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Warehouse Client

Overview

The merchantCENTRAL Warehouse Client is a native scanner and terminal app (.NET MAUI) for Windows and Android that lets warehouse staff handle all daily warehouse processes directly at the packing station or with the handheld scanner: goods receipt, picking, packing and shipping, returns, complaints, as well as item and inventory lookups.

The app does not talk directly to the database; it communicates exclusively through a secured OData v4 API of Business Central. This API – and the entire administration in BC – is provided by the "AD merchantCENTRAL Warehouse Client" extension.

The Warehouse Client therefore consists of two components:

Component Where Who uses it Purpose
BC extension (backend) In Business Central Administrator Setup, terminals, license, dashboard, API for the app
MAUI client (frontend) On the device (PC/scanner) Warehouse staff Scanning, posting, packing, printing

License stays server-side

The app itself is free and license-free. Licensing is handled centrally in Business Central per tenant + module (WAREHOUSE) via the merchantCENTRAL Hub. See Licensing & Modules.

Feature Scope

The client comprises 15 modules that can be enabled individually per company and per terminal:

Module (app tile) Function
Goods Receipt Accept purchase orders, verify items by barcode, post quantities
Goods Issue Pack orders, weigh, create shipping label, post shipment (two operating modes)
Pick List Bundle multiple orders and process them as a consolidated pick list (without BC WMS)
Warehouse Activity Scan and register BC warehouse documents (picking) (with BC WMS)
Item Lookup Query stock, bin, price, and item ledger entries by scan
Return Accept returns, inspect, create credit memo or return order
Complaint Capture defects with a document reference and track their status
Putaway Put away goods receipts via bin scan
Label Print Print item and bin labels as ZPL
Photo Photograph documents, damages, or items and attach them to BC
Item Weighing Capture net/gross weight, automatically flag oversized goods
Stock Transfer Move stock bin-to-bin and location-to-location
Inventory Count Physical inventory & cycle counting, optional blind count
Bin Put-away Work put-away documents or put away ad hoc into bins
Bin Replenishment Calculate and work replenishment movements (directed put-away and pick only)

Two picking paths – mutually exclusive

Pick List and Warehouse Activity are mutually exclusive. The Warehouse Mode in the Setup determines which of the two is available (order picking without BC WMS ↔ BC warehouse documents with WMS). The last four modules cover the bin/WMS functions – see Stock Transfer, Inventory & Bins.

Architecture

flowchart LR
  subgraph DEV["MAUI client (device)"]
    direction TB
    D1["Windows packing station<br>Android handheld"]
    D2["Scanner · Scale · Printer"]
    D1 -.- D2
  end
  subgraph BC["Business Central (Cloud)"]
    direction TB
    EXT["Warehouse extension<br>Setup · Terminals · API pages · Dashboard/Cues"]
    HUB["merchantCENTRAL Hub<br>License · Shipping · Print"]
    EXT --> HUB
  end
  DEV <==>|"OData v4 / HTTPS<br>MSAL / Microsoft Entra ID"| BC
  • Login: Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) via MSAL. No passwords are stored in the app or in the QR code.
  • Shipping: Shipping labels are generated via the merchantCENTRAL shipment connectors (DHL, DPD, GLS, UPS …) – the client only triggers this. See Shipping.
  • Printing: Labels go directly via ZPL/TCP to the printer; pack lists as PDF.

Prerequisites

  • [ ] merchantCENTRAL Hub (AD merchantCENTRAL ≥ 2.15.0.0) installed and set up
  • [ ] Module license – at least a demo for the WAREHOUSE module
  • [ ] Entra ID app registration for the MAUI login (recommended for QR provisioning)
  • [ ] Devices: Windows 10/11 (x64/arm64) or Android 7.0+ (API 24+)
  • [ ] Optional: ZPL thermal printer (Zebra), TCP/IP scale, USB/DataWedge scanner

Order: Hub first

The Warehouse Client's Setup Wizard can only be opened once the Hub is set up (Platform Guard). Set up the merchantCENTRAL Hub first.

How This Help Is Organized

Manuals as PDF – for printing & sharing

The complete guide is also available as a PDF – handy as a printout at the packing station or to hand to new staff. This online help is always the most current version; the PDFs reflect the state as of 2026-07-09.

For administrators (setup in Business Central)

Page Content
Setup Wizard Step-by-step through the initial configuration
Setup (Reference) Complete field reference of the setup page
Terminals & QR Pairing Terminals, printers, module overrides, shipping agents, QR provisioning
Dashboard & KPIs Live overview of throughput, utilization, and quality
Licensing & Modules Demo/license, module activation, terminal limits
Client Installation & Updates Distribute, install, and keep the app up to date
API Reference Endpoints of the Warehouse API (for integrators)

For users (operating the app)

Page Content
The App at a Glance Startup, login, pairing, main menu, operating concept
Settings & Hardware Set up scanner, scale, printer, and connection
Goods Receipt Accept and post deliveries
Goods Issue Pack, weigh, label, post shipment
Picking Pick list and warehouse documents
Item Lookup Query stock and item information
Returns & Complaints Process returns and defects
Stock Transfer, Inventory & Bins Stock transfer, inventory count, bin put-away, bin replenishment
Additional Tools Putaway, label print, item weighing, photo

If you run into problems

→ Troubleshooting