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Asset Transfer Orders

Asset Transfer Orders provide formal, document-based asset transfers with header/line structure, release/post workflow, and posted document audit trail.

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Understanding Transfer Orders​

What is an Asset Transfer Order?​

Asset Transfer Order = Formal document for transferring assets between holders

Structure:

  • Header: From Holder → To Holder, dates, external references

  • Lines: Assets being transferred

  • Status: Open → Released → Posted

Similar to:

  • BC Transfer Orders (for inventory)

  • Sales/Purchase Orders (document workflow)

  • Asset Transfer Orders (for asset custody)

When to Use Transfer Orders​

Perfect For:

  • Formal transfers - Official documented transfers

  • External parties - Customers, vendors

  • Approval workflows - Release step enables review

  • Audit requirements - Posted document trail

  • Service agreements - Contract-based transfers

  • Large transactions - Significant asset moves

Not Ideal For:

  • Quick batch transfers (use Asset Journal)

  • Single asset moves (use Change Holder Dialog)

  • Internal corrections (use Asset Journal)

  • Speed priority (use Asset Journal)

Transfer Order vs. Asset Journal​

| Aspect

|

Transfer Orders

|

Asset Journal

| | --- | --- | --- | |

Structure

|

Header + Lines

|

Flat lines

| |

Workflow

|

Open → Release → Post

|

Direct Post

| |

Posted Record

|

Posted Transfer + Holder Entries

|

Holder Entries only

| |

Approval

|

Release step

|

No workflow

| |

Formality

|

High

|

Low

| |

Speed

|

Slower (3 steps)

|

Fast (1 step)

| |

Use Case

|

External, formal, audit

|

Internal, bulk, quick

|

Choose Transfer Orders When: Formality, approval, or posted documents required

Choose Asset Journal When: Speed, bulk, or internal operations

Creating a Transfer Order​

Method 1: From Role Center​

  1. Open Asset Manager Role Center

  2. Click New Transfer Order quick action

  3. Transfer Order opens in Create mode

  4. Fill fields

  5. Save

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Method 2: From Transfer Orders List​

  1. Search "Asset Transfer Orders"

  2. Page opens

  3. Click New

  4. Transfer Order opens

  5. Fill fields

  6. Save

  1. Press Alt+Q

  2. Enter "Asset Transfer Order"

  3. Choose related link

  4. New or list opens

  5. Click New if in list

Transfer Order Structure​

Header Section​

General Group:

No. (Code, 20 characters)

  • Transfer order number

  • Auto-assigned from number series (if configured)

  • Or manually enter

  • Cannot change after creation

Status (Enum)

  • Open: Editable, can add/remove lines

  • Released: Locked, ready to post

  • Read-only (changes via Release/Reopen actions)

Posting Date (Date)

  • When transfer will be posted

  • Defaults to WorkDate

  • Used for Holder Entry posting date

Document Date (Date)

  • Document creation date

  • Optional

  • Reference only

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Transfer From Group:

From Holder Type (Enum)

  • Holder sending assets

  • Options: Customer, Vendor, Location

  • Required

From Holder Code (Code, 20 characters)

  • Specific Customer, Vendor, or Location

  • Lookup available

  • Required

  • Auto-fills From Holder Name

From Holder Name (Text, 100 characters)

  • Name of sending holder

  • Auto-populated

  • Read-only

From Holder Address Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Ship-to Address (Customers)

  • Order Address (Vendors)

  • Not applicable for Locations

  • Optional

image-20251221-150144.png

Transfer To Group:

To Holder Type (Enum)

  • Holder receiving assets

  • Options: Customer, Vendor, Location

  • Required

To Holder Code (Code, 20 characters)

  • Specific Customer, Vendor, or Location

  • Lookup available

  • Required

  • Auto-fills To Holder Name

  • Must be different from From Holder (or different address)

To Holder Name (Text, 100 characters)

  • Name of receiving holder

  • Auto-populated

  • Read-only

To Holder Address Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Ship-to Address (Customers)

  • Order Address (Vendors)

  • Not applicable for Locations

  • Optional

Validation: To Holder must be different from From Holder (or different address code)

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Additional Details Group:

Reason Code (Code, 10 characters)

  • Standard Business Central Reason Code

  • REPAIR, RELOCATION, SALE, etc.

  • Optional but recommended

  • Enables reporting

External Document No. (Code, 35 characters)

  • External reference

  • Customer PO, Service Agreement, etc.

  • Optional

  • Cross-reference to source documents

Posting No. Series (Code, 20 characters)

  • Number series for Posted Transfer

  • Auto-selected from setup

  • Posted document number assigned from this series

Lines Section​

Transfer order lines list assets being transferred:

Asset No. (Code, 20 characters)

  • Asset being transferred

  • Lookup filtered to assets at From Holder

  • Validates asset at correct holder

  • Auto-fills description and current holder

Asset Description (Text, 100 characters)

  • Asset name

  • Auto-populated from asset

  • Read-only

Current Holder Type/Code/Name (Read-only)

  • Shows asset's actual current holder

  • Validates matches From Holder

  • Informational

Description (Text, 100 characters)

  • Line-specific description

  • Optional

  • Overrides general transfer description

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Creating Transfer Order: Step-by-Step​

Scenario: Transfer 10 servers from Location DATACENTER to Customer C-001

Step 1: Create Header

  1. Open new Transfer Order

  2. No.: Auto-assigned (e.g., ATO-001)

  3. Status: Open (default)

  4. Posting Date: Today

Step 2: Specify From Holder

  1. From Holder Type: Location

  2. From Holder Code: DATACENTER

  3. From Holder Name auto-fills: "Main Data Center"

Step 3: Specify To Holder

  1. To Holder Type: Customer

  2. To Holder Code: C-001

  3. To Holder Address Code: SITE-02 (if specific site)

  4. To Holder Name auto-fills: "Contoso Ltd."

Step 4: Add Details

  1. Reason Code: SALE

  2. External Document No.: SO-12345 (sales order reference)

Step 5: Add Lines

  1. Click in Lines section

  2. Asset No.: SRV-001

  3. Asset Description auto-fills

  4. Current Holder validates (must be DATACENTER)

  5. Repeat for SRV-002 through SRV-010

Step 6: Save

  • Transfer Order created

  • Status: Open

  • Ready for release

Status Workflow​

Open Status​

Characteristics:

  • Fully editable

  • Can add/remove lines

  • Can modify all fields

  • Can delete entire order

What You Can Do:

  • Edit header

  • Add/remove lines

  • Change holders

  • Change dates

  • Delete order

Cannot: Post (must release first)

Releasing Transfer Order​

Why Release?

  • Locks document for editing

  • Prevents accidental changes

  • Validates all data

  • Enables posting

  • Approval checkpoint

How to Release:

Method 1: Release Action

  1. Open Transfer Order (Status: Open)

  2. Click Actions → Release

  3. Or press Ctrl+F9

  4. Status changes to Released

Method 2: From List

  1. Open Transfer Orders list

  2. Select order

  3. Click Release action

  4. Status changes to Released

Validation During Release:

  • Header fields complete

  • From and To holders different

  • At least one line exists

  • All lines valid

Released Status​

Characteristics:

  • Locked for editing

  • Cannot add/remove lines

  • Cannot modify fields

  • Can post

  • Can reopen

What You Can Do:

  • Post order

  • View order

  • Reopen (if needed)

  • Print (future)

Cannot: Edit anything

Reopening Transfer Order​

When to Reopen:

  • Need to add more lines

  • Need to change holder

  • Found error before posting

  • Approval rejected

How to Reopen:

  1. Open Released Transfer Order

  2. Click Actions → Reopen

  3. Status changes to Open

  4. Editable again

After Reopening:

  • Edit as needed

  • Release again

  • Post when ready

Posting Transfer Order​

Prerequisites for Posting​

Must Be:

  • Status: Released

  • Header complete

  • At least one line

  • All lines valid

Validation Before Post:

  • From/To holders different (or different address)

  • All assets exist and not blocked

  • All assets at From Holder

  • No child assets (with parent)

  • Posting Date valid

How to Post​

Step 1: Ensure Released

  • Status must be Released

  • If Open, release first (Ctrl+F9)

Step 2: Click Post

  1. Click Actions → Post

  2. Or press F9

  3. Confirmation dialog appears

Step 3: Confirm

  • Read confirmation: "Do you want to post Transfer Order ATO-001?"

  • Click Yes to continue

  • Click No to cancel

Step 4: System Processing

  • Progress window appears

  • Validates all lines

  • Creates Asset Journal lines (temporary)

  • Posts journal (creates Holder Entries)

  • Creates Posted Transfer document

  • Deletes source Transfer Order

Step 5: Completion

  • Success message: "Transfer Order ATO-001 has been posted as PATO-001"

  • Posted Transfer No. shown

  • Source order deleted

  • Page closes

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What Happens During Post​

Behind the Scenes:

  1. Validation:

    • All header fields complete

    • All lines valid

    • Assets at From Holder

    • Status = Released

  2. Get Posting No.:

    • From Posting No. Series

    • Assigned to Posted Transfer

  3. Create Temp Journal:

    • System creates Asset Journal lines

    • One line per Transfer Line

    • Uses system batch "POSTING"

  4. Post Journal:

    • Asset Journal Post codeunit runs

    • Creates Holder Entries (Transfer Out + Transfer In)

    • Updates asset Current Holder

  5. Create Posted Transfer:

    • Posted Transfer Header created

    • Posted Transfer Lines created

    • Complete document copy

  6. Delete Source:

    • Transfer Lines deleted

    • Transfer Header deleted

    • Only Posted Transfer remains

Posted Transfers​

What is a Posted Transfer?​

Posted Transfer = Permanent record of completed transfer

Contents:

  • Posted Transfer Header (From/To holders, dates)

  • Posted Transfer Lines (assets transferred)

  • Read-only (cannot modify)

  • Archive forever

Purpose:

  • Audit trail

  • Document history

  • Reference for investigations

  • Compliance evidence

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Viewing Posted Transfers​

From Role Center:

  1. Navigate: Transfers → Posted Transfers

  2. List of all posted transfers

  3. Click to open

From Transfer Orders List:

  1. Click Navigate → Posted Transfers

  2. Shows all posted

Direct Search:

  1. Press Alt+Q

  2. Enter "Posted Asset Transfers"

  3. Choose related link

Posted Transfer Fields​

Header:

  • No. (Posted Transfer No.)

  • From Holder Type/Code/Name/Address

  • To Holder Type/Code/Name/Address

  • Posting Date

  • Document Date

  • Reason Code

  • External Document No.

  • Original Transfer Order No. (future)

Lines:

  • Asset No.

  • Asset Description

  • Description

All Read-Only: Cannot modify posted documents

Transfer Order Actions​

Release (Ctrl+F9)​

Purpose: Lock order and prepare for posting

Enabled: When Status = Open

Effect: Status changes to Released

Use: Before posting

Reopen​

Purpose: Unlock released order for editing

Enabled: When Status = Released

Effect: Status changes to Open

Use: Fix errors before posting

Post (F9)​

Purpose: Execute transfer and create Posted Transfer

Enabled: When Status = Released

Effect:

  • Creates Holder Entries

  • Updates assets

  • Creates Posted Transfer

  • Deletes source order

Use: Complete transfer

Test Report (Future)​

Purpose: Preview posting without committing

Effect: Would show validation errors and preview

Status: Future enhancement

Asset Lookup Filtering​

When adding lines, asset lookup intelligently filters:

Filters Applied:

  • Current Holder = From Holder (header)

  • Blocked = False (no blocked assets)

  • Parent Asset No. = Blank (no child assets)

Result: Only transferable assets from correct holder shown

Validation: If asset not at From Holder, error on selection

Validation Rules​

Header Validation​

Rule: From Holder must be specified (Type and Code)

Rule: To Holder must be specified (Type and Code)

Rule: To Holder must be different from From Holder

Exception: Can be same holder if address code different

Example: Customer C-001 Site A → Customer C-001 Site B (valid)

Line Validation​

Rule: Asset must exist and not be blocked

Rule: Asset cannot have parent (no child assets)

Rule: Asset must be at From Holder

Error Example: "Asset SRV-001 is currently at Location WAREHOUSE, but the transfer document expects it at Location DATACENTER"

Solution: Verify From Holder matches asset's actual holder

Posting Validation​

Rule: Status must be Released

Rule: Must have at least one line

Rule: All lines must pass validation

Rule: Posting Date must be valid

Common Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Customer Equipment Delivery​

Situation: Delivering 5 MRI scanners to hospital customer

Steps:

  1. Create Transfer Order

  2. From: Location WAREHOUSE

  3. To: Customer C-HOS-001 (Hospital)

  4. External Doc No.: PO-HOS-2024-001

  5. Reason: SALE

  6. Add 5 MRI scanner lines

  7. Release (Ctrl+F9)

  8. Manager reviews

  9. Post (F9)

Result:

  • Posted Transfer document for audit

  • 5 scanners at customer

  • Complete audit trail

Scenario 2: Return from Vendor Repair​

Situation: 10 assets returning from repair vendor

Steps:

  1. Create Transfer Order

  2. From: Vendor V-001 (Repair Shop)

  3. To: Location WAREHOUSE

  4. External Doc No.: RMA-2024-045

  5. Reason: REPAIR

  6. Add 10 asset lines

  7. Release

  8. Post

Result: 10 assets back in warehouse with repair documentation

Scenario 3: Internal Location Transfer​

Situation: Relocating 20 assets between locations

Alternative: Consider Asset Journal for internal moves (faster)

But if formal document needed:

  1. Create Transfer Order

  2. From: Location OLD-WAREHOUSE

  3. To: Location NEW-WAREHOUSE

  4. Reason: RELOCATION

  5. Add 20 lines

  6. Release and post

Result: Formal record of location move

Scenario 4: Service Agreement Transfer​

Situation: 15 servers to customer under 3-year service agreement

Steps:

  1. Create Transfer Order

  2. From: Location DATACENTER

  3. To: Customer C-001, Address SITE-HQ

  4. External Doc No.: SA-2024-001 (Service Agreement)

  5. Reason: LOAN (or custom reason)

  6. Description: "3-year managed service - return 2027-03-31"

  7. Add 15 server lines

  8. Release

  9. Post

Result:

  • Servers at customer site

  • Agreement reference clear

  • Return date documented

Best Practices​

Use for Formal Transfers​

Good Use Cases:

  • External parties (customers, vendors)

  • Service agreements

  • Equipment sales

  • Contract-based transfers

  • Audit-sensitive moves

Not Good Use Cases:

  • Quick internal moves (use Journal)

  • Bulk corrections (use Journal)

  • Emergency transfers (use Journal)

Complete External Document No.​

Always Reference:

  • Sales Order numbers

  • Purchase Order numbers

  • Service Agreement numbers

  • RMA numbers

  • Contract references

Benefit: Complete traceability to source

Use Reason Codes​

Standard Reasons:

  • SALE - Equipment sold

  • REPAIR - To/from repair

  • LOAN - Loaned equipment

  • SERVICE - Service agreement

  • DEMO - Demo/trial

  • RETURN - Return from customer/vendor

Enables: Reporting by transfer type

Leverage Release Step​

Use Release For:

  • Management review

  • Approval checkpoint

  • Validation before commitment

  • Error checking

Don't Skip: Release step provides control

Document in Descriptions​

Header Description: General transfer purpose

Line Descriptions: Asset-specific notes

Example:

  • Header: "Q1 2024 customer equipment deployment"

  • Line 1: "Primary production server"

  • Line 2: "Backup server - hot standby"

Troubleshooting​

Problem: Cannot Release - Validation Error​

Error: "From Holder and To Holder cannot be identical"

Cause: Same holder type, code, and address

Solution: Change To Holder or specify different address code

Error: "There are no lines to post"

Cause: Transfer Order has no lines

Solution: Add asset lines

Error: Asset validation fails

Cause: Asset blocked, has parent, or not at From Holder

Solution: Check Asset Card, fix issues, try again

Problem: Cannot Post - "Must be released"​

Cause: Status = Open

Solution: Release order first (Ctrl+F9), then post

Problem: Cannot Add Lines - Status Released​

Cause: Order is released (locked)

Solution: Reopen order, add lines, release again

Problem: Asset Not in Lookup​

Cause 1: Asset not at From Holder
Solution: Check asset's Current Holder

Cause 2: Asset has parent
Solution: Detach from parent first

Cause 3: Asset blocked
Solution: Unblock asset

Problem: Posted Transfer Not Found​

Cause: Looking in wrong list

Solution: Search "Posted Asset Transfers" (not "Asset Transfer Orders")

See Also:

  • Asset Journal - Batch-based quick transfers

  • Holder Management - Understanding holder concept

  • Holder Entries - View audit trail

  • Core Asset Management - Creating assets to transfer

Next Steps:

  • Practice creating transfer order

  • Complete full Release → Post cycle

  • View Posted Transfer

  • Check Holder Entries created

  • Compare with Asset Journal workflow

Asset Transfer Orders provide formal structure and approval points. Use them when you need documented evidence of asset transfers, especially for external parties or audit-sensitive scenarios. For quick internal moves, Asset Journal is faster!