Planning your data structure

When setting up asset management for your enterprise, you must decide how to structure data in a way that facilitates your business processes.

Site settings
Settings enable each site in your organization to use different business rules, depending on the requirements of each organization.
Organization settings
You can create organizations and sites in the Organizations application. You can further configure your organizations using the Organizations, Chart of Accounts, Exchange Rates, and Calendars applications.
When to create multiple organizations and sites
When using the multisite capability, you must first decide whether you want to set up multiple organizations. Then, for each organization, you must decide whether to set up multiple sites. You can set up multiple sites even if your implementation has only a single organization.
Applications and their data storage levels
Records must be unique within the data storage level. For example, the Automation Scripts application stores data at the enterprise level, so you could not have two scripts with the same identifiers in an enterprise. Some applications, such as the Job Plans application, are able to store data at multiple levels.
Data sharing between organizations
Sets allow for the sharing of data between organizations. An item set allows organizations to share item data, such as inventory. A company set allows organizations to share vendor information.
Selective data sharing
Applications that can store data at the enterprise, organization, and site levels typically store data at the enterprise level by default. Storing data at the organization level means that all sites in the organization can use the data. Storing data at the site level restricts data to just the specified site.
Transactions involving multiple sites in site-level applications
Applications that store data at the site level require that the identifier field for each record is unique within the site. However, an identifier can be used within other sites and organizations. Only users who have security permission for the site and the application can view the records.
Limitations when setting up options in the Organizations application
Except for system settings and autonumber settings, options apply at either the organization or site level, regardless of the level at which the application stores data. Even if an application stores data at the application level, it can have settings that are applied at the organization level.
Examples of using the multisite capability
The multisite capability provides flexibility when you are setting up your implementation. You can create item sets, company sets, organizations, and sites to reflect the structures of your business.

Related concepts

Autonumbering
Organizations
Sites
Sets

Related tasks

Managing organizations