Unit Mapping

How DATANORM units are mapped to Business Central units of measure, and why this step is required before your first import.

Why this table exists

DATANORM delivers an article's unit of measure as a short code. In DATANORM 5 that is usually an ISO code such as PCE or MTR; in DATANORM 4 it is often a freely chosen German abbreviation such as ST, Stck or M. Business Central does not know these codes.

The DATANORM Unit Mapping page translates between the two worlds.

Without a matching mapping an imported item gets no base unit of measure. So run Initialize Units once after installation, from Base Configuration.

Creating mappings

1

Create the default mappings

DATANORM Setup → Initialize Units. This creates mappings for the common ISO codes and the widespread German abbreviations from DATANORM 4 – including ST, STK, M, CM, KG, L, M2, M3, PA, PAK, ROL, DS and SA.

2

Check the result

Open DATANORM Unit Mapping and verify that every row has a BC unit of measure. The action never overwrites existing mappings, so it is safe to run again.

3

Add missing units

If your supplier delivers a unit that is not covered, create the row manually: enter the DATANORM code and select the matching BC unit of measure.

Examples

DATANORM code	Meaning	BC unit of measure
PCE, ST, STK	Piece	PCS
MTR, M	Metre	M
MTK, M2	Square metre	M2
MTQ, M3	Cubic metre	M3
KGM, KG	Kilogram	KG
LTR, L	Litre	L
PA	Pair	PR
ROL	Roll	ROL
SA	Set	SET

The BC unit of measure must exist in Units of Measure. If it does not, create it there first and then point the mapping at it.

When a unit is unknown

If the import meets a unit code with no mapping, the article is still imported but stays without a base unit of measure. You can see this in article staging. Create the missing mapping and synchronise the record again – there is no need to re-read the file.