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Integration with MEM

The Multi-Entity Management (MEM) integration with Subscription Billing affects the ability access to all records in a company. When the Multi-Entity Management integration is used, one or more entities are assigned to each record, and user access to the entities determines whether a user can access a record or a transaction. Based on the user-entity access permission, a user may or may not be able to view a record or use a record when processing transaction.

Entity security relationships are applied to the following areas: 

Note icon. Note: The steps within the Subscription Billing documentation do not incorporate the steps for entering the entity ID. The Subscription Billing documentation is for the standard functionality and process of Subscription Billing without the Multi-Entity Management integration.

If the Multi-Entity Management integration is used, remember to specify the entity ID for the records as needed.

Turn On Security Master Record Security

To use the Multi-Entity Management entity security that restricts the records to which users have access, turn on the various security options on the Security FastTab of the Multi-Entity Management Setup page.

Entity security can be turned on for the following master records: 

  • Bank Account
  • Customer
  • Fixed Asset
  • Item
  • Job
  • Location
  • Payment Method
  • Resources
  • Service Item
  • Vendor

User and entities

When Multi-Entity Management is set up, security relationships between users and entities are created. In the documentation, these relationships are referred to as user-entity access. A user can have access to one or more entities. Entity security is applied to the master records. User-entity access allows users to enter transactions, perform inquiries, and generate reports on only the entities to which they have access.

User-entity access works with the relationships that are set up between the master records and entities. For example, the user UserA has access to entity 000 only. UserA can access all records that belong to entity 000 only. If a record belongs to a different entity (e.g., entity 100), UserA cannot access that record.

For more information on how the user-entity access permissions are set up, see the Multi-Entity Management documentation.

Master file records and entities

Entity security relationships are set up between master file records with entities. These relationships allow organizations to restrict or "filter" user access to records in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Entity security relationships are set up so that the master file records have relationships with one entity, a few entities, or all entities.

When entity security relationships are set up, the access to use or view record depends on the user-entity access permission. For example, User A has access to entity 100. Entity security for entity 100 is setup with CustA, CustB, and CustC only. User A will be able to create a billing schedules and process transactions for CustA, CustB, and and CustC only.

For more information on how entity security relationships are set up between master file records with entities, see the Multi-Entity Management documentation.

Turning Off MEM

Some companies may not want to use the Multi-Entity Management integration. Use the Disable Multi-Entity Management option on the Multi-Entity ManagementSetup to turn on or off Multi-Entity Management for any company.

  • When Multi-Entity Management is turned on, specifying the entity ID for records is required. For example, when creating a billing schedule, an entity ID must be selected for the billing schedule. All fields are not available until the entity ID in the header is specified.
  • When Multi-Entity Management is turned off, the entity fields are still available, but the entity-security functionality for them is turned off. When Multi-Entity Management is turned off, use of all standard Subscription Billing features is available as if Multi-Entity Management is not installed.

For information on turning on or off Multi-Entity Management, see the Multi-Entity Management documentation.

Intercompany Distribution

When using entity codes that are different in the header and the lines, you must use the intercompany feature in Multi-Entity Management. This feature can be turned on in the Multi-Entity ManagementSetup page.

Default Entity

For the Entity ID box, when creating a record the default entity value is the default entity for the user as set up in My Settings. The entity can be changed to any entity to which the user has access.

MEM with Billing Schedules

When working with billing schedules, the following additions are included for the Multi-Entity Management integration: 

page Integration
SBS ARCB Billing Schedule List

The first column is for the entity. Only the records that are assigned an entity to which a user has access appear in the list.

SBS ARCB Billing Schedule Card

Header

  • The Entity ID field box is added next to the billing schedule contract No. field box. The entity ID is required to create a billing schedule.
  • Access to master records is based on the entity ID selected in the header. For example, in the header, the Entity ID is 100. The billing schedule can be created only for customer records that are attached to entity 100.

Header actions

  • Copy Schedule: The entity ID for the source billing schedule is visible, but cannot be edited.
    The entity ID for the new billing schedule can be changed as needed. The default value is the entity ID from the source billing schedule.
    The entity ID for the lines can be changed as needed. The default value is the entity ID from the source billing schedule.
  • Terminate Schedule: When a billing schedule is terminated and a credit memo created, the header entity for the credit memo is the same entity as the billing schedule header, and the line entity of the credit memo is the same entity as the line for the billing schedule.
  • Archive Schedule: The entity information for the billing schedule and the lines are visible.
  • Dimensions: The entity can be changed to an entity to which the use has access.

Lines

  • The default entity for a line is the Entity ID from the header and can be changed as needed.
  • For each line, only the items attached to the entity for the line are available. A different line can use a different entity, and have different items available.
    For example, the first line has entity 100, only items attached to entity 100 can be selected for that line. The second line uses entity 200, only items attached to entity 200 can be selected for that line.

Line actions

  • Dimension: The entity can be changed to an entity to which the use has access.
  • Terminate Schedule: When a billing schedule is terminated and a credit memo created, the header entity for the credit memo is the same entity as the billing schedule header, and the line entity of the credit memo is the same entity as the line for the billing schedule.
SBS ARCB Billing Schedule Order/Invoice Creator

When invoices are created, the entity of the header is from the header of the billing schedule, and the entity of the line is from the billing schedule line. Intercompany distributions are created as needed.

Also, invoices are not consolidated by customer or item. When header and line entities are different, separate invoices are created for each entity, and separate lines are created for each entity.

SBS ARCB Billing Milestone List and Template When item-entity security is used, only items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.
SBS ARCB Billing Support and Renewal Items When item-entity security is used, only support and renewal items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.
SBS ARCB Billing Invoice Support and Renewal

In the list, the first column is for the entity of the line.

When item-entity security is used, only support and renewal items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.

SBS ARCB Link Item(s) to Milestone When item-entity security is used, only items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.
SBS ARCB Customer Update Utility

When customer-entity security is used, only customers that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.

In the list, the first column is for the entity of the line.

SBS ARCB Delete Schedule Utility Only the billing schedules attached to entities to which the customer has access are available to be selected.
List in any page For all pages that have a list of records, the first column is for the entity ID. All records that appear in the list appear based on the user-entity access. These pages include tasks, reports, inquiries, and process pages.
Reports and inquiries
Invoice Creator log

When the SBS ARCB Billing Schedule Order/Invoice Creator is opened from a batch processing page, the entity ID appears as the first column in the log report.

When the SBS ARCB Billing Schedule Order/Invoice Creator is opened from a specific billing schedule, no changes are made to the log report.

Summary and Detail Reports

When specifying the report filter criteria, the Entity code is an option. The default value is the default entity for the user. One, multiple, or a range of entities can be specified in the Entity code filter option. When the filter is empty, the report shows all entities to which the user has access.

On the generated report, the entity ID appears in the first column.

This filter option appears on the following reports:
Monthly Revenue Reports

When specifying the report filter criteria, the Entity Filter is an option. The default value is the default entity for the user. One, multiple, or a range of entities can be specified in the Entity code filter option. When the filter is empty, the report shows all entities to which the user has access.

When printing the report, select only the billing schedules that belong to the Entity Filter.

This filter option appears on the following reports:
Billing Schedule Usage Import The log report after the import shows the entity ID for the lines that have been imported.
Log Reports

All log reports related to processing billing schedules include the entity ID of the billing schedule contracts. These log reports include, but are not limited to the following types of processing: 

  • Price update log
  • Archive Log
  • Hold Log
  • Milestone Log
  • Renewal Log
  • Termination Log
  • Price Adjustment Log
  • Stubbing Log
  • Import Schedule Log

MEM with Deferral Schedules

Deferral schedules are created when the invoice for a sales invoice is posted. The entity ID for a deferral schedule is from the sales invoice, and cannot be edited.

When working with deferral schedules, the following additions are included for the Multi-Entity Management integration: 

page Integration
SBS ARED Deferral Item Setup When item-entity security is used, only items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.
SBS ARED Deferral Schedules

The Entity Code field box appears below the deferral schedule No. field box.

When deferral schedules are created from billing schedules, the entity is from the billing schedule line.

SBS ARED Deferral Schedule Card History

The Entity Code field box appears below the deferral schedule No. field box.

Line Recognition/Reversal

When recognizing or reverse recognizing the revenue for a line on the SBS ARED Deferral Schedule Line Recognition, the journal entries created are based on the selected template or batch.

  • The header entity ID for the journal entries is the same as the entity ID of the deferral schedules.
  • The line entity ID for the journal entries is the same as the entity ID of the deferral schedules.
Batch Recognition/Reversal

When performing the batch recognition on the SBS ARED Recognition Process page or batch reversing a recognition on the SBS ARED Reverse Recognition Process, the entities applied to the journal entries are as follows: 

  • The header entity ID for the journal entries is the same as the entity ID of the deferral schedules.
  • The line entity ID for the journal entries is the same as the entity ID of the deferral schedules.
List in any page For all pages that have a list of records, the first column is for the entity ID. All records that appear in the list appear based on the user-entity access. These pages include tasks, reports, inquiries, and process pages.
Reports and inquiries
Summary and Detail Reports

When specifying the report filter criteria, the Entity Filter is an option. The default value is the default entity for the user. One, multiple, or a range of entities can be specified in the Entity code filter option. When the filter is empty, the report shows all entities to which the user has access.

When printing the report, select only the deferral schedules that belong to the Entity Filter.

This filter option appears on the following reports:

MEM with Revenue Splitting

When working with MERA, the following additions are included for the Multi-Entity Management integration: 

page Integration
SBS MERAItem Standalone Selling Price When item-entity security is used, only items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected.
SBS MERA Revenue Split Template When item-entity security is used, only items that are attached to entities to which the user has access can be selected as the parent and child items.