A business unit in Microsoft Dynamics 365 refers to a structure that represents a business, division, or department within an organization. It is a means to segregate or group business functions based on certain principles or interests. For organizations with numerous subdivisions, it enables easier management of roles and responsibilities, security, data, and user accessibility.
Creating Business Units
- Navigation: Navigate to the Admin Centre in Dynamics 365. Choose your organization, then select
Settings
>Security
>Business Units
. - Creation: Click on
New
to create a new business unit. - Details: Fill in the necessary details like the name of the business unit, address, etc.
- Saving Changes: On completion, select
Save
to instantiate the new business unit.
Managing Business Units
Managing business units involve various operations such as:
- Editing Business Units: To edit a business unit, navigate to
Business Units
underSettings
>Security
. Here, you can select the business unit you wish to edit and make necessary changes like modifying its name, address, etc. - Assigning Users to Business Units: To assign users to a business unit, navigate to
users
inSecurity
. From here, you can select the user and modify its business unit by selectingChange Business Unit
from theMore Actions
menu. - Deleting Business Units: Deleting a business unit involves transferring all the roles and users of that business unit to an alternative business unit before deletion, as Dynamics 365 does not allow deletion of business units that have dependencies.
Security Roles and Business Units
In Dynamics 365, security roles in conjunction with business units are essential for managing user access and controls over data. Security roles define a set of permissions and rights over certain activities. When you assign a security role to a user within a business unit, those permissions are also granted to the respective business unit.
An example of a security role could be “Salesperson”. Users with this role in a specific business unit would have access to all sales-related data for that business unit. You can create new roles by navigating to Settings
> Security
> Security Roles
, then New
.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding of and abilities in creating and managing business units, as well as assigning security roles, are essential skills for Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultants. Mastery of these principles can help you breeze through the PL-200 exam while also offering you invaluable knowledge in organizing structure and roles within an organization.
Practice Test
The creation of Business Units in Microsoft Power Platform requires being an Office 365 Global Administrator.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: A user does not have to be an Office 365 Global Administrator to create Business Units. The user needs security roles with the necessary permissions in Microsoft Dynamics
The root business unit cannot be disabled or deleted in Microsoft Power Platform.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: The root business unit is created by default and can’t be disabled or deleted.
What is the main purpose of creating business units in Microsoft Power Platform?
- a) Facilitate Social Media Marketing
- b) Speed up the software development process
- c) Manage security and data access within the organization
- d) Increase cloud storage capacity
Answer: c) Manage security and data access within the organization
Explanation: Business units are created to manage data access and security within an organization based on role and function.
Business units can be used to implement a hierarchy even in global organizations.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Yes, business units can be organized into a hierarchy that scales from small to global organizations.
Single users can be assigned to multiple business units in Microsoft Power Platform.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: A user can only be assigned to one business unit at a time.
When managing business units in Power Platform, it is essential to consider the following:
- a) Licenses
- b) Structural hierarchy
- c) Data residency
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Licenses, structural hierarchy, and data residency are all important aspects to consider while managing business units.
Business units are necessary for creating teams in Microsoft Power Platform.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Teams can be created without the need for business units. They are more flexible and can include users from different business units.
Security roles can be assigned across business units.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Security roles can be assigned at the business unit level, and these affect the users and teams that are part of that unit.
You can rename a business unit in Microsoft Power Platform.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: a) True
Explanation: Yes, a business unit name can be changed as long as it does not breach the uniqueness constraint.
Reassigning records to another business unit happens automatically.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: If a user is moved from one business unit to another, their records are not automatically reassigned. This needs to be done manually or with a logic in place.
What is the maximum amount of business units that you can create in Microsoft Power Platform?
- a) 500
- b) 1000
- c) there is no limit
- d) 10000
Answer: c) there is no limit
Explanation: There is no explicit limit on the number of business units you can create.
All users within a Business Unit have the same level of access to the data.
- a) True
- b) False
Answer: b) False
Explanation: Data access depends on the security role assigned to the user. Even if they are in the same business unit, they might have different access levels.
Interview Questions
What is a Business Unit in the context of Microsoft Dynamics 365?
A Business Unit in Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a structure within the business that can be managed separately. It provides a way to manage users, teams, and data more effectively.
What is the purpose of creating Business Units in Dynamics 365?
Business Units help organizations manage data, users, and roles. They can enable data security by allowing only certain users to have access to specific records based on which business unit they belong to.
How do you create a new Business Unit in Dynamics 365?
From the Settings, navigate through Security to Business Units. Click on New, define the Name, Parent Business, and Description for the business unit, then finalize by clicking Save.
Can a Business Unit have multiple parent Business Units?
No, a Business Unit in Dynamics 365 can only have one parent business unit. However, it can have multiple child business units.
How to re-assign records from one business unit to another?
From the Active Business Units view, select the business unit that you want to reassign records from, click on Actions and then select Reassign Records. There you can choose another business unit to move the records to.
Can you delete a business unit in Dynamics 365?
Yes, but before you delete a business unit, you have to reassign all users and child business units to another business unit.
Who has the capabilities to manage Business Units in Dynamics 365?
Only users with the System Administrator or System Customizer role have the capabilities to manage business units in Dynamics 365.
How does the Security Role model function inside a Business Unit?
Each Security Role within a Business Unit defines the access level a user has to certain data. The role can be set at various levels – Global, Business Unit, Parent-Child Business Unit, or User.
What happens to the users when a parent business unit is deactivated in Dynamics 365?
When a parent business unit is deactivated, all users within this unit and its child units will be unable to access the system until they are reassigned to an active business unit.
What are Teams in the context of Business Units in Dynamics 365?
In Dynamics 365, Teams are groups of users who can be associated with specific business units. Teams can own records and can be used to simplify record sharing.
Can a user belong to multiple business units?
No, a user can only belong to one business unit in Dynamics 365. However, they can be part of multiple teams.
How to assign a Security Role to a Business Unit?
Navigate to Settings, then Security, and select Business Units. Choose the desired unit, then click on Security Roles. Pick the security role to assign it to the business unit.
Can a business unit be disabled in Dynamics 365?
Yes, business units can be disabled in Dynamics 365 but it will affect all users within that business unit who would then be unable to access the system.
How to move a user from one business unit to another?
Go to Settings, then Security, and select Users. Choose the user you want to move, and in the user form, change the business unit and click Save.
What happens when a record is owned by a Business Unit?
When a record is owned by a Business Unit, users in roles that have access rights at business unit level or above can access them.