How to copy master records from one company to another in Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a powerful enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that enables companies to manage their entire business including finance, manufacturing, sales, project management, services, and more. However, many multi-subsidiary companies face data structure and consistency problems when attempting to manage multiple companies in Business Central. This is because each company has to manage its data on its own, as Business Central does not include native functionality for data synchronization across companies.

Rand Group has developed the Master Record Manager for Business Central add-on to standardize data by enabling organizations to create master records that can be replicated to as many child companies as needed. In this post, we will walk you through the process of how to standardize your data and copy master records from one company to another in Business Central.

The Master Record Manager for Business Central is designed to standardize data by enabling users to copy master record data to multiple other companies. Users are able to create a master company and configure sets of data that are to be replicated to child companies, ensuring data consistency. The master company is a company where all data considered global would be stored. The child companies will be the companies to which data records are copied to.

With the Master Record Manager you are able to specify which master records and their individual fields that you want to standardize and be able to be replicated to child companies. The following master records are able to be copied from one company to another:

• Chart of Accounts
• Dimensions
• Customers
• Vendors
• Vendor Bank Accounts
• Resources
• Items

With this intelligent add-on, you are able to choose which master record tables you want to be standardized and which fields on those records you want to be controlled, and how. On each field, you can choose Managed by Master or Copy Only. If a field is Managed by Master company, it cannot be edited in the child company. If a field is Copy Only, the field is copied and can also be edited in the child company.

Once you set up the master record manager and specify which tables and fields you want to be managed, you can copy individual records to your child companies. In this section, we will walk you through how to copy each type of record from your master company.

How to copy chart of accounts records to another company

If enabled, you can copy general ledger (G/L) account records from the chart of accounts list to multiple other companies. To copy these records from your master company, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Chart of Accounts list
2. Choose a G/L account and select Process >> Copy G/L Account
3. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the G/L account to
4. Select Replicate G/L Account
   If a record in a child company exists, Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

Your G/L account record will now be copied to your child company per your setup configurations. You can repeat these steps as many times as needed to replicate the account record to multiple companies.

How to copy dimensions to another company

With the Master Record Manager add-on, you are also able to copy dimensions from a master company to your child companies. To replicate dimensions to your child companies, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Dimensions
2. Select the dimension you wish to copy and select Dimension >> Dimension Values
3. Choose the dimension value you wish to copy and select Copy Dimension Value
4. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the dimension value to
5. Select Replicate Dimension Value
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

The dimension value will be copied to your child company. Repeat the steps above as many times as necessary to replicate all the required dimension values.

How to copy customer records to another company

If you have enabled copy data for customer tables, you can copy customer records from your master company to your child companies. To copy customer records from your master company, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Customers list
2. Choose a customer then select Process >> Copy Customer
3. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the customer to
4. Select Replicate Customer
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

Upon a successful replication, the Data Copied field will be checked. If you wish to replicate your customer data to more than one company, repeat the steps above.

How to copy vendor records to another company

When you want to company vendor record data from your master company, you can follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Vendors list
2. Choose a customer then select Vendors >> Copy Vendor
3. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the vendor to
4. Select Replicate Vendor
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

Your vendor record will now be copied to your child company per the setup specifications. If you wish to replicate your vendor record to multiple companies, repeat the steps above.

How to copy vendor bank accounts to another company

If you wish to replicate a vendor bank account to your child companies, you can do so from the vendor card. To copy vendor bank accounts, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Vendors list
2. Select a vendor to open the Vendor Card
3. Select Vendor >> Bank Accounts
4. Choose the bank account you wish to copy and select Copy Vendor Bank Account
5. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the vendor bank account to
6. Select Replicate Vendor Bank Account
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

You can repeat the steps above as many times as needed to replicate the vendor bank account to multiple child companies.

How to copy resource records to another company

You are able to copy resource records from the resources list or a resource card. To copy a resource record from your master company, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Resources list
2. Choose a customer then select Process >> Copy Resource
3. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the resource to
4. Select Replicate Resource
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

On a successful replication, your resource record will now be copied to your child company per your setup configurations. You can repeat the steps above as many times as needed to copy your resource to multiple companies.

How to copy item records to another company

To copy items from your master company to any number of child companies, follow the steps below:

1. Search for and select Items list
2. Choose a customer then select Process >> Copy Item
3. A list of companies will appear, select the Target Company you want to copy the item to
4. Select Replicate Item
   If a record in a child company exists, then Business Central will update it based on the setup. If it does not exist, a new record will be created.

Your item will now be copied to your child company per your setup configuration. To copy the item record to multiple other companies, repeat the steps above.

The Master Record Manager for Business Central is a powerful add-on designed to standardize data management by enabling users to copy master data to multiple other companies. By being able to copy records from a master company to child companies, you can reduce the time spent on manual data entry and eliminate data discrepancies between companies. To learn more about the Master Record Manager and how to copy your records, contact us today.