Organization Structure Guide

Overview

Your organizational structure in Kaptio is the bedrock of everything else. Business Units define your P&L centers, while Sales Channels represent the different ways you reach customers. Get this right, and configuration flows naturally. Get it wrong, and you’ll be restructuring mid-implementation.

This guide walks you through the decision framework and step-by-step configuration for both Business Units and Sales Channels.

Prerequisites

Before configuring your organization structure:

• Kaptio package installed in your Salesforce org
• Admin access to Kaptio Setup
• Organizational design documented (who owns what P&L, how you sell)

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Part 1: Understanding the Model

The Hierarchy

Kaptio’s organizational model follows a clear hierarchy:

Business Units are the top-level organizational entity. Think of them as distinct businesses within your company—each with its own:

• P&L responsibility
• Currency settings
• Tax configuration
• Supplier agreements

Sales Channels belong to a Business Unit and represent how you sell. Each channel can have its own:

• Booking prefixes
• Customer communication templates
• Pricing and markup rules
• Payment configurations

Key Relationships

Parent	Child	Relationship
Business Unit	Sales Channel	One-to-Many
Business Unit	Currency Book	One-to-Many
Business Unit	Tax Profile	Many-to-One
Sales Channel	Booking Scheme	One-to-One
Sales Channel	Channel Configuration	One-to-Many (per language)

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Part 2: Decision Framework

Single vs Multi-Entity

Before creating anything, answer this fundamental question: Do you need one Business Unit or multiple?

When to Use Single Business Unit

Scenario	Example
Single brand identity	”Adventure Tours Ltd”
One P&L center	All revenue/costs in one bucket
Unified pricing	Same prices across all channels
Single currency	Operating in one country
Small operation	Under 10,000 bookings/year

Advantages:

• Simpler configuration
• Easier reporting
• Less maintenance
• Faster implementation

When to Use Multiple Business Units

Scenario	Example
Multiple brands	”Luxury Tours” + “Budget Adventures”
Separate P&L centers	Each brand has its own margin targets
Different currencies	UK operation vs US operation
M&A history	Acquired companies operating independently
Regional operations	APAC vs EMEA vs Americas

Advantages:

• Brand separation in reporting
• Different tax configurations per entity
• Separate supplier agreements
• Distinct pricing strategies

The P&L Test

Ask yourself: “Do I need to report profit and loss separately for this entity?”

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Confusing legal entity with Business Unit

• Business Units are for P&L separation, not legal structure
• You can have multiple legal entities in one Business Unit
• Or one legal entity with multiple Business Units

Mistake 2: Creating too many Business Units

• More Business Units = more configuration overhead
• Each needs its own currency, tax, supplier setup
• Start simple, add later if needed

Mistake 3: Not planning for M&A

• If acquisitions are likely, design for flexibility
• Adding Business Units later is harder than starting with them

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Part 3: Sales Channel Strategy

Common Channel Patterns

Channel Characteristics

Each channel typically needs its own:

Configuration	Why It Varies
Booking Prefix	Identify booking source (WEB-, AGT-, PH-)
Pricing/Markup	Different margins per channel
Email Templates	Brand voice varies by audience
Payment Options	Agents may have credit terms
Commission Rules	Agent commission vs direct margin

Minimum Viable Channels

For initial go-live, start with the channels you’ll actually use:

Typical starting set:

1. Direct Channel - Your primary consumer channel
2. Agent Channel - If you work with travel agents
3. Operations Channel - For internal/manual processing

Add later:

• Phone channel (if you track separately)
• Groups channel (when volume justifies)
• Wholesale (when partnerships mature)

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Part 4: Step-by-Step Configuration

Step 1: Create Business Unit(s)

Navigate to Setup → Kaptio → Business Units (or search for “Brand” in Object Manager).

Required Fields

Field	Description	Example
Name	Display name	”Adventure Tours”
Abbreviation	Short code (3-5 chars)	“ADV”
Booking Prefix	Prefix for all bookings	”ADV”
Default Currency	Primary operating currency	”USD”
Tax Handling	Inclusive or Exclusive	”Exclusive”
Active	Is available for bookings	✓

Recommended Fields

Field	Description	Best Practice
Email Address	BU email for communications	operations@yourbrand.com
Invoice Prefix	Prefix for invoices	”INV-ADV”
Credit Note Prefix	Prefix for credit notes	”CN-ADV”

Configuration Steps

1. Click New to create a Business Unit record
2. Fill in required fields (Name, Abbreviation, Booking Prefix)
3. Set Default Currency
4. Configure Tax Handling method
5. Add email addresses for operational communications
6. Set invoice/credit note prefixes
7. Mark as Active
8. Click Save

Step 2: Create Sales Channels

For each Business Unit, create the Sales Channels you need.

Navigate to Setup → Kaptio → Sales Channels (or the Channel__c object).

Required Fields

Field	Description	Example
Name	Display name	”Website Direct”
Channel Code	Unique code	”WEB”
Business Unit	Parent BU (lookup)	“Adventure Tours”
Type	Channel category	”Direct”
Active	Is available	✓

Channel Types

Type	When to Use
Direct	Consumer-facing channels
Agent	B2B travel agent channels
Wholesale	Bulk/reseller channels
Internal	Staff/operational channels

Configuration Steps

1. Click New to create a Channel record
2. Set Name and Channel Code
3. Link to the appropriate Business Unit
4. Select Channel Type
5. Configure booking number scheme:
   • Booking Prefix: e.g., “WEB-”
   • Next Booking Number: Starting sequence
6. Set default language
7. Configure email sender settings
8. Mark as Active
9. Click Save

Step 3: Configure Channel-Specific Settings

For each channel, configure these additional settings:

Booking Number Scheme

Setting	Description	Example
Prefix	Channel identifier	”WEB-”
Sequence Start	First booking number	10001
Number Length	Padding zeros	6 (gives WEB-010001)

Communication Settings

Setting	Description
From Email	Sender email address
From Name	Sender display name
Reply-To	Reply address
Default Language	For templates

Pricing Settings (if applicable)

Setting	Description
Default Markup %	Standard markup on costs
Markup Type	Percentage or Fixed
Price Display	Show taxes separately?

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Part 5: Validation Checklist

Before moving to the next configuration step, validate your setup:

Business Unit Validation

• At least one Business Unit exists
• Business Unit has a unique Abbreviation
• Default Currency is set
• Tax Handling method is configured
• Email addresses are set for communications
• Invoice prefixes are configured
• Business Unit is marked Active

Sales Channel Validation

• Each Business Unit has at least one Sales Channel
• Channel codes are unique within the org
• Channels are linked to correct Business Unit
• Booking number schemes are configured
• Booking prefixes are unique
• Email sender settings are configured
• Channels are marked Active

Integration Test

Create a test itinerary to verify:

• You can select the Business Unit
• You can select a Sales Channel
• Booking number generates with correct prefix
• Currency displays correctly

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Part 6: What’s Next

With Business Units and Channels configured, you’re ready for:

1. Currency & Tax Configuration - Set up currencies, exchange rates, and tax profiles
2. Initial User Setup - Create users and assign permissions
3. Service & Product Setup - Build your travel catalog

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Related Schema Objects

Object	API Name	Purpose
Business Unit	KaptioTravel__Brand__c	Top-level organizational entity
Sales Channel	KaptioTravel__Channel__c	Sales channel within a BU
Channel Config	KaptioTravel__ChannelConfiguration__c	Language-specific settings
Booking Scheme	KaptioTravel__BookingNumberScheme__c	Booking number generation

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See Also

• Establish Platform Foundation - The outcome this guide supports
• Currency & Tax Configuration - Next guide in the foundation series
• Business Unit/Channel Separation - Technical reference for BU/Channel configurations