About This Release
Released - May 26, 2020
This version is built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central 16.0.
LS Central 16.0
LS Central 16.0 is delivered as an extension with dependency on the Business Central Base App. This means that LS Central does not make any changes to the Business Central Base Application. The release package includes both the runtime app and the source code.
LS Central AL code
The source code is delivered in AL files that can be modified by partners. It is, however, highly recommended to make all modifications in extensions, and if you need to alter the LS Central or Business Central behavior then do that by subscribing to events.
It is LS Retail's priority to make it easy for the partners to extend LS Central. Therefore, there is a special section in our Support Portal where partners can submit requests for new events. These requests are given priority.
LS Central extension
The release package includes LS Central as a runtime app that can be installed as an extension. To install the extension, you first need to publish it, see Publishing and Installing an Extension v2.0. Once the extension has been published, the LS Central extension can be installed using the Extension Management page in Business Central.
The following is a list of changes and key features in LS Central 16.0.
New or Enhanced Features
Retail
BackOffice
Cycle Counting per Location
It is now possible to count items within the same Physical Inventory Counting Period per worksheet for different locations.
In previous versions, you could only count an item for one location within the same Physical Inventory Counting Period per worksheet, and if you wanted to count the same item for another location in another worksheet, this was not possible.
Data Director dlls Removed
Modifications have been done to LS Central in accordance with the removal of dlls used by the Data Director.
- Data Director POS Client Utility codeunit replaces POS Data Client Utility v3.0.codeunit.
- Data Distribution WS codeunit replaces Data Distribution v3.0.codeunit.
- Data Director WS Utils.codeunit is new.
- POS Transaction Server Utility.codeunit has minor modifications for the new Data Director POS Client.
Code for the following functions in Data Distribution WS, Replication Counter, and PreActions has been committed:
- GetReplCountersFromRemoteDB
- GetActionsFromRemoteDB
New Web Service in Store Inventory Worksheet
A new web service, Get Items in a Cycle Count Store Inventory Worksheet, has been implemented. The service retrieves all lines from a selected Store Inventory Worksheet.
Web Request Enhancements
Web requests GET_ TABLE_DATA and GET_TABLE_DATA_BY_PRIMARY_KEY now support the Ignore Extra Fields parameter.
LS Central POS
HTML Preview Addin
HTML Editor and Preview have been added to the Member Notification, Published Offer, and POS Help Text pages.
LS Hardware Station
MSR Device Added to Hardware Station
MSR device can now be added as a device to the Hardware Station through the Management portal. As with all other devices, the MSR device needs to be configured in LS Central in the Hardware Profile. The device can be configured manually (through POS MSR list) or through "Detect Hardware" on the Hardware Profile Card.
See How to: Set Up MSR Devices in the LS Central Help for more information.
Custom Properties Profile
You can now create a custom properties profile and add it to any POS device that is supported by the Hardware Station (printers, scanners, line displays, serial devices, and so on). These custom properties are added as a way for partners to add custom properties or values that they can then use when customizing the device functionality within the Hardware Station, for example when using a serial device to implement a fiscalization functionality.
The default functionality of the Hardware Station only relays these properties from LS Central to the Hardware Station and into the implementation dlls of each device. Code to demonstrate how to use these properties can be found in the implementation of OPOS printer and OPOS Line display in the Hardware Station.
Serial Custom Implementation Package
The first version of the Serial Custom Implementation Package is now available. Please contact LS Support to get a version of the package.
LS Retail Apps
Mobile Inventory
The Mobile Inventory App now also supports the Cycle Counting process.
LS Central AppShell for Windows released
The LS Central AppShell for Windows has now been released. This version of the AppShell runs on the Windows operating system on stationary devices and Windows tablets.
Click here to read the latest release notes for LS Retail Apps, version 4.8.
Replenishment
Retail Sales Budget Improvements
Top-down and Middle-out Data Entry with Budget Distribution Rules
You can now enter budget entries on all node levels, and not just to the leaf-nodes only. The value entered on a budget node will be automatically distributed to all its relevant items, stores, and periods based on the Budget Distribution Rules assigned. You can input budget entries from the Edit Retail Sales Budget page, or directly in the budget matrix.
For more information see Budget Distribution Rules in the LS Central Help.
Budget per Store Definition
You can now clearly define if a Retail Sales Budget is used for specific stores, by activating the Budget per Store setup and assigning stores to the budget. Depending on whether Budget per Store is activated, manual budget entries input and the Copy Budget, Create Budget from Sales, and Calculate Budget from Child Budgets functionality will either create budget entries with Store No., or consolidate the entries without Store No..
For more information see Retail Sales Budgets in the LS Central Help.
Breakdown to Stores with Distribution Rules and Consolidate Stores
You can convert a generic Retail Sales Budget without stores into a stores-specific budget by using the Breakdown to Stores functionality. We have introduced the new Breakdown to Stores (Distribution) functionality where you can breakdown budget entries without Store No. according to the Store Distribution Rules that have been assigned to each item or item group in the budget.
If you have a Retail Sales Budget with entries assigned with Store No., it is also possible to consolidate these entries into generic entries not belonging to specific stores, by using the Consolidate Stores functionality.
For more information see How to: Break Down and Consolidate a Sales Budget in the LS Central Help.
Replenishment Sales Chart
Replenishment Sales Chart has been introduced in the current version of LS Central. It provides you with a graphical overview of an item's sales pattern and inventory development over a specified period of time. The chart is available for all items using any Replenishment Calculation Type. Additionally, when Average Usage or LS Forecast is used, the chart also shows the estimated demand forecast of the item. With this, Replenishment Sales Chart serves as an excellent tool to visualize the sales forecast results that have been calculated and downloaded from LS Forecast.
For more information see Replenishment Sales Chart in the LS Central Help.
Hospitality
Food and Beverage
Customer Facing Display for Orders in Preparation
A new display station type, CFD Preparation Station (Customer Facing Display Preparation), has been added to the display station.
Reservation Desk Version 2
Includes various Reservation Desk enhancements.
KDS
New Header Pane for KDS
A new Header Pane has been added at the top of KDS display stations. Configuration of lines and columns is done in the Header Profile assigned to the Visual Profile.
LS Forecast
Advanced Sales Forecasting with LS Forecast
LS Forecast, a Cloud-Based Forecasting Engine and a New Replenishment Calculation Type
LS Forecast is officially released in the current version of LS Central. The solution consists of a cloud-based forecasting engine and additional functionality in LS Central for setup, data upload/download, and to utilize the downloaded forecast in Replenishment. The cloud-based part is built on Microsoft's Cortana Intelligence Suite, and uses advanced statistical forecasting techniques such as ARIMA, Seasonal ARIMA, Additive and Multiplicative models to predict future sales demand from sales history. LS Forecast has been introduced as a new Replenishment Calculation Type. The forecast calculation can be initiated manually or scheduled from LS Central.
For more information see LS Forecast in the LS Central Help.
Weekly and Daily Forecasts
LS Forecast allows you to calculate forecasts on daily or weekly level for different item groups. To translate weekly forecasts into daily quantities for Replenishment, the new Weekly Sales Buckets have been introduced. These buckets provide an overview of the item's sales distribution pattern across the week, from Monday to Sunday. This pattern is calculated for item groups and locations from historical sales data and serves as distribution weight to break down weekly forecasts into daily forecast quantities to be used in the Replenishment Journal calculation.
For more information see Weekly Sales Bucket Calculation in the LS Central Help.
Other
Online Help
LS Central Implementation Guide is now accessible via link from the LS Central Help home page. The guide is a process guide to help customers implement the LS Central solution.