Business Entities

Overview

Entities can be used to run multiple Branches/Companies etc. in one database. The Chart of Accounts is shared and the Entity field on Transactions is used to identify the Entity. The Entity field is only visible if multiple Entities have been added to the database. If Entities have been added to the database, every transaction needs to be linked to an Entity.  

Accounting Reports can be set to reflect a single Entity or multiple Entities. 

If the Transaction Type or a User is linked to an Entity, the Transaction will also be locked to the Entity.

Output Templates can be updated to extract masthead information from the Entity - this allows you to use the same template for multiple Entities.

Inventory Locations can be linked to Entities.

Items can be linked to different Entities, eg. the Finished Goods that are only sold from one Entity.

NB! Bank Accounts can be linked to an Entity and is mandatory if multiple Entities have been set up. 

Links

Multiple Entities can be linked to:

• Staff

• Customers

• Suppliers

• Items

• Transactions (Types)

• Work Processes

When multiple Entities can be linked to modules, the Entities are used as filters. For example: If a Customer is not linked to an Entity, the Customer may be selected on any transaction, regardless of the Entity it is linked to. If a Customer is linked to one or more Entities, however, the Customer may only be selected on transactions that are linked to one of the Entities that the Customer is linked to.

The following tables can be linked to one Entity only: 

• Organigram

• Cost Centres

• Transactions

VAT Entities

If Entities are being used for multiple companies, separate Transaction Types need to be created for the Customer Invoices and Credit Notes to meet the requirement of one unbroken number series per entity.

Inter-entity Transacting

When the Entities in one database transact with each other, you need to set up each Entity as a Customer and a Supplier.  For example, if Entity A is sending a Customer Invoice to Entity B, you will need to create the following transactions: 

• Customer Invoice: Entity = Entity A, Customer = Customer B

• Supplier Invoice: Entity = Entity B, Supplier = Supplier A 

Note - The corresponding Supplier Invoice can automatically be generated using a custom trigger on the Customer Invoice module.

Accounting Reporting

• Navigate to Setup > Accounting Setups > Reporting (tab)

• Add the Reports for the Entities or groups of Entities.

• The CAA/SAA can be filtered to an Entity or show All outstanding accounts.

Settings

• General Setting > General > Caption for Entities (Singular) (Default = Entity)

• General Setting > General > Caption for Entities (Plural) (Default = Entities) 

Changing an existing database to use multiple Entities

• Create the base Entity

• Link all the Transactions in the database to the new Entity using the SQL Statement: 

Update LEDGER set ENTITYID = [id of new Entity]

• Create the new Entities and link them to Users and Transaction Types as per the Customer requirement.

• Setup the Accounting Reporting