Linking Orders and the Marking Functionality of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012

Editor's Note: In the third of this four-part article, Dr. Hamilton reviews the marking functionality within AX that supports S&OP scenarios requiring linkage between the sales order and the item's supply order.  These scenarios were described in the previous article. Dr. Hamilton will also be covering these topics as part of his speech at the Convergence 2014 conference in Atlanta.

Many S&OP scenarios involve make-to-order or buy-to-order products that require linkage between a sales order and the item's supply order.  An additional type of linkage applies to make-to-order components.  The marking functionality within AX provides the basis for identifying this linkage, and displays the linkage on the Marking form and in the reference fields for each order.  The nature of this linkage and the use of marking functionality vary slightly for different S&OP scenarios, and for standard cost versus actual cost items.

The original and primary purpose of marking functionality focused on actual cost items, and it provided the related benefit of identifying linkage between orders.  However, with the introduction of standard costing in the AX 2009 release, the marking functionality simply identifies linkage between orders for standard cost items.  My research indicates that marking functionality for standard cost items has never been clarified, and the currently available explanations about marking functionality for actual cost items are limited.  This article attempts to shed additional light on the use of marking functionality, especially for identifying linkage between orders.

The previous article within this four-part series provided a framework for common S&OP scenarios requiring linkage between a sales order and the item's supply order.  The ...