In manufacturing, quality is shaped long before a finished product reaches the customer. Incoming material, production inputs, process measurements, assembly, and handling can all influence whether output meets specification. The challenge is not just performing inspections; it is making quality decisions at the points where they influence the outcome. Those points vary by production model: discrete operations focus on distinct units, components, and assemblies, while process operations work with formulas, batches, measurements, and continuous or staged production.
Business Central integrates various quality assessment parameters into core manufacturing processes. It embeds quality checks across manufacturing workflows, defines consistent quality standards, connects quality results to the material and transaction, controls nonconforming inventory, and documents and acts on quality outcomes. This creates a structured approach to managing quality across the manufacturing value chain.
How Quality Control Works Within Business Central
Introduced in Business Central version 28 as part of the 2026 release wave 1, the Quality Management extension brings structured quality inspections into everyday business workflows. Checks can be triggered at defined operational touchpoints, with results linked to follow-up actions and the transactions and inventory they affect. Key capabilities include:
- Quality checks across operational touchpoints - Inspections can be triggered for purchase receipts, production output, assembly, warehouse movements, or scheduled inspections.
- Inspection records connected to business data - Records capture information such as the item, source transaction, quantity, inspection measurements, and applicable lot, serial, or package tracking information.
- Nonconforming inventory control - Failed inspections can trigger actions such as blocking affected lots, serial numbers, or packages; moving items to quarantine; transferring inventory for rework; creating disposal adjustments; or initiating purchase returns for defective incoming goods.
- Scheduled quality checks - Periodic inspections can be scheduled through job queues to carry out recurring checks systematically.
- Connected quality and operational data - Quality information remains linked to the transactions and inventory it affects, giving users a more integrated view of inspection results and subsequent actions.
- Quality status and reporting - Structured status views and reports provide visibility into inspection status, results, Certificates of Analysis, and other quality documentation needed for operational review and audit purposes.
Key Quality Management Capabilities in Business Central
Business Central supports structured inspections across purchasing, production, assembly, and warehouse processes. Its quality functionality can be grouped into four main areas:
Inspection Configuration
- Quality Inspection Templates - Define what needs to be inspected, how it should be measured, and what constitutes an acceptable result. Manufacturers can specify tests, measurements, acceptable values or ranges, and sample quantities or percentages.
- Inspection Generation Rules - Determine when an inspection should be created based on business transactions and defined conditions. Supported scenarios include purchase receipts, production output, assembly output, warehouse movements, sales returns, and transfer-related processes.
Manufacturing and Operational Inspections
- Production Inspections - Generate inspections when production output is posted, with inspection records linked to the relevant production order, operation, posting information, and applicable item-tracking details.
- Purchase Receipt Inspections - Allow incoming goods to be evaluated against configured criteria when purchase receipts are posted.
- Warehouse Quality Inspections - Extend checks to warehouse movements and evaluate items as they move through warehouse operations.
Inventory Controls and Workflow
- Lot, Serial, and Package Blocking - Use inspection results and workflows to block affected lots, serial numbers, or packages while an inspection is in progress or after a failed result.
- Workflow Automation - Automate follow-up actions based on quality inspection events, including blocking or unblocking inventory, moving items, creating negative adjustments, and transferring stock.
Quality Documentation and Reporting
- Certificates and Reporting - Generate quality documentation including Certificates of Analysis, Non-Conformance Reports, and General-Purpose Inspection reports.
How Business Central Handles Quality Inspections
Business Central integrates inspections with the transactions where quality decisions matter. A typical inspection process follows these steps:
- A trigger event occurs - A purchase receipt is posted, production or assembly output is recorded, a warehouse movement occurs, or an inspection is created manually or through a scheduled process.
- Inspection rules are applied - The transaction is evaluated against the conditions defined for inspection generation, and the applicable inspection template is identified.
- A quality inspection record is created - Relevant information, such as the item, source transaction, quantity, sample size, and applicable item-tracking details, is captured.
- Results are recorded - Measurements and other test results are entered against the tests defined in the inspection template.
- Results are evaluated - Recorded results are assessed against the configured conditions to determine whether the inspection receives an outcome such as Pass, Fail, or another defined status.
- The inspection result drives the next action - Based on the configured workflows and result conditions, inventory can be blocked or unblocked, moved, adjusted, transferred, or subjected to further quality-related action.
This connects inspection results to the inventory and transactions they affect, allowing manufacturers to move from recording quality results to taking documented action on nonconforming material.
Quality, Safety, and Compliance Considerations for Manufacturers
Manufacturers in regulated industries need quality processes that are documented, traceable, and consistently applied. Business Central's Quality Management capabilities can support these processes through structured inspections, defined acceptance criteria, sample-based testing, item tracking, inventory controls, and quality documentation.
Supporting Product Quality and Compliance Processes
Business Central supports operational controls that can form part of a manufacturer's broader quality and compliance program:
- Documented inspections - Inspection templates define the tests, measurements, sample requirements, and acceptance criteria used to evaluate incoming and produced goods.
- Traceability - Inspections can be associated with item, lot, serial, and package information, helping connect quality results with specific inventory.
- Inventory containment - Failed inspections can trigger blocking, quarantine, inventory movement, disposal adjustments, or supplier returns, helping prevent nonconforming material from being used or shipped.
- Quality documentation - Certificates of analysis, non-conformance reports, and general-purpose inspection reports provide documented records of inspection results and quality decisions.
These capabilities can support quality and compliance processes in industries subject to requirements such as FDA QMSR, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and EU MDR. However, compliance depends on the manufacturer's processes, controls, system configuration, validation, documentation, and applicable regulatory requirements. Business Central's Quality Management capabilities should therefore be viewed as part of the broader quality system rather than as a standalone compliance solution.
Safety and Regulatory Processes
Quality, safety, and regulatory processes often rely on the same underlying controls: consistent inspections, traceability, documented results, and the ability to contain nonconforming inventory. For example, manufacturers may use these capabilities as part of processes across verticals such as:
- Medical devices and life sciences - Lot and serial traceability, inspection records, acceptance criteria, and quality documentation can support processes aligned with applicable FDA, ISO, and other regulatory requirements.
- Food and beverage manufacturing - Lot tracking, inspection, and traceability can support food-safety and quality processes used alongside frameworks such as HACCP and SQF.
- Automotive and aerospace manufacturing - Detailed component traceability, serial and lot tracking, and controlled material records can support quality investigations, supplier traceability, and targeted recalls.
- Chemicals and process manufacturing - Batch and lot management, material traceability, quality checks, and controlled inventory records can support production and compliance requirements where material characteristics and batch history matter.
The specific regulatory controls required will vary by industry and manufacturer. Business Central for manufacturing can provide the operational data and controls that support these processes, while specialized applications may be needed for requirements beyond its native quality-management capabilities.
AI and Quality Management in Business Central
Traditional quality checks in manufacturing rely on defined tests, measurements, sampling, and acceptance criteria. AI can complement these controls by analyzing production and quality data and identifying patterns, anomalies, and recurring problems. Potential applications include:
- Defect and anomaly detection
- Predictive quality analysis
- Identifying recurring sources of defects
- Detecting production trends associated with quality issues
- Analyzing historical quality data to support process improvement
Manufacturers pursuing these advanced AI use cases can pair Business Central's structured inspection, test, and inventory data with additional AI, analytics, or industry-specific solutions, giving intelligent quality tools a clean, well-documented data foundation to build on.
Is Business Central the Right Fit for Your Quality Control Requirements?
Business Central brings structured inspections, inventory controls, traceability, and quality reporting directly into purchasing, production, assembly, and warehouse workflows, giving manufacturers a way to manage quality decisions as part of day-to-day operations. How these capabilities are configured depends on the production model, inspection requirements, and scale of the operation.
Discrete and process operations can apply these capabilities to their specific quality requirements. Discrete operations involving machinery, electronics, automotive components, and other unit-based products can align quality controls with production orders, bills of materials, routings, item tracking, and inspections. Process operations involving food, chemicals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other batch-based products can apply quality controls alongside lot tracking, batch information, inspections, and inventory processes. Where additional industry-specific functionality is useful, Business Central can also be extended through solutions designed for specialized processes.
Alletec helps manufacturers assess, configure, and extend Business Central around their quality requirements and operating model, from inspection workflows and inventory controls to traceability, reporting, and industry-specific processes. For a clearer assessment of your manufacturing operation, speak to our experts.
