Dynamics 365 has some great tools to allow organizations to own and define their security levels. It all starts with business units – business units are the foundation of D365’s security structure. Out of the box, your organization has a root business unit and from here, you can add more business units if you want.
Why do I need more than one business unit?
You are probably wondering why you would add another business unit and how it affects security. The answer is that the security roles you assign users can be based off business units, this is why having more than one business unit is helpful!
For example, if you have regional sales teams in your company and you want your sales team to only see leads and opportunities in their sales region, you could organize your security this way. Just add a new business unit and make a few simple changes to your security roles.
Parent & Child Companies
Look at the following example: I own a holding company called Brenda Corporation, Brenda Corporation owns two companies:
- Brenda’s Chocolate
- Brenda’s Candy Factory
The executives that work Brenda Corporation that need to see the leads, opportunities, and sales generating from both companies so they will have security roles that allow them that visibility. However, the general manager of Brenda’s Chocolate doesn’t need to see the leads, opportunities and sales at Brenda’s Candy Factory. By creating these two companies as separate business units we can adjust security roles so certain users only see information as it relates to the company they work in.
Security Roles and Users that have Brenda Corporation as there Parent Business Unit will take on the permissions assigned and associated with that business unit. Likewise, security roles and users that have Brenda’s Chocolate or Candy Factory as their business will take on those permissions and because they are separate, it separates the records from a security standpoint (leads, opportunities, accounts, contacts, etc.).
How to Create a New Business Unit
To add a new business unit go to Settings > Security
Navigate to business units > click on new business unit
Fill in the required information! From here, you can add users and teams.
Watch for our next post about how security roles are built and how business roles play a big part of security roles. If you have questions or need some assistance, visit our support page for more help.
