Advanced Intercompany: how to coordinate multiple companies with ModaSuite365
An intercompany ERP is an essential solution for fashion and retail groups operating with multiple companies across different countries. When the daily flow between subsidiaries includes purchase orders, sales orders, invoices, and continuous updates on products and price lists, the standard features of Business Central begin to show their limits. That's why at ModaSuite365 we developed Advanced Intercompany, a module that extends the native capabilities of the Microsoft platform and adapts them to the real needs of international companies in the fashion sector.
In this article we'll explore how advanced intercompany management can transform operations between group companies, automating complex processes and ensuring real-time synchronization.
Why advanced intercompany management is essential in fashion retail
The challenges of multinational groups
Fashion and retail companies managing a geographically distributed group of companies face complex operational challenges on a daily basis. The need to synchronize data, replicate documents, and ensure smooth communication between different systems requires solutions far more sophisticated than simple file exchanges or shared spreadsheets.
When a parent company needs to coordinate activities with subsidiaries in other countries, it needs features that guarantee data consistency and process automation while maintaining complete traceability of operations.
The limits of standard solutions
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central includes basic intercompany features designed to cover standard scenarios. However, in the fashion sector — where relationships between companies are often complex and span different markets — more specific needs can emerge, especially around master data synchronization. Advanced Intercompany was built precisely to extend these features and better support the operational complexities of multi-country companies.
How ModaSuite365's Advanced Intercompany works
Intelligent, bidirectional synchronization
With Advanced Intercompany, two or more companies within the same group can be connected and made to communicate in a fully automated way. The system mirrors every relevant operation to the corresponding company, following predefined and customizable rules.
The logic works as follows: a parent company issues documents (typically sales orders) that are automatically transformed into purchase orders at the subsidiary. This logic is completely bidirectional, the system can handle flows from Company A to Company B and vice versa, based on configured parameters.
What gets synchronized between companies
Synchronization covers not only transactional documents but all related master data needed for smooth operations:
- Items with all variants (sizes, colors, seasons)
- Customers and vendors with their commercial data
- Price lists differentiated by market
- Bills of materials and product compositions
- Sales and purchase orders with automatic synchronization
- Quantities and availability updated in real time
Every change made in one company is automatically propagated to all connected entities, ensuring data consistency across the entire group.
API technology and intercompany process automation
Modern communication without file exchanges
Synchronization in Advanced Intercompany happens via APIs that enable direct communication between companies, with no need to export or import files. This approach ensures periodic and automatic updates of modified data, eliminating the risks associated with manual information exchange.
The system uses the cloud infrastructure of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to manage communication between entities, leveraging the platform's security and reliability.
Automatic scheduling and operational control
Advanced Intercompany includes an intelligent scheduler that automatically runs synchronization processes at configurable intervals, requiring no manual intervention. Each subsidiary can have its own update frequency, with customizable operational details.
The system applies automatic quantity controls and allows real-time order updates. API functions verify changes and ensure consistency between the companies involved, with complete logs of all operations performed.
Data customization and mapping in the intercompany system
Advanced filters and transformation logic
One of the most powerful features of Advanced Intercompany is the ability to map and transform data during synchronization. If two companies use different coding systems (for example, for warehouses, sizes, or product categories), the system allows conversion rules to be defined that make everything compatible.
It's also possible to apply granular filters to decide which data to synchronize. For example, certain product categories can be automatically excluded from the American market, or only items from a specific collection or season can be synchronized.
Fixed value assignment and conditional logic
The module allows fixed values to be assigned or transformation logic to be applied as data passes between companies. This means a field can take a default value at the destination company, or be calculated dynamically based on specific conditions.
This flexibility greatly enhances process customization and allows the system to be adapted to any operational need within the group.
Intercompany order management: from theory to practice
Automatic order flow between companies
When a sales representative enters a sales order at the parent company, the system automatically synchronizes it as a purchase order at the subsidiary. This process happens transparently and can be configured to trigger immediately or according to defined schedules.
The flow works in both directions: if the subsidiary enters a purchase order, it can automatically become a sales order at the parent company, creating a complete and traceable cycle.
Real-time controls and updates
The system implements automatic checks during intercompany order synchronization:
- verification of product availability at the source company
- control of ordered quantities against defined thresholds
- validation of applied prices and price lists
- automatic status updates for the order at both companies
Any change made to an order (quantities, prices, descriptions) is synchronized in real time on the mirror order, keeping information aligned between companies at all times.
Real-world use cases in multi-country management
One international group, one unified operation
Fashion groups with operational offices spread across multiple countries use Advanced Intercompany to coordinate their entire operation. In these scenarios, the solution manages:
- shared price lists across all European offices
- common item codes to ensure uniformity
- centralized shipments from a main hub to local markets
- automatic orders between subsidiaries for replenishment.
The system automatically generates all required documents (sales, purchase, logistics), keeps data aligned in real time, and ensures complete traceability across departments and group companies.
Customizations for specific needs
For companies with particularly complex processes, Advanced Intercompany can be further customized. In some advanced scenarios, the subsidiary doesn't just resell goods to the parent company — it also manages direct shipments to end customers, with automatic creation of mirror orders and more elaborate document flows that include end-to-end logistics management.
Operational benefits of advanced intercompany ERP
Efficiency and error reduction
Implementing Advanced Intercompany delivers immediate, measurable benefits: complete elimination of manual data entry and shared spreadsheets, a drastic reduction in operational errors caused by inconsistent or duplicated data, faster intercompany flows with synchronization completed in minutes, greater control over inter-company operations even in complex groups, and full traceability of all intercompany transactions.
Time and resource savings
Time previously spent on manual order entry, reconciling data between different companies, and resolving discrepancies can be reinvested in value-added activities. Operational teams can focus on business growth rather than managing repetitive processes.
The familiar Business Central interface also means users don't need to learn new systems, reducing training time and increasing adoption.
Implementation and configuration of the intercompany module
Guided setup and parameterization
The implementation of Advanced Intercompany follows a structured process that includes: analysis of existing flows between group companies, definition of synchronization and mapping rules, configuration of automatic schedules, thorough testing in a pre-production environment, user training on the new features, and a controlled go-live with dedicated support.
Scalability for growing groups
Advanced Intercompany is designed to grow with the business group. Whether you have two companies or ten, across one continent or several, the module easily adapts by adding new entities to the synchronization network without impacting existing operations.
The module is built on an open architecture that allows for future extensions and customizations. New features can be added without compromising the stability of the existing system, ensuring that investments are protected over time.
Perfect coordination for international fashion groups
Intercompany management is a critical challenge for fashion and retail groups operating with multiple companies across different countries. While Business Central's standard solutions provide a solid technological foundation, they need to be enhanced to meet the real demands of synchronization, automation, and control.
ModaSuite365's Advanced Intercompany bridges this gap by offering advanced bidirectional synchronization, intelligent data mapping, full process automation, and complete operational traceability. The module transforms the complexity of multi-company management into an efficiency opportunity — eliminating errors, reducing operational time, and ensuring data consistency across the entire group.
Whether you manage two companies or ten, across one continent or many, Advanced Intercompany lets you work as if it were a single, coordinated, seamless organization — freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on business growth.
Contact us to find out how Advanced Intercompany can transform the management of your international group.
