Reference Data Sharing

Reference data sharing facilitates sharing of configuration data such as jobs and payment terms, across organizational divisions or business units.

You define reference data sets and determine how common data is shared or partitioned across business entities to avoid duplication and reduce maintenance effort. Depending on the requirement (specific or common), each business unit can maintain its data at a central location, using a set of values either specific to it or shared by other business units.

A common reference data set is available as the default set, which can be assigned to several business units sharing the same reference data. For commonly used data such as currencies, you can use the common reference data set and assign it to multiple business units in various countries that use the same currency. In cases where the default set can't be assigned to an entity, you can create specific sets. The data set visible on the transactional page depends on the sharing method used to share reference data.

For example, XYZ Corporation uses the same grades throughout the entire organization. Instead of different business units setting up and using the same grades, XYZ Corporation decides to create a set called Grades, which contains the grades. All business units in the organization have the Grades set so that the grades can be shared and used.

Note: For specific information about configuring reference data sharing for a particular object or product, refer to the relevant product documentation.