D365 Master Planning Setup Checklist (Free, PDF)

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9 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

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Parameters and master plans

Review Master planning parameters, including the default master plan and forecast planCRITICALCreate separate master plans where needed, such as static, dynamic and a what-if planDecide whether to use the built-in planning engine or the Planning Optimizer, and document whyCRITICALIf using Planning Optimizer, confirm the add-in is enabled for the environment and tested in a sandboxDefine the planning horizon and the plan name used by plannersConfirm which master plan holds the safety stock and forecast data you expect

Coverage groups and item coverage

Define coverage groups for each planning behavior, such as Requirement, Period or Min/MaxCRITICALSet coverage time fence, lead time and negative days only where justifiedAssign coverage groups at item or at warehouse level consistentlyReview item coverage records for site and warehouse specific rulesSet the default order type, such as purchase, transfer or production, for each itemCRITICALCheck minimum, maximum and multiple order quantities against supplier and shop realityConfirm safety stock and min/max levels exist where the policy requires them

Lead times, calendars and BOMs

Validate purchase lead times on trade agreements or item master and keep them currentCRITICALValidate production lead times or use route-based scheduling intentionallyConfirm working time calendars exist for sites, warehouses and vendorsCheck that BOM and route versions are approved and active for the planning dateCRITICALReview phantom and co-product setups, and the item types that planning explodesCheck unit conversions to avoid quantity errors between purchase and inventory units

Messages, firming and time fences

Set the planned order firming time fence for items that need stabilityDefine action message settings (advance, postpone, increase, decrease) and their toleranceCRITICALDecide how planners process and approve planned orders, including mass firmConfirm future message behavior matches the sales and purchase lead timesEstablish who reviews exception messages daily

Running and validating plans

Run planning in a sandbox with a representative data copy and record the runtimeCRITICALSchedule the master planning run as a batch job with a clear window and ownerVerify planned orders for a sample of items by hand against demand and on-handCheck that demand from sales orders, forecast and min/max appears with correct datesTest a rerun after a change to prove only expected orders moveDocument the plan's cutoff of orders and the cleanup of obsolete planned orders

Go-live and governance

Train planners on the Planning workbench and the supply and demand viewCRITICALAgree KPIs for plan quality, such as past-due planned orders and message backlogPlan periodic review of coverage settings as demand patterns changeKeep a change log of coverage and parameter changes with approver

Planning rarely fails on one setting. Treat every unchecked critical item as a defect to resolve before the first production planning run.

Explain planning results from your own data

Want to ask why a planned order exists and see the demand behind it? Optional follow-up, the checklist is free.

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How to use the checklist

Walk through each group in a sandbox with real item data. Mark items as you verify them, not as you assume them. The critical flags show where bad settings cause the most visible damage, such as wrong order types or missing lead times. Export to PDF to attach to your design or go-live record.

Check settings against a sample of A, B and C items
Test with real demand, not a handful of demo orders
Record the runtime of the planning job
Repeat after significant data or policy changes

How planning works

Master planning reads demand such as sales orders, forecast and safety stock requirements, and supply such as on-hand, purchase orders and production orders. For each item, coverage settings decide when and how much to order, and lead times and calendars decide the dates. The result is planned orders and action messages. Coverage codes such as Requirement, Period and Min/Max change the logic, so the choice of code is a policy decision, not a technical default.

Reading results

Start with the Planning workbench and the supply and demand view for an item to see why an order exists. Look for planned orders in the past, messages to postpone or cancel large quantities and items with demand but no supply. Each pattern usually points to a specific cause, such as a missing lead time, an unapproved BOM version or a coverage group applied to the wrong item.

Common mistakes

Typical errors include leaving lead times at zero, using Requirement coverage for items that should be min/max, forgetting that BOMs must be approved and active, running the plan without scheduling it as a batch job, and tuning time fences to hide a data problem. Fix the data first, then the settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is master planning not generating planned orders?

Common causes are no demand within the horizon, an unapproved or inactive BOM or route version, a coverage group that blocks the item, a master plan not selected for the run, or items not included in the plan. Check the item coverage and the plan used.

What is the Planning Optimizer?

It is a cloud-based planning engine for Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management that runs master planning as a separate service, aimed at faster planning on large datasets. It is enabled through an add-in and needs testing for your setup and customizations.

What coverage codes are available?

Typical codes are Requirement, Period, Min/Max and Manual. Requirement orders to meet each demand, Period groups demand into time buckets, Min/Max replenishes to a maximum when stock falls to the minimum, and Manual leaves planning to people.

How often should I run master planning?

It depends on how fast demand changes and how long the run takes. Many plants run nightly and some run several times per day. Measure the runtime in a sandbox first and avoid overlapping runs or collisions with heavy posting jobs.

If planners want to ask why an item was or was not planned and see the data behind the answer, we can scope an assistant on your D365 data.

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D365 Supply Chain Master Planning Setup Checklist