The Multi-organization capability allows different organizations to share the same data, while making sure that no confidential data will ever be available to other entities. Safe and structured data sharing is essential for centralized operations, outsourcing and operating a service center.
Many applications have tried to add this capability, but used inconsistent accounting definitions for the term "organization". Also, the concept of data sharing and confidentiality is often implemented using replication and data synchronization mechanisms.
SocrateCloud was designed to work with different organizations and supports three distinct levels:
System - contains most of the data related to infrastructure, languages, countries, currencies, data structures and messages. This level is equivalent to installing a database instance
Tenant - contains the accounting structure and other information about the legal entity (or group of legal entities) and also common elements such as business partners, items, inventory and accounts.
Organization - This is the transactional level. Organizations can have their own data and data structures, shared or not with the other organizations of the same tenant. Organizations can be structured in hierarchies, and line divisions can access the data held by their parent organization
At each level, data can be entered or modified provided that the user role includes rights on that level. The user can view and use data from a higher level, but can not change them.
Users with a System level role can access and change data in the system, but can not access or view data held at Tenant or Organization levels
Users with Organization level role can use all the data defined at the System or Tenant levels, but can not change them
A role can allow multiple level access to data specific to Tenant or Organization levels
Some entities, such as Business Partners or Products, require accounting information. Accounting details are recorded at Tenant or Organization level, but not at System level. If you wish to share an entity defined at System level, accounting details have to introduced. Without such information, the entity is not visible to the Organization. This allows the organization to be selective with the information they collect and overcome a major information sharing issue.
Most applications include accounting information as part of the normal attributes of an entity, which makes data sharing difficult or forces all entities sharing the information to use the same data structure.
Also SocrateCloud allows organizational restructuring and merging of entities.
Service centers are virtual organizations that carry out transactions on behalf of other organizations. Examples of such services are centralized procurement services or outsourced accounting and financial services.
Roles can be established to allow central departments or external organizations access features, but only for the information they need. Service centers can access multiple organizations without changing roles, even if those organizations have different information and financial structures.
SocrateCloud supports accounting for multiple legal entities, ensuring the proper execution of transactions which are subject to different rules.