Private and restricted data in multi-entity companies

In a multi-entity shared company, administrators can restrict data such as accounts. Admins can make data private or restricted, such that only particular users can access the data.

Restricting data or making it private ensures that only users with the right permissions can transact with restricted customers or suppliers. Restricting current accounts to a particular entity, for example, ensures that these accounts are only used for transactions for that entity.

While locations are entity-private, departments are shared among entities. You can limit access to a department by setting individual user permissions.

Intacct categorizes access to data as follows: 

• Shared data is visible to users with access to all entities. By default, items that are created at the top level are shared by the top level and all entities. Shared customers, suppliers, and bank accounts appear in the lists for all entities.
• Restricted data is visible only to those users with access to those entities to which the data is restricted. If a customer, supplier, or bank account should be limited in use, you can restrict it to a subset of locations or departments, or restrict it to the top level only. For example, a supplier in the UK might be restricted to only UK entities so that other entities don't see the supplier in lists.
• Private data is visible only to users who can access the entity where the private data was created. Customers, suppliers, and bank accounts that are created at the entity level are private and can be used only by that entity.

As long as they have the relevant permissions, users working at the top level can access all data: shared, restricted, and private.

Private data

When you create an object from within an entity, that object is private. This means that the object is visible to users who can access the entity where the object was created. A private item appears in the list for the entity that owns it. A private item is visible at the top level if Include private is selected for the list.

A private customer or supplier can be used only in transactions that take place within the entity where the private customer or supplier was defined. For example, an office supply supplier that is created for a business entity in Arizona won't appear in the Suppliers list for other entities.

The following are private when you create them at the entity level:

• GL accounts
• Bank accounts
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Items
• AR/AP Terms
• Employees
• Users
• Locations
• Projects
• Classes
• User-defined dimensions

Enable data visibility restrictions

By default, all data types are visible. You can set data visibility restrictions per data type. For example, you can restrict particular data types while leaving other data types unrestricted and visible to all.

Records that use a data type with a visibility restriction have an additional tab for managing restrictions. You can manage restrictions for each record made with a restricted data type.

You can restrict:

• Suppliers
• Customers
• Current and savings accounts

You can set restrictions after you enable entity restrictions in Multi-Entity Management at the top level.

1. Go toCompany > Admin > Subscriptions.

   The Subscriptions page is shown.

2. Select Multi-Entity Management, then select Configure.
3. In the Entity restrictions section, select any of the following items to restrict them to an entity:
   • Customers
   • Suppliers
   • Current accounts
   • Savings accounts

After saving your changes, a Restrictions tab is shown on the Information page for the data types you decided to restrict.

View and edit customer, supplier, or bank account restrictions

When restriction is enabled for customers and suppliers, the system adds a menu item at the top level to provide a list of all customers or suppliers with visibility to the restrictions.

For customers, suppliers, and bank accounts, the system adds a tab on the individual supplier, customer, current account, or savings account information.

View customer restrictions

Go to the Customers page to view customer restrictions.

1. From the top level, go to Accounts Receivable > All > Customers.
2. Select Visibility.

   The Customer Visibility page appears.

3. Select Edit next to a customer to edit the restrictions.

View supplier restrictions

Go to the Suppliers page to view supplier restrictions.

1. Go to Accounts Payable > All > Suppliers.
2. Select Visibility.

   The Supplier Visibility page appear.

3. Select Edit next to a supplier to edit the restrictions for that supplier.

View current account restrictions

Go to the Accounts page to view current account restrictions.

1. Go to Cash Management > Setup > Accounts.
2. Select Current or Savings.
3. Select Edit next to the account whose restrictions you want to edit.
4. Select Restrictions to see or change the restrictions for the account.
5. Save any changes you make.

What does "Not Owned" mean?

In a multi-entity company, shared records such as customers, suppliers, and other items can be edited only at the top level of a company. Some journal transactions, for example, recurring journal entries created at the top level, are also owned at the top and can't be edited from within an entity.

If you display the list of shared records (customer, supplier, or entry) within an entity, you can see the shared records in the list. However, these will be listed as Not owned by the entity and the Edit option won't appear. Move to the top level, which owns the record, to make any changes.