logistics, not item values). You can manually enter a Non-Conformance Unit Price if needed for tracking purposes.
Related Features
Report Selection - Transport
Configure reports for Transport non-conformances:
- Usage: Transport
- Available in Report Selection - Non-Conformance
Email Scenario - Transport Non-Conformance
Dedicated email scenario for transport-related communications:
- Scenario: Transport Non-Conformance
- Configure in Email Scenario Assignment
Action Plan Templates - Transport
Create templates specifically for transport issues:
- Type: Transport
- Example actions: Damage assessment, Carrier notification, Claim processing
Permissions Required
| Permission Set | Access Level |
|---|---|
| briNCM_Basic | Create and manage Transport non-conformances |
| TMS Permissions | Access to Posted Transport Orders |