Organisation
The Organisation module defines the structure of your business in Ayiza. Everything in the system -- accounting documents, bank statements, invoices, tax returns -- belongs to a company code. Setting up your organisation correctly is the foundation for all other modules.
Company codes
A company code represents a legal entity in your business. Each company code has its own:
- Legal name and trading name
- Company number (e.g. Companies House registration)
- Country and registered address
- Company type (limited company, sole trader, partnership, etc.)
- Business type classification
You can manage multiple company codes within a single Ayiza tenant, which is useful if you run a group of companies.
Financial settings
Each company code has financial settings that control how transactions are recorded and reported. These are configured in the Finance Company Code settings:
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Company code currency | The local currency used for day-to-day accounting (e.g. GBP). Every transaction is recorded in this currency. |
| Group currency | An optional second currency for consolidated group reporting (e.g. EUR if your parent company reports in euros). |
| Functional currency | An optional third currency, typically used when the functional currency of the business differs from the local currency. |
| Chart of accounts | The chart of accounts assigned to this company code. Determines which GL accounts are available. |
| Financial calendar | The fiscal calendar that defines financial periods and year-end dates. |
| Forex source and type | Where exchange rates come from (e.g. ECB) and which rate type to use (e.g. average, closing). |
If your company only operates in one currency, you only need to set the company code currency. Group and functional currencies are optional.
Fiscal calendar and financial periods
A financial calendar defines how your financial year is structured:
- Year-end date -- the day and month your financial year ends (e.g. 31 March, 31 December)
- Number of normal periods -- typically 12 (one per month), but can be configured differently
- Number of adjustment periods -- special periods at year-end for closing adjustments (e.g. period 13)
- Calendar year or tax year -- whether the year aligns with the calendar year or the UK tax year (6 April to 5 April)
Once a financial calendar is created, Ayiza generates the individual financial calendar periods with their start and end dates.
Company code financial years
Each company code has a set of financial years that are opened as needed. A financial year records:
- The year number (e.g. 2025, 2026)
- Whether the year is open or closed
Each financial year is further divided into financial year periods that correspond to the periods in the financial calendar.
Period lockdown
Closing a financial year or period prevents anyone from posting new transactions into that period. This is an important control:
- Open period -- transactions can be posted.
- Closed period -- no new postings are allowed. You must re-open the period if a correction is needed.
Each financial year period has granular flags that control which types of postings are allowed:
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Is Open | The master flag. If false, no postings of any kind are allowed in this period. |
| Is Open Bank Accounts | Whether bank account postings (bank reconciliation, bank statements) are allowed in this period. |
| Is Open Assets | Whether fixed asset postings are allowed in this period. |
| Is Open Treasury | Whether treasury-related postings are allowed in this period. |
These flags allow you to close a period for general postings while keeping it open for specific processes. For example, you might close a period for regular journal entries but keep it open for bank reconciliation until all bank statements are processed.
Use the Financial Calendar and Company Code Financial Year views to manage which periods are open. You can open or close individual periods, or open all periods at once for a financial year.
Organisational reporting dimensions
Beyond company codes, Ayiza provides several dimensions for organisational reporting and analysis:
Investment centres
An investment centre is a business unit that is responsible for its own revenue, costs, and capital investment decisions. You can assign investment centres to company codes to track financial performance at the investment centre level.
Segments
Segments represent distinct lines of business or geographical areas. They are used for segment reporting in financial statements. Like investment centres, segments can be assigned to company codes.
Strategic business units
Strategic business units (SBUs) represent self-contained business operations that have their own strategy and objectives. SBUs can be assigned to company codes for reporting purposes.
Cost centres
Cost centres are used for internal cost allocation. When you post a transaction, you can assign it to a cost centre to track where costs are incurred. Cost centres are managed per company code and are activated in the Finance Company Code settings.
Projects
Projects allow you to track costs and revenues for specific initiatives, contracts, or capital investments. Like cost centres, projects are assigned at the transaction level.
Investment centres, segments, strategic business units, cost centres, and projects are all optional. You can enable or disable each dimension per company code in the Finance Company Code settings.
Other organisational entities
| Entity | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Business types | Classify company codes by industry or nature of business. |
| Company types | Define legal structures (Ltd, PLC, LLP, sole trader, etc.). |
| Locations | Physical locations or offices within your organisation. |
| Distribution channels | How products or services reach customers (direct, wholesale, online, etc.). |
| Organisational functions | Functional departments (Finance, HR, Sales, etc.). |
Navigation
Organisation entities are grouped under Organisation in the sidebar, with sub-groups for:
- Company Codes -- manage your legal entities
- Structure -- investment centres, segments, strategic business units
- Assignments -- link investment centres, segments, and SBUs to company codes
- Calendar -- financial calendars and company code financial years