Sales Order Was Posted Without a Reservation

January 21, 2026 at 1:00 pm

1. Problem Description

A user posted a sales order (shipment and/or invoicing) even though no reservation was created for the item.

At first glance this may appear to be a system error, but in most cases it is standard NAV behavior caused by item setup.

2. Most Common Root Cause

Item Card → field “Reserve” is set to “Never”

If the parameter Reserve = Never is used, the system:

does not create reservations (neither automatically nor manually),
does not require a reservation during posting,
allows posting as long as inventory is available.

3. How to Verify the Setup – Step by Step

Step 1: Open the Item Card

Go to Departments → Warehouse → Items
Find the item used on the sales order
Open the Item Card

Step 2: Check the “Reserve” Field

Locate the Reserve field on the Item Card
Verify its value

Possible values:

Never – reservations are not used (posting without reservation is allowed)
Optional – reservations are possible but not required
Always – posting is not allowed without a reservation

Step 3: Check Stockkeeping Units (SKU)

If the company uses Stockkeeping Units (Item × Location × Variant), the Reserve setting may be defined there instead.

From the Item Card, open Stockkeeping Units
Check the value of the Reserve field

Note: SKU settings override the Item Card settings.

4. Why Did NAV Allow Posting?

In Microsoft Dynamics NAV, reservations are:

a planning and control mechanism,
not a technical requirement for posting.

If the item does not require lot or serial tracking and inventory is available, NAV allows posting without an active reservation.

5. Recommendation for the Future

        If reservations must be mandatory:
        set Reserve = Always on the Item Card or SKU,
or consult your NAV partner for a system customization.

    

6. Summary

If a sales order was posted without a reservation, always check:

the Item Card – the Reserve field,
Stockkeeping Unit (SKU) setup.