We operate multiple legal entities within the same IFS database and have a business requirement that users of one company should not be able to access or view data belonging to another company unless specifically authorized. While this segregation is supported in many areas of IFS, we have identified concerns regarding Supplier management.
To avoid duplicate supplier records, we have implemented a validation that prevents the creation of suppliers with the same Tax Registration Number. As a result, a single supplier record may be connected to multiple companies.
We would like clarification on the following limitations and whether they are expected standard behavior:
- Company-Specific Supplier Restrictions
We have scenarios where a supplier should be available for procurement in one company but blocked from procurement activities in another company. Currently, we do not see a standard way to restrict supplier visibility or usage for procurement on a company-specific basis.
- Finance-Only Suppliers Appearing in Procurement
Some suppliers are created only for Accounts Payable and financial transactions and should not be available for procurement activities. However, once procurement-related information is maintained, the supplier becomes visible and available within procurement processes, creating challenges in enforcing company-specific controls.
- Lack of Company-Specific Registration History
Supplier creation information appears to be maintained at the supplier level rather than at the company-supplier relationship level. As a result, we are unable to determine when a supplier was registered or activated for a specific company, which creates audit and governance challenges.
Our users have raised concerns that suppliers associated with one company are visible to users of other companies within the same database. From a data governance and segregation perspective, they expect supplier visibility and usability to be controlled at the company level.
Could you please clarify:
- Is supplier visibility across companies the intended standard behavior in IFS?
- Are there any standard configurations, security settings, or permission controls that can restrict supplier visibility and usage by company?
- What is the recommended approach for organizations that require strict company-level segregation while maintaining a centralized supplier master?
- Is there any standard functionality to track when a supplier was registered or activated for a specific company?
We would appreciate your guidance on the recommended solution .
Thanks in advance.
