Multi-entity customer restrictions

The Customer Visibility page enables you to view, edit, mass update, and manage multi-entity restrictions for customers.

In addition, to updating customer restrictions individually, you can use the import and export features on the Customer Visibility page to easily:

• Export your customer restrictions list in a standard file format (CSV, Excel, Word, PDF) so that you can print or use the information in another application.
• Quickly update your customer restrictions list by exporting selected data, making changes, and then importing your changes.

Export customer restrictions

You can export anything that you can display in the Customer Visibility list. This option allows you to control what gets exported, including the columns of data, display and sort order, and the list of customer restrictions assigned.

Create a list view that includes the data you want to export

To control what gets exported, you can create a custom view of the Customer Visibility list that includes just the data you want to see.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. From the Manage view dropdown at the top of the Customer Visibility list, select Create new view.

3. On Step 1 of the Create New View wizard, select the columns of data you want to include.

   You can choose from standard customer fields (such as name and ID), and any custom fields that you've created for your company.

4. Make other changes as needed.

   Using the wizard, you can do the following:

   • Choose the order in which the columns appear.
   • Filter the list of customer restrictions, such as filtering for customers who are unrestricted, or customers who can be viewed by top level only.
   • Choose the sort order for columns; for example, sorting customers by ID or Visibility.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. From the Manage views dropdown at the top of the Customer Visibility list, select Create new view.

3. On Step 1 of the Create New View wizard, select the columns of data you want to include.

   You can choose from standard customer fields (such as name and ID), and any custom fields that you've created for your company.

4. Make other changes as needed.

   Using the wizard, you can do the following:

   • Choose the order in which the columns appear.
   • Filter the list of customer restrictions, such as filtering for customers who are unrestricted, or customers who can be viewed by top level only.
   • Choose the sort order for columns; for example, sorting customers by ID or Visibility.

Export the customer restrictions list

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. If you have not already done so, choose the list view that includes the data you want to export.

   • At the top of the Customer Visibility list, from the All dropdown menu select the name of the view that you previously created.
   • If you do not select a view before exporting the Customer Visibility list, your export file will include the current list of customers and columns.
3. Export the list by choosing an export format from the Export dropdown at the top of the Customer Visibility list.

   Export format field descriptions

   Export format	Description
   CSV	Comma-separated-values (CSV) file that can be opened by most spreadsheet applications.
   Excel	Microsoft Excel (XLS) file.
   Word	Microsoft Word (DOC) file.
   PDF	Adobe PDF file (PDF).
   CSV for import	Comma-separated values (CSV) file that includes customers and fields in a format that you can use to update your Customer Visibility list. If the current view contains any fields that can't be updated through the import process, those fields will not t be included in the export file.

Changes to Microsoft security can cause issues when exporting to Excel. See Can't export a report to Excel for details.

Edit customer restrictions individually

If you need to update or add restrictions for one or two customers, the quickest way is to edit the customer record in the Customer Visibility page.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. Find the customer you want to update.

3. Select Edit at the end of the row.

   This opens the customer record on the Restrictions tab.

4. In the Visibility section, select one of the following to specify who can view and post transactions to this customer:

   • Unrestricted customer: The top level and all entities within the multi-entity structure.
   • Restricted to top level only: Only the top level of the multi-entity structure.
   • Restricted customer: Only the chosen locations, location groups, departments, or department groups within the multi-entity structure.

   When you restrict a vendor to the top level, their transactions appear on the aging report only if the report is not filtered by location.

5. If you selected Restricted customer, select the restrictions as follows:

   1. Select inside the first empty row under either Restricted locations or Restricted departments, as applies to the restriction you want to set.
   2. Select a location or department from the dropdown list.

   3. To add another restriction, select inside the next empty row and select a restriction from the dropdown list.

      If you select an entity as the location, you need to select the locations associated with that entity, also.

6. Select Save.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. Find the customer you want to update.

3. Select Edit next to the Customer ID.

   This opens the customer record on the Restrictions tab.

4. In the Visibility section, select one of the following to specify who can view and post transactions to this customer:

   • Unrestricted customer: The top level and all entities within the multi-entity structure.
   • Restricted to top level only: Only the top level of the multi-entity structure.
   • Restricted customer: Only the chosen locations, location groups, departments, or department groups within the multi-entity structure.

   When you restrict a vendor to the top level, their transactions appear on the aging report only if the report is not filtered by location.

5. If you selected Restricted customer, select the restrictions as follows:

   1. Select inside the first empty row under either Restricted locations or Restricted departments, as applies to the restriction you want to set.
   2. Select a location or department from the dropdown list.
   3. To add another restriction, select inside the next empty row and select a restriction from the dropdown list.
      If you select an entity as the location, you need to select the locations associated with that entity, also.
6. Select Save.

Use CSV import to mass update customer restrictions

Update restrictions for multiple customers at once by exporting customer data in CSV for import format, editing the resulting spreadsheet, then importing your changes.

Export the customers restrictions list in "CSV for Import" format

Before you start, create a custom view of your Customer Visibility list that includes the customers and columns you want to update. That way, when you export the Customers list, you'll have a spreadsheet that's tailored to the information you want to change.

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. If you have not already done so, select the list view that includes the data you want to export.
   • At the top of the Customers list, from the All dropdown menu select the name of the view that you previously created.
   • If you do not select a view before exporting the Customers list, your export file will include the current list of customers and columns.
   If the view contains fields that cannot be updated through the import process, those fields will not be included in the export file.

3. Export the Customers list in CSV for import format.

   Intacct exports the data to a predefined .csv import template, which you can then open and update.

Update the .csv template file

1. Open the .csv file in a spreadsheet application.

2. Update the spreadsheet.

   • You can update restrictions for existing customers as follows:

     • Unrestricted customer: Including the top level, all entities within the multi-entity structure can view this customer and post transactions to it.
     • Restricted to top level only: Only the top level of the multi-entity structure can view this customer and post transactions to it.
     • Restricted customer: Only the chosen locations, location groups, departments, or department groups within the multi-entity structure can view this customer and post transactions to it.
   • You can change which locations or departments within the multi-entity structure can view selected customers.

   You can add as many columns for locations and departments as needed.

3. When you're finished, save the spreadsheet in .csv format.

Import your changes

1. Go to Accounts Receivable > Setup > Customers > Visibility.

2. Select Import at the top right of the Customers list.
3. Find the CSV file that you want to import.
4. Be sure to specify the email address where results are sent. If any records fail to import, you'll be notified by email.
5. Select other options as needed.

Guidelines for updating customer restrictions

Remember that when updating customer restriction records through CSV import, the changes you make will affect your customer restriction records.

• If you update spreadsheet data for a customer restriction, the information you specify will overwrite the data in the existing customer restriction record.
• If you remove data from the spreadsheet, the corresponding information will be removed from the customer restriction record.

Recommended precautions:

• Make a backup of your customer restriction information before you make changes. Save a copy of the CSV for import spreadsheet so that you have a record of the Customer Visibility list before you update it.
• Before making large-scale changes, test the update process. Try changing a few test customer restrictions and then update just those customer records.

Additional tips:

• When you export the CSV for import file, be sure to include the Customer ID column. This column identifies the customer record that you are updating.
• Column order is not important; for example, the Customer ID doesn't need to be first. The header row identifies the contents of each column.
• When you're updating the CSV for import file, keep in mind that different types of fields require different information. For checkbox options, enter TRUE to select the option and enter FALSE to deselect the option.

Required fields for new customer restrictions

When you're adding new customers, at least the following columns are required:

• Customer ID: The identifier field for all other values
• Visibility: The type of restriction: Unrestricted, Root only, or Restricted
• Required custom fields: If you've created any custom fields that are required, you must also include these columns.