How to Set Up a Work Center Calendar in Business Central

In Business Central, a work center calendar defines the working days, hours, shifts, holidays, and absences that decide how much time (capacity) a work center has available.

Let us go step by step through the setup process.

Step 1: Create Work Shifts

Before creating calendars, you need to define work shifts even if you only have one.

1. Open Work Shifts page.

For opening Work shift page search on tell me “Work Shift” like following image

Tip: You may try Business Central Keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation.

2. On a blank line, enter a Code (for example, “1”).
3. Add a Description (for example, “1st Shift”).
4. Repeat for other shifts if needed (for example, “2nd Shift”).

At least one work shift is required to create a shop calendar.

Step 2: Set Up a Shop Calendar

A shop calendar defines your normal working week start and end times for each day, shifts, and fixed holidays.

1. Go to Capacities -> Setup -> Shop Calendars (in Navision) or Search “Sop Calender” directly (for Business Central)
2. On a new line, enter a Code (for example, “1”).
3. Add a Description (for example, “One Shift – Monday to Friday”).

Now, define your working days:

4. Select your new shop calendar, then click Related Information -> Shop Cal. -> Working Days.
5. Enter the working times for each day:

Example (Single Shift):

• Monday 07:00 – 15:00, Shift 1
• Tuesday 07:00 – 15:00, Shift 1

Example (Two Shifts):

• Monday 07:00 – 15:00, Shift 1
• Monday 15:00 – 23:00, Shift 2
• Tuesday 07:00 – 15:00, Shift 1
• Tuesday 15:00 – 23:00, Shift 2

Days not listed (like Saturday and Sunday) are treated as non-working days.

Step 3: Add Holidays

1. In the Shop Calendars window, select your new calendar.
2. Click Related Information -> Shop Cal. -> Holidays.
3. Enter each holiday with a start date/time, end time, and description.

Example:

• 04/07/25 00:00 – 23:59 Summer Holiday
• 05/07/25 00:00 – 23:59 Summer Holiday

Holidays automatically have zero available capacity.

Step 4: Assign the Shop Calendar to a Work Center

Now that your shop calendar is ready, assign it to a work center.

1. Open the Work Center Card.
2. In the Scheduling Tab, choose your Shop Calendar Code (for example, “One Shift – Monday to Friday”).
3. Go to Related Information -> Planning -> Calendar to open the Work Center Calendar window.

This window shows your work centers on the left and capacity values (like 480 minutes per day) on the right.
You can view capacity by day, week, or month using the View By option.

Step 5: Calculate the Work Center Calendar

To make your new shop calendar active:

1. Click Actions -> Functions -> Calculate.
2. In the Work Center Tab, you can filter for a specific work center or leave it blank to calculate all.
3. In the Options Tab, set the Start Date and End Date (for example, 01/01/25 to 31/12/25).
4. Click OK to calculate.

Business Central now creates capacity entries for each day, based on:

• The working days and shifts in the shop calendar
• The Capacity value from the work center card
• The Efficiency value from the work center card

Your Work Center Calendar now controls when and how much capacity is available used for detailed operation scheduling.

Step 6: Record Absences

You can record extra non-working time (like maintenance) directly in the work center calendar.

1. In the Work Center Calendar, select the work center and date.
2. Click Related Information -> Planning -> Absence.
3. Enter the Start Time, End Time, and Description (for example, “25/01/25 08:00–10:00 Maintenance”).
4. Click Related Information -> Absence -> Update, then close the window.

The system reduces available capacity for that day by the absence time.

Final Note

Your work center calendar now reflects:

• Regular working hours
• Holidays and non-working days
• Shift patterns
• Maintenance or Absence time

This setup ensures accurate capacity planning, smoother scheduling, and better control over your shop floor in Business Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)