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[Kerstin Newman]

Hi everyone,
Wondering if any of you have experience creating new legal entities (fully functioning, not just the shell).

Background story: We went live with D365FO in December 2018, and knew that we would eventually be creating another legal entity as we are expanding into new markets. At the time, our integrators set up the whole system so we could go live, but there is not a whole lot of documentation, not do we have a template legal entity we can use to create new ones. I have done some research, and have explored the “copy into legal entity” function to some extent. I have read about having a template entity that can then be copied/re-purposed for whatever scenario is needed at the time so we don’t have to create something from scratch every time we’re entering a new market. 

I am looking for best practices around this, and also if there is the possibility to move a fully set up legal entity from a test into a production environment. 

Any help and insight is appreciated, thank you!

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Kerstin Newman
Business Analyst
StarTech.com
London ON
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[Ian Gorman]

Take a look here, this may help: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/plan-implement-legal-entities-dyn365-finops/index

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Ian Gorman, PMP, MCSE
Consultant
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[Zvika Rimalt]

IMO, one best practice is for your implementer to document the configuration they do in Excel, and leave you with a copy…. not that this is always followed, as you found out.

There are always portions that are not going to be covered by automation of the “copy company”

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Zvika Rimalt
Functional Consultant
Vancouver BC
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[Kerstin Newman]

Hi Zvika,

Thanks for your response! 

I guess I was hoping to find out what copies and what doesn’t. We do have some documentation from our integrators, but is doesn’t involve any of the “copy into legal entity functionality”, only manual setups, and I doubt it’s complete. Our current estimate to set up a fully functioning legal entity with all outside systems integrations is 2 months, and we can’t spend 2 months every year (or more) to setup legal entities. I was hoping there was a more efficient way to handle this, especially knowing that we will have to do this about once a year.

Thank you.

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Kerstin Newman
Business Analyst
StarTech.com
London ON
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[Sudhir Mahajran]

Hi Kerstin,

I would recomend to create excel file. Each module/ process in separate tabe and all config screenshot.

thanks

sudhir

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[Sudhir] [Maharjan] [srmaharjan@hotmail.com]
[AX Consultant]
[SAGlobal]
Lawrenceville NJ
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[Ryan Sorenson]

You could also utilize data packages/entities.  You can export all the data entities from the source company in packages, then modify them for the new entity (enter the new legal entity name, address, etc).  Then import these packages to create the new company.  Below are some links to go over to familiarize yourself with the process:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/lcs-solutions/process-data-packages-lcs-solutions

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/unified-operations/dev-itpro/data-entities/data-entities-data-packages

https://community.dynamics.com/ax/f/microsoft-dynamics-ax-forum/276374/data-package-in-d365fo

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Ryan Sorenson
Sunrise Technologies
Riverton UT
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[Zvika Rimalt]

You did not specify your functional “profile” (what modules and interfaces are involved with that new legal entity) but 2 months sounds VERY long.

We usually launch new legal entities using a combination of using DMF/”copy company”, using Excel integration to upload and performing configuration manually.
If you have everything documented, it should not take (very rough estimate) more than 2 weeks to configure, and maybe another 2 weeks to do regression testing.

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Zvika Rimalt
Functional Consultant
Vancouver BC
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