[ADD] general: multi companies documentation (#674)

general.rst

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ General
    general/odoo_basics
    general/unsplash
    general/base_import
+   general/multi_companies
    general/auth
    general/tags
    general/payment_acquirers

general/multi_companies.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+===============
+Multi Companies
+===============
+
+.. toctree::
+   :titlesonly:
+
+   multi_companies/manage_multi_companies

general/multi_companies/manage_multi_companies.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+Multi Companies
+===============
+
+A centralized management environment allows you to select multiple companies simultaneously and set
+their specific warehouses, customers, equipment, and contacts. It provides you the ability to
+generate reports of aggregated figures without switching interfaces, which facilitates daily tasks
+and the overall management process.
+
+Manage companies and records
+----------------------------
+
+Go to :menuselection:`Settings --> Manage Companies` and fill in the form with your company’s
+information. If a *Parent Company* is selected, records are shared between the two companies (as
+long as both environments are active).
+
+.. image:: media/create_js_store_us.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: Overview of a new company's form in Odoo
+
+.. tip::
+   Activate the :doc:`Developer mode <../../general/developer_mode/activate>` to choose a *Favicon*
+   for each of your companies, and easily identify them by the browser tabs. Set your
+   favicons’ files size to 16x16 or 32x32 pixels. JPG, PNG, GIF, and ICO are extensions accepted.
+
+   .. image:: media/favicon.png
+      :align: center
+      :height: 200
+      :alt: View of a web browser and the favicon for a specific company chosen in Odoo
+
+Switch between or select multiple companies by enabling their selection boxes to activate them. The
+grayed company is the one which environment is in use. To switch environments, click on the
+company’s name. In the example below, the user has access to three companies, two are activated, and
+the environment in use is of *JS Store US*.
+
+.. image:: media/multi_companies_menu_dashboard.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of the companies menu through the main dashboard in Odoo
+
+Data such as Products, Contacts, and Equipment can be shared or set to be shown for a specific
+company only. To do so, on their forms, choose between:
+
+- *A blank field*: the record is shared within all companies.
+- *Adding a company*: the record is visible to users logged in to that specific company and its
+   child companies.
+
+.. image:: media/product_form_company.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of a product's form emphasizing the company field in Odoo Sales
+
+Employees' access
+-----------------
+
+Once companies are created, manage your employees' :doc:`Access Rights <../odoo_basics/add_user>`
+for *Multi Companies*.
+
+.. image:: media/access_rights_multi_companies.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of an user form emphasizing the multi companies field under the access rights tabs
+         in Odoo
+
+| If a user has multiple companies *activated* on his database, and he is **editing** a record,
+  the editing happens on the record's related company.
+| Example: if editing a sale order issued under JS Store US while working on the JS Store Belgium
+  environment, the changes are applied under JS Store US (the company from which the sale order
+  was issued).
+| When **creating** a record, the company taken into account is:
+
+- The current company (the one active) or,
+- No company is set (on products and contacts’ forms for example) or,
+- The company set is the one linked to the document (the same as if a record is being edited).
+
+Documents’ format
+-----------------
+
+To set documents' formats according to each company, *activate* and *select* the respective one and,
+under *Settings*, click on *Configure Document Layout*.
+
+.. image:: media/document_layout.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of the settings page emphasizing the document layout field in Odoo
+
+Inter-Company Transactions
+--------------------------
+
+First, make sure each one of your companies is properly set in relation to:
+
+- :doc:`Chart of Accounts <../../accounting/overview/getting_started/chart_of_accounts>`
+- :doc:`Taxes <../../accounting/fiscality/taxes/default_taxes>`
+- :doc:`Fiscal Localizations <../../accounting/fiscal_localizations/overview/fiscal_localization_packages>`
+- :doc:`Pricelists <../../sales/products_prices/prices/pricing>`
+- :doc:`Warehouses <../../inventory/management/warehouses/warehouse_creation>`
+
+.. LINK JOURNAL AND FISCAL POSITIONS DOCS ONCE AVAILABLE + DELETE NOTE.
+
+Now, activate the *Inter-Company Transactions* option under *Settings*. With the respective company
+*activated* and *selected*, choose if you would like operations between companies to be synchronized
+at an invoice/bills level or at a sales/purchase orders level.
+
+.. image:: media/inter_company_transactions.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of the settings page emphasizing the inter company transaction field in Odoo
+
+- **Synchronize invoice/bills**: generates a bill/invoice when a company confirms a bill/invoice for
+  the selected company.
+
+  *Example:* an invoice posted on JS Store Belgium, for JS Store US, automatically creates a vendor
+  bill on the JS Store US, from the JS Store Belgium.
+
+.. image:: media/invoice_inter_company.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of an invoice for JS Store US created on JS Store Belgium in Odoo
+
+.. note::
+   On both environments *Fiscal Positions* and *Journal Entries* need to be set.
+
+- **Synchronize sales/purchase order**: generates a drafted purchase/sales order using the selected
+  company warehouse when a sales/purchase order is confirmed for the selected company. If instead of
+  a drafted purchase/sales order you rather have it validated, enable *Automatic Validation*.
+
+  *Example:* when a sale order for JS Store US is confirmed on JS Store Belgium, a purchase order
+  on JS Store Belgium is automatically created (and confirmed if the *Automatic Validation* feature
+  was enabled).
+
+.. image:: media/purchase_order_inter_company.png
+   :align: center
+   :alt: View of the purchase created on JS Store US from JS Store Belgium in Odoo
+
+.. note::
+   Products have to be configured as *Can be sold*.
+
+.. tip::
+   Remember to test all workflows as an user other than the administrator.
+
+.. seealso::
+   - :doc:`../../accounting/others/multicurrencies/how_it_works`