Relationship Management

Relationship Management#

The Relationship Management module allows you to map complex, real-world connections between parties beyond simple Customer/Supplier roles. You can define hierarchies, ownership structures, and business associations directly within your Party Master.

Key Features#

• N-to-N Relationships: Connect any party to any other party multiple times.
• Custom Relationship Types: Define your own semantics (e.g., “Subsidiary”, “Director”, “Distributor”).
• Hierarchical Logic: Flag relationships as hierarchical to build ownership trees.
• Temporal Validity: Track relationship history with Start Date and End Date.

1. Configuring Relationship Types#

Before linking parties, define the types of relationships relevant to your business.

1. Navigate to Party > Party Relationship Type.
2. Click New Party Relationship Type.
3. Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Parent Company).
4. Reverse Relationship: Link the inverse type (e.g., Subsidiary).
   • Tip: If you create “Parent Company”, ensure “Subsidiary” exists or create it afterwards.
5. Is Hierarchical: Check this if the relationship implies control or ownership structure.

**Example Pair:** - Type A: **Employer** (Reverse: Employee) - Type B: **Employee** (Reverse: Employer)

2. Creating Relationships#

You can link parties directly from the Party Master dashboard or the Relationship list.

1. Open a Party Master record.
2. Go to the Connections tab (or check the Relationships shortcut on the dashboard).
3. Click + to add a new relationship.
4. Relationship Type: Select the type (e.g., Subsidiary).
5. Object Party: Select the related party.
6. Details:
   • Ownership %: If applicable, enter the percentage share.
   • Dates: Set valid from/to dates.
7. Save.

**Self-Reference Check**: You cannot link a party to itself. The system will prevent this validation error.

3. Visualizing Hierarchy#

Use the Party Master Tree view to see hierarchical relationships (where Is Hierarchical is checked).

1. Go to Party > Party Master Tree.
2. Expand the nodes to see the parent-child structure governed by your relationship definitions.