Creating, modifying, and deleting account structures

This article walks through the process of creating, activating, and deleting account structures. The steps use the USMF demo data company.

Creating account structures

1. Go to General ledger > Chart of accounts > Structures > Configure account structures.
2. On the Action pane, click New to open the drop dialog.
3. In the Account structure field, enter a name to describe the purpose of the account structure.
4. In the Description field, enter a description to specify the purpose of the account structure.
5. Click Create.
6. In the Segments and allowed values, click Add segment.
7. In the dimensions list, select the dimension to add to the account structure.
8. At the end of the list, click Add segment.
9. Repeat step 6 to 9 as needed.
10. In the Allowed value details section, select the segment to edit the allowed values. For example, click the Main Account field.
11. In the Operator field, select an option, such as is between and includes.
12. In the Value field, type a value. For example, 600000.
13. In the through field, type a value. For example, 699999.
14. In the Allowed value details section, click Apply.
15. Repeat step 10 to 15 as needed.
16. In the Allowed value details section, click Add new criteria.
17. In the Operator field, select an option, such as is between and includes.
18. In the Value field, type a value. For example, 033.
19. In the through field, type a value. For example, 034.
20. Click Apply.
21. In the grid, select the segment to edit the allowed values. For example, Cost Center.
22. In the CostCenter field, type a value. For example, 007..021.
23. In the Segments and allowed values, click Add.
24. In the MainAccount field, type a value. For example, 600000..699999
25. In the grid, select the segment to edit the allowed values. For example, Department.
26. In the Department field, type a value. For example, 032.
27. In the CostCenter field, type a value. For example, 086.
28. On the Action pane, click Validate.
29. On the Action pane, click Activate.
30. Click Activate.

Activating account structures

When you're satisfied with your new setup or a change to an account structure, you must activate it before it takes effect. During activation, the system validates the structure and then synchronizes all unposted transactions to match the new structure. Posted transactions aren't affected by account structure changes.

The activation process runs as a batch job. Depending on the volume of unposted transactions, activation can take anywhere from a few seconds to several hours. While activation is running, the structure is marked as Activating on the Account structures page.

Monitoring activation status

When you activate an account structure, the system validates the structure and marks it as active. Unposted transaction processing then continues in the background, with multiple transaction updates running at the same time.

To monitor activation progress:

1. On the Account structures page, select View activation status above the grid, or select View on the Action Pane and then Activation status.
2. A dialog box appears showing the individual tasks running as part of the activation process, along with each task's status and completion time.

For more information, see Account structure activation.

Account structure activation failure

If an activation fails, the structure reverts to Draft status. The error is typically not displayed on the account structure form itself — check the batch job error log for the specific error message.

The most common reasons for activation failure are overlapping criteria, either within the structure or across other structures on the same ledger. For more information, see Account structures overview.

Modifying an existing account structure

In many cases, modifying an existing account structure is preferable to deleting it and creating a new one. Modification avoids the overhead of reassigning the structure across legal entities and reconfiguring dependent processes.

Modification is suitable for scenarios such as:

• Broadening a range — For example, changing from 1000-2000 to 1000-3000.
• Restricting a range — For example, specifying a Department segment range of 012-014.
• Subdividing a main account range — For example, splitting a BalanceSheet structure with range 1000-3000 into two structures: BalanceSheet_Small with range 1000-2000 and BalanceSheet_Large with range 2000-3000.
• Adding or removing dimensions — For example, adding a new segment or removing one that is no longer needed.

To modify an account structure:

1. Go to General ledger > Chart of accounts > Structures > Configure account structures and select the desired structure.
2. Select Edit on the Action Pane. The system creates a draft copy while keeping the original active for ongoing transactions.
3. Make your changes — update criteria, add or remove segments, or adjust ranges as needed.
4. Select Validate to check your changes.
5. Select Activate to apply your changes and wait for successful activation.

Deleting account structures

If an account structure is no longer needed and has no blocking unposted transactions, it can be deleted. Before deleting, consider whether modifying the structure would better serve your needs.

Resolving blocking transactions

You can't delete an account structure if unposted transactions reference it. To find and resolve these transactions:

1. Navigate to the journal which has the transactions (e.g. General ledger > Journal entries > General journals).
2. Filter by Show > Not posted.
3. Select a journal and select Lines on the Action Pane to view its transactions.
4. Transactions that reference the account structure can be removed with the Delete button or updated to reference a different ledger account or offset account.

Deleting the structure

After all blocking transactions are resolved:

1. Go to General ledger > Chart of accounts > Structures > Configure account structures.
2. Select the account structure you want to delete.
3. Select Delete on the Action Pane.

If you can't locate the blocking transactions, contact Microsoft Support for assistance.