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AI-coordinated inbound delivery for Microsoft Dynamics 365.
AI-coordinated inbound logistics on Business Central POs — ETA confirmations, ASNs, delay escalation — for MRO and production materials. Posted Receipts sync via Dataverse.
- 9 ERP integrations
- Multi-country
- EN / ES / PT support
- 2-3 week deployment
70%
less procurement time
8-15%
average savings per PO
2-3 weeks
to go live
The problem
Between issuing a Purchase Order in Business Central and posting the receipt, nothing in the Dynamics native workflow actually manages the inbound delivery. Your buyer emails the supplier a week after issuing the PO to ask 'when's this shipping?', gets a reply, copies the ETA into a spreadsheet, forgets about it, sends another email the day before the promised arrival to confirm, and hopes the warehouse flags any issue when the truck shows up. This creates two failure modes. For MRO purchases, nobody notices slow-moving deliveries until an inventory counter runs dry. For production materials, a supplier's late truck can stop a line, and your team finds out only when the warehouse escalates.
The solution
Sourced's Delivery Activation module makes inbound logistics an active workflow. As soon as a PO is released in Business Central, Sourced's AI Buyer starts a coordinated conversation with the supplier: confirms ship date, requests ASN, syncs dock-arrival window with warehouse, monitors carrier tracking, and escalates delays with enough lead time for your team to replan. Category-based rules let production-critical materials trigger aggressive escalation while MRO categories follow lighter workflows. When goods arrive, Sourced posts the receipt in Business Central via Dataverse.
AI actively coordinates with suppliers — ETA confirmation, ASN requests, dock scheduling, delay escalation
Separate handling for MRO vs direct materials — different urgency, different escalation rules
Posted Receipts sync to Business Central via Dataverse API automatically when warehouse confirms arrival
How it works with Dynamics 365.
PO released in Business Central
The PO is released in Dynamics 365 Business Central. Sourced reads it via Dataverse API and initiates the delivery activation workflow for each line.
AI conversation with the supplier
The AI Buyer opens an email (or portal) conversation with each supplier: confirms ship date, requests ASN timing, aligns on dock-arrival window. Supplier replies in natural language; the AI parses commitments and logs them.
ASN received and tracked
When the supplier sends the advance shipment notice, Sourced logs carrier, tracking number, and expected arrival. Carrier integrations pull live status; Power Automate can be subscribed to tracking events for downstream alerts.
Escalation rules per category
Production-critical direct materials trigger aggressive early warnings (Teams notifications via Power Automate, buyer escalation) when signals suggest a slip. MRO follows lighter thresholds. Configuration is per item category or per custom PO field.
Posted Receipt in Business Central
When your warehouse confirms receipt in Sourced (full or partial), Sourced creates the Posted Receipt in Dynamics 365 through the Dataverse API, linked to the PO line, with accurate quantities and any discrepancies flagged for follow-up.
Dynamics 365 alone vs Dynamics 365 + Delivery Activation.
| Capability | Dynamics 365 + Sourced | Dynamics 365 alone |
|---|---|---|
| AI-driven ETA confirmations | ||
| Structured ASN workflow | ||
| Carrier tracking integration | ||
| Category-based escalation rules (MRO vs direct) | ||
| Proactive delay alerts with lead time | ||
| Dock-arrival coordination | ||
| Power Automate flow triggers on tracking events | ||
| Auto-posted Receipts in Business Central | Manual | |
| OTD metrics feeding next RFQ/RFP shortlist |
Why Microsoft-stack manufacturers pick this.
Different escalation for MRO vs production materials
A late delivery on bolts and cleaning supplies is not the same problem as a late delivery on a CNC machine part. Sourced applies category-based escalation: production-critical items get aggressive AI chasing and early alerts; MRO gets lighter workflows. You configure the rules from your Dynamics item hierarchy.
AI conversations replace 'any update?' emails
Your buyers stop writing the same 'checking in on PO #XXX' email. The AI Buyer handles that loop — polite, persistent, and logged — escalating to a human only when supplier-side commitments slip.
Power Automate-friendly
Every tracking event, delay alert, dock-arrival confirmation, and posted receipt emits a webhook that Power Automate can subscribe to. Notify Teams channels for line-critical alerts, update SharePoint, create Outlook tasks — extend the automation story into your Microsoft stack without custom middleware.
Dock scheduling synced with warehouse calendar
The AI coordinates the delivery window with your warehouse team's availability. If your dock has time constraints (shifts, concurrent receipts), the AI negotiates a viable window with the supplier and communicates the agreement back to both sides — with automatic updates if anything changes.
Posted Receipts via Dataverse
Warehouse confirms receipt in Sourced; Sourced creates the Posted Receipt in Business Central through Dataverse. Accurate line quantities, any discrepancies flagged, standard BC approval paths unchanged.
Works with Business Central and F&O
The integration pattern works for both Business Central and Finance & Operations / Supply Chain Management. Multi-instance deployments (BC at subsidiaries, F&O at HQ) can run a single activation workflow that routes receipts to the right Dynamics instance.
Frequently asked questions.
Does this replace Dynamics' receiving workflow?
No. Business Central's Posted Receipt remains the authoritative record — Sourced creates it via Dataverse API when your warehouse confirms arrival. What Sourced adds is the coordination layer before the receipt — ETA confirmations, ASN management, carrier tracking, dock scheduling, delay handling — which Dynamics doesn't cover natively.
How does this integrate with Power Automate?
Sourced emits webhook events for every stage of the delivery lifecycle (ETA confirmed, ASN received, delay signal, receipt confirmed, etc.). Power Automate flows subscribe and extend the workflow: notify Teams, update SharePoint, create Planner tasks, or route exceptions to specific buyers based on your business logic.
Can we configure different rules for different PO types?
Yes. Escalation rules, AI tone, supplier chasing frequency, and alert thresholds are configurable per item category or per PO field. A production-critical PO can trigger 48-hour advance delay warnings; an MRO PO can follow a lighter cadence. Categories pull from Dynamics item taxonomy.
What about drop-shipments and third-party fulfillment?
The AI coordinates with drop-ship suppliers and 3PLs the same way. ETAs, ASNs, delivery windows, and receipt confirmations all work for non-traditional fulfillment paths. Dynamics' native drop-ship workflow stays intact; Sourced adds the active coordination.
Do suppliers need to use a portal?
No. The AI Buyer handles most supplier coordination via email in natural language. Suppliers that want structured forms (ASN submission, delivery confirmations) use the Sourced portal optionally. Both paths lead to the same structured data in Dynamics.
How do carrier integrations work?
Sourced integrates with major carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, and freight consolidators). When a supplier's ASN includes tracking, Sourced pulls live carrier status. Tracking exceptions (missed scans, estimated delivery changes) trigger alerts automatically. For freight shipments without tracking, the AI falls back to periodic supplier check-ins.
How long does implementation take?
Two to three weeks: Dataverse API connection in sandbox and production, escalation rule configuration from Dynamics item categories, supplier onboarding to the ASN flow, and carrier integration activation.
Does Copilot for Dynamics integrate with this?
Sourced operates independently of Copilot. They're complementary — Copilot surfaces insights inside the Dynamics UI, Sourced runs the autonomous coordination workflow outside Dynamics. Posted Receipts from Sourced appear in Dynamics for Copilot to reason over just like any other Dynamics data.
See Delivery Activation on a Business Central sandbox
Book a 30-minute demo. We'll release a PO in BC, watch the AI open the delivery conversation, simulate a supplier delay, and show the Posted Receipt syncing through Dataverse.