Setup of entities and the reporting structure

(On-premises only)When you create SyteLine databases, or add sites/entities to an existing application database through the Site Management form, you must specify a site type. For an entity, specify a site type of Entity.

(Cloud only) When you add sites or entities to an existing database through the Site Management form, you must specify a site type. For an entity, specify a site type of Entity.

Entering operational data such as customers and vendors is not necessary for entities. Maintenance and reporting of financial data is allowed.

Defining the hierarchy

To define or change the hierarchy of your sites and entities, several utilities are available in SyteLine:

  • Change Reports to Entity: Use this utility at the reporting site/entity to specify the next-level entity to which this site/entity reports. This utility can also be run if a site is sold and needs to be removed from the financial consolidation structure.
    • If this utility is run at a site, you can only change the Reports To Entity to a financial entity that has the same base (domestic) currency, Chart of Accounts and accounting periods. Also, the system verifies that all accounts defined at the site already exist at the financial entity. If this validation fails, the change is not allowed, and a report is created detailing the failures. If chart records exist at the site that do not exist at the entity, you can use the Multi-Site Chart Copy Utility to copy the site's Chart of Accounts to the financial entity. If no Chart of Accounts or accounting periods have been set up yet at the site, this Change Reports To Entity utility will copy them from the entity to the site.
    • If this utility is being run at a financial entity at any level, the closing balances for each account at every site beneath the financial entity are calculated and consolidated all the way up the hierarchy. Then the Reports-To value is changed. All the Reports To account mappings for the entity's Chart of Accounts must be corrected to map to the Chart of Accounts of the new Reports-To financial entity.
  • Multi-Site Chart Copy: Use this utility at the entity to copy the Chart of Accounts down to the reporting sites and entities.
  • Ledger Consolidation: Use this utility at the reporting site or entity to consolidate any unconsolidated ledger records (by mapping accounts and unit codes and converting currencies) up to and including the cutoff date. Each ledger record will be consolidated all the way up the hierarchy. The ledger at this site will be marked as consolidated. For higher level entities, the newly created ledgers are stored, using that entity's chart of accounts and base currency. The utility validates this information:
    • The hierarchy is valid.
    • The accounts map correctly.
    • The unit codes map correctly.
    • The currencies convert properly.
  • Budget Consolidation: Use this utility at the reporting site or entity to consolidate all previously unconsolidated site budgets and plans through the cutoff date. All entities in the hierarchy that are senior to the current site must be replicating G/L or Ledger Consolidation data with the current site. Each budget and plan for each account is consolidated all the way up the hierarchy; the budget and plan at the current site remains unchanged. For higher level entities, the newly created budgets and plans are stored using that entity's chart of accounts, base currency, and financial periods. If a site or entity enters and leaves a hierarchy in the course of a single year, the original budget/plan will be replaced with the later one.
  • Set Ledger Consolidated Flag: Use this utility to rebuild an entity. Use it to reconsolidate entities whose data was lost, corrupted or discarded due to a change in corporate structure.