Entities & Client View

Last updated February 2026

Overview

The Client View is the central area of PlainSail for viewing, creating, editing, and managing entities. An entity represents any individual, organisation, or group that your firm administers, interacts with, or needs to record.

PlainSail supports the following entity types:

• Person – an individual (natural person)
• Corporate Entity – a limited company or corporate body
• Trust – a trust arrangement
• Foundation – a foundation entity
• Partnership – a general, limited, or other partnership
• Bank – a banking institution
• Entity Group – a logical grouping of other entities
• Custom Entity – a configurable entity type

From the Client View, you can browse the full entity list, open profiles to review risk, screening, and relationships, create new entities, manage bank accounts, assign tasks, and access the accounting, billing, and document tabs. This module is used daily by administrators, managers, bookkeepers, and compliance staff.

Entity List & Filtering

The List All Entities screen displays every entity available to you in a filterable grid. You must select an entity before any entity-specific tab will display data.

Filter controls

The toolbar at the top of the grid provides powerful filtering:

• Administered only – toggle to show only entities marked as administered
• Hide closed – toggle to exclude entities with a "Closed" status
• Administrator / Manager / Client Director / Bookkeeper – drop-downs that filter by the assigned responsible party
• Administered By – filter by the organisation that administers the entity
• Apply Filters – applies the selected criteria to the grid
• Reload – reloads all entity data from the database and reapplies filters

Grid columns

The entity grid displays the following columns. Results are sorted alphabetically by entity name after filters are applied:

• ID – unique system identifier
• Other ref – optional legacy or external reference number
• Name – clickable link that navigates to the entity profile
• Type – Person, Corporate Entity, Trust, Foundation, Partnership, Bank, Group, or Custom
• Book Ccy – the entity's base (book) currency
• Administrator / Manager / Client Director / Bookkeeper – assigned responsible parties
• Reporting Group – the entity's reporting group
• Risk Rating / Risk Score – the risk classification and numeric score
• Status – Active, Closed, etc.

Quick Entity Sidebar

A sidebar panel is available within the Entities area, providing fast navigation between entities. It contains three sections:

Recently Accessed

Displays the last eight entities you have viewed, ordered by most recent access. Click any entry to navigate directly to that entity. The list is saved automatically when you close the application and restored at next login.

Favourites

Displays entities you have manually marked as favourites, sorted alphabetically. Toggle the favourite status using the action available on the entity profile. Favourites persist across sessions.

Suggested

Displays entities that are related to the currently selected entity. This list refreshes automatically whenever you navigate to a different entity – a useful way to explore an entity's network.

Entity Profile

When you select an entity, the Profile tab is the default view. It's the information hub for the entity, divided into a header area and two columns of widgets.

Header area

The top portion of the profile displays:

• Entity photograph – displayed on the left. Hover to reveal the camera icon for uploading or replacing the image. Right-click to remove it.
• Entity name – displayed prominently in large text
• ID / Reference – a badge showing the system ID and any legacy reference number
• Date of birth – for persons, displayed next to the reference badge with a balloon icon
• Entity type – shown below the name (e.g. "Corporate Entity", "Trust")
• Headline – a free-text field for important notes. Save and Undo buttons appear when you make changes. You must select Save to persist the headline.

Status indicators

Below the headline, the profile displays critical compliance and status information:

• Risk – the entity's risk rating, displayed as a coloured badge
• Entity Status – Active, Closed, or other configured statuses
• Screening Status – green (screened, no issues), orange (not being screened), or red ("WARNING: UNRESOLVED HITS" – click to open the screening portal)
• PEP connections – a red badge appears if the entity has relationships to politically exposed persons. Click to view the list.
• PEP – a separate red badge if the entity itself is classified as a PEP
• Outstanding items – a green tick appears when all required inventory items have been obtained. If items are outstanding, a summary panel displays on the right of the header.

Ribbon actions

The top-right of the Profile tab provides quick-action icon buttons:

• Edit (pencil) – opens the entity editor. Requires Entities Edit permission.
• Structure chart (flow icon) – opens a visual relationship diagram in a separate window
• Warning (triangle) – sets or edits a warning message on the entity. Requires Edit Risk Rating permission.
• Settings (gear) – configures which widgets display and the page layout
• Delete (bin) – initiates entity deletion with confirmation prompts. Requires Entities Edit permission.

Profile Widgets

Below the header, the profile is organised into a left column (information cards) and a right column (activity widgets). Each widget includes a title, an Add new button (where applicable), and a View more link to navigate to the full detail view. Populated widgets are sorted above empty ones.

Left column – information cards

• Responsible parties – the administrator, manager, client director, and bookkeeper assigned to the entity
• Information – key entity attributes (jurisdiction, currency, registration number, dates, former names, other nationalities)
• Links – quick navigation links related to the entity
• Custom Profile Page – custom-configured fields set up by your administrator
• Debts – summary of any debts (visible if debts are enabled and you have permission)
• Documents – document shortcuts (visible if document management is enabled)
• Contact – addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses
• Relationships – summary of the entity's relationships with other entities
• Bank accounts – summary of the entity's bank accounts
• Dates – key dates such as start date, end date, and year-end
• Inventory categories – one widget per configured category, displaying pinned inventory fields

Right column – activity widgets

• Digital onboarding – KYC verification status (if configured)
• Meetings – meeting notes recorded against the entity
• Reviews – review dates for the entity
• Workflows – active workflows linked to the entity (+ button to create new)
• Tasks – tasks assigned to the entity (+ button to create new)
• Groups – entity groups this entity belongs to (edit button to manage membership)
• Latest activity – a feed of recent changes and events (View more opens the full timeline)
• Notes – free-text notes (+ button to add new)

Creating Entities

To create an entity, navigate to the Entities area and use the entity creation function from the ribbon. Select the entity type, complete the required fields, and save.

Step-by-step

Common fields (all entity types)

• Name (required for most types) – the full legal or registered name. Maximum 500 characters.
• Jurisdiction (conditional) – the legal jurisdiction, required depending on entity type and configuration
• Region – available when the selected jurisdiction has defined regions
• Currency (conditional) – the base (book) currency. Once financial transactions exist, this may become read-only.
• Start date (conditional) – the date of incorporation or commencement
• End date (conditional) – wind-up/cessation date. Requires specific permission and that the entity has no open relationships or accounts.
• Team – the team responsible for the entity
• Other ref – optional legacy or external reference (max 255 characters)

Screening & role assignments

When creating or editing any entity, additional fields are available:

• Requires screening – enables/disables explicit screening. Even if disabled, the entity may still be implicitly screened due to its relationships.
• Administrator / Manager / Client Director / Bookkeeper – assign responsible users
• Risk rating – select from a predefined list (requires Edit Risk Rating permission)
• Risk score – enter a numeric score (requires Edit Risk Rating permission)

Administered entity fields

When the Is Administered checkbox is ticked, additional fields appear for recording administration-specific details such as administered status, administered-by entity, reporting group, and further configured fields. The fields available depend on the entity type and your system configuration.

Entity creation – complete field reference

Field	Required	Max Length	Notes
Name	Yes (most types)	500 characters	Full legal or registered name.
Jurisdiction	Conditional	–	Required depending on entity type and configuration.
Region	No	–	Available when the selected jurisdiction has defined regions.
Currency	Conditional	–	Base (book) currency. Read-only once transactions exist.
Start Date	Conditional	–	Date of incorporation/commencement.
End Date	Conditional	–	Requires Entities_SetEndDate permission.
Team	No	–	Responsible team.
Other Ref	No	255 characters	Legacy or external reference number.
Is Administered	No	–	When ticked, administered entity fields appear.

Type-Specific Fields

Each entity type has additional fields beyond the common set. Below is a summary of the most important fields for each type.

Person

• Title – Mr, Mrs, Dr, etc. (max 25 characters)
• First name (required) – max 100 characters
• Middle name – max 255 characters
• Last name (required) – max 100 characters
• Sex (required) – select from a predefined list
• Status (required) – e.g. Alive, Deceased
• Date of birth / Date of death – date of death only visible when status is Deceased
• Occupation – max 255 characters
• Country of birth / Place of birth – select country from list; place is free text
• Nationality (conditional) – plus a link to set other nationalities for saved entities

A link to set former/other names is available for saved person entities. If the person is also a system user, a link to Edit this person as a user appears.

Corporate Entity

• Company type – select from a predefined list
• Registration number – max 100 characters
• Is public – checkbox indicating whether the entity is publicly listed

Trust

• Trust formal name – max 500 characters

Foundation

• Foundation type (required) – select from a predefined list
• Registration number (required) – max 100 characters
• Purpose (required) – max 1,000 characters

Partnership

• Partnership type (required) – select from a predefined list
• Registration number – required when the entity is marked as administered (max 100 characters)
• Is public – checkbox

Bank

• MT940 Header / Footer – only complete if the bank provides data using the MT940 protocol
• Ignore MT940 Headers – tick if the bank sends different headers for different file types (hides header/footer fields)

Entity Group

• Save emails to all members – when enabled, emails saved to the group are saved for all member entities
• Manage members – available for saved groups; drag and drop entities between "in group" and "available" panels

Editing & Photographs

Editing an entity

Uploading or changing a photograph

You can upload your own photograph if the entity matches your user account. Otherwise, the Entities Edit permission is required.

Four-Eyes Entity Deletion

Deleting an entity requires a four-eyes approval workflow (two users must approve):

Managing Relationships

The Relationships tab displays all connections between the selected entity and other entities. Relationships are the backbone of structure charts and compliance reporting.

Toolbar controls

• Show implicit relations – toggle to include inferred relationships (e.g. from share register entries)
• Show expired – toggle to include relationships with an end date in the past
• Sort by – control the display order
• Relationship type – filter by specific relationship types
• Create relationship – opens the creation form (permission required)

Relationship grid

The grid displays Entity 1, relationship type (e.g. "Director of", "Shareholder of"), Entity 2, start date, end date, percentage (for ownership relationships), risk score, and comment. Relationships created in other areas of the system (e.g. through share register entries) are indicated with a link icon and cannot be edited from this screen.

Creating or editing a relationship

The relationship form requires:

• Business Entity 1 and Business Entity 2 (both required)
• Relationship type (required) – e.g. "is Director of", "is Beneficiary of"
• Start Date (required)
• End Date – optional; leave blank for ongoing relationships
• Risk Score (required) – 0 to 999
• Percentage – required if the relationship type has a percentage component (e.g. ownership)
• Comment – free-text notes

A Summary line displays the relationship in natural language (e.g. "John Smith is Director of ABC Ltd"). Select Save to persist, or Send for approval if relationship changes require a workflow approval.

Editing a Relationship

Deleting a Relationship

Managing Tasks

The Tasks tab lists all tasks for the selected entity. Tasks are displayed as cards showing title, description, due date, priority, assigned user, team, and category.

Filtering tasks

• All / Incomplete – switch between all tasks and only outstanding ones
• Assigned / Priority / Category – drop-down filters for more granular views

Working with task cards

• Complete – click the circle icon on the left to mark as completed (green tick). Completed tasks show strikethrough text.
• Note – click the note icon to add or edit a comment (shown in italics)
• Edit – click the pencil icon to modify. Disabled for completed tasks.

Overdue tasks are highlighted in red with a red left border.

Creating a task

The creation form requires:

• Title (required) – a short description of the task
• Entity (required) – pre-populated with the current entity
• Priority (required) – Low, Medium, or High
• Due Date (required)
• Assigned to – optionally assign to a specific user
• Team – optionally assign to a user group
• Category – select a task category
• Description – longer detail about the task

Bank Accounts

The Bank Accounts section (accessible from the Manage tab) lists all bank accounts belonging to the selected entity. You need the Bank Accounts View permission to access this area.

Toolbar

• Include accounts not in use – toggle to show inactive accounts
• Create bank account – opens the creation form (permission required)

Grid columns

• In use – checkbox indicating whether the account is active
• Ccy – account currency code
• Details – account name, code, sort code, IBAN, and description
• Bank – the banking institution
• Balance / Book Balance – cleared balance and book balance with currency

Accounts not in use are highlighted with a pink background. Frozen accounts are highlighted in red.

Row actions

Each bank account row provides icon buttons for:

• Delete – only available if the account is not in use and you have permission
• Signatories – view and manage the signatory list
• Online access – manage online banking credentials
• Import file – import a bank statement file
• Transactions – view the transaction history
• Edit – open the bank account editor

Safe Custody & Shares

Safe custody items

The Safe Custody section lists documents and items held in safe custody for the entity. The grid displays ID, name, folder, type, document date, verification date, expiry date, location, and status.

Status indicators:

• In safe custody – item is securely held
• Checked out – item has been temporarily removed
• Permanently Removed – record retained but item no longer in custody

Available actions for each item:

• Check item in – returns a checked-out item to safe custody
• Check item out temporarily – marks an item as temporarily removed
• Mark as removed – permanently marks the item as removed (record retained)
• Edit – open the editor (disabled for removed items)
• View history – displays the check-in/check-out history

Adding a Safe Custody Item

Safe custody items are managed from the Entities › [Entity] › Manage › Safe Custody tab.

Field	Required	Description
Name	Yes	Name of the item held in safe custody.
Type	No	Select from predefined safe custody types.
Document Date	No	Date of the document or item being held.
Verification Date	No	Date the item was verified.
Expiry Date	No	Date the item expires (if applicable).
Folder	No	A folder reference for organising safe custody items.
Location	Yes	Physical storage location of the item.

Share classes

The Share Classes section (available from the Manage tab) is visible for Corporate Entity and Trust type entities. It allows you to view and manage share classes and issue shares. You need either the Shares View or Shares Issue and Create Classes permission to access this section.

Creating a Share Class

Share classes are managed from the Entities › [Entity] › Manage › Shares tab. You need the Entities_Shares_IssueAndCreateClasses permission to create classes or issue shares.

Field	Required	Description
Class Name	Yes	The name of the share class (e.g. “Ordinary A”, “Preference B”).
Share Type	Yes	Select from a predefined list (categories: ShareType).
Currency	Yes	The currency denomination of the shares.
Nominal Value	No	The par value per share.
Authorised Shares	No	The total number of shares authorised for this class.
Issued Shares	No	The total number of shares currently issued.
Voting Rights	No	Description of voting rights attached to this class.

Issuing Shares

Share Register

The share register shows all issued shares grouped by class, with columns for holder, quantity, date issued, and certificate numbers.

Accounting Tab

The Accounting tab provides access to the entity's financial information. It is divided into sub-views accessible via buttons at the top:

• Accounting Dashboard – overview of financial position
• Financial Reports – access financial statements and reports
• Bank Reconciliation – reconcile bank account transactions
• Notes – accounting-related notes

Initial setup

If a year-end date has not been set, the Accounting tab displays a setup form requiring:

1. Base currency – select the entity's book currency
2. Bookkeeping start date – the date from which bookkeeping begins (the system closes the year one day before this date)
3. Year-end – the day and month of the financial year-end

Actions panel

Once year-end is configured, the actions panel provides access to:

• Trial Balance – view by period or full
• Post – manual journals, quoted/unquoted investment trades, stock option trades, and portfolio revaluation
• Sales Ledger – invoices issued and aged debtors
• Purchase Ledger – post invoices/credit notes, view invoices received and aged creditors
• Closure – lock/unlock periods, manage year-end, change year-end date, FX revaluation, and tax returns
• Account Plan – view and change the entity's chart of accounts
• Subledgers – manage subledger rules
• Imports – import transactions from Excel

Timeline & Structure Charts

Timeline

The Timeline tab displays a chronological record of all changes and events for the entity, in a tree format grouped by date. Filter the timeline using:

• After / Before – date range filters
• Event – filter by event type (select from drop-down or type to search)
• Performed by – filter by the user who performed the action

Select Search to apply filters and refresh the display.

Structure chart

Select the Structure chart icon (flow diagram) from the ribbon actions to open a visual chart of the entity and all its relationships in a separate window. This is invaluable for understanding complex ownership and directorship structures at a glance.

Warning messages

Select the Warning icon (triangle) from the ribbon actions to enter a warning message. When a warning is active, the icon turns blue. Clear the text and save to remove the warning. This requires the Edit Risk Rating permission.

Profile page settings

Select the Settings icon (gear) to configure:

• Which widgets are displayed on the profile page
• Whether to show activity, contacts, summaries, debts, relationships, documents, bank accounts, tasks, and person titles
• The width of the profile page
• Which inventory categories appear as widgets

Settings are saved per user and persist across sessions.

Timeline – what is tracked

The Timeline tab records the following types of changes automatically. You need the Entities_Timeline_View permission to access the timeline.

• Entity profile changes (name, type, status, risk rating, etc.)
• Relationship additions, modifications, and removals
• Document uploads, check-outs, and check-ins
• Inventory launches, completions, and field changes
• Accounting transactions posted against the entity
• Task creation, completion, and assignment changes
• Workflow events
• Contact details changes (addresses, phone numbers, emails)
• Bank account changes

Timeline filtering

Use the date range filter to narrow the timeline to a specific period. Use the category filter to show only specific types of changes (e.g. only document changes). Use the search bar to search for specific text within timeline entries.

Structure Charts – generating

Structure Chart features

Feature	Description
Zoom	Use mouse scroll or zoom controls to zoom in/out.
Pan	Click and drag on empty space to pan the view.
Expand/Collapse	Click a relationship node to expand its own relationships (drill down).
Relationship labels	Lines between entities show the relationship type.
Entity type icons	Each entity node shows its type (Person, Corporate Entity, etc.) with a distinctive icon.

Structure charts can be exported or printed from the chart window.

Entity Merging

Merging two entities is available via Admin > Utilities > Merge two entities. This consolidates all data from a source entity into a target entity.

Procedure

Entity Conversion

Converting an entity changes its type (e.g. Person to Company). This is useful when an entity was created with the wrong type or when the legal structure changes.

Procedure

Archiving & Deactivation

Entities are not “archived” in the traditional sense. Instead, PlainSail provides two mechanisms for marking entities as inactive.

Setting an End Date

Setting an end date marks the entity as wound up or ceased. This requires the Entities_SetEndDate permission, and the entity must have no open relationships or active accounts.

Closing an Entity

Closing an entity changes the entity status to “Closed”. Closed entities can be hidden from the entity list using the Hide closed toggle in the filter toolbar.

Data retention

Closed entities retain all data – documents, relationships, accounting records, and inventories remain accessible. The entity simply no longer appears in default filtered views.

Permissions & Shortcuts

PlainSail enforces role-based access control. If you don't have the required permission for a section, a "Permission Denied" notice is displayed instead of the content.

Key permissions

• Entities View / Edit – access and edit entities
• Relationships View – access the Relationships tab
• Edit Risk Rating – change risk ratings, scores, and warning messages
• Edit Administered Status – change the "Is Administered" flag
• Bank Accounts View – access bank accounts
• Shares View / Issue and Create Classes – access and manage share classes
• Loans View / Debts View / Assets View – access loans, debts, and fixed assets
• Accounting View – access the Accounting tab (further sub-permissions for trial balance, posting, closures, reports, and reconciliation)
• Timeline View – access the Timeline tab
• Billing View / Contact View / Documents View / Inventories View – access the respective tabs
• Payment Methods View / Create – access and create payment methods
• Tax Reporting View – access the Tax Reporting section
• Templates Admin – administer inventory templates

Keyboard shortcuts

• F5 – refresh the current entity profile
• Ctrl+E – open the entity editor
• Ctrl+D – navigate to the Debts tab (requires Loans View permission)

System behaviour

• Changes are not saved automatically – always select Save to persist
• The entity headline is saved independently via its own Save link
• All changes take effect immediately once saved; the entity cache refreshes automatically
• Widgets load in parallel to minimise wait time
• A progress indicator or "Refreshing entity profile…" message appears during loading

Permissions Reference

The table below lists every entity-related permission that controls access to features described in this guide. Permissions are assigned to roles in Admin > Permissions.

Permission	Description
Entities_View	View entities in the Client View.
Entities_Create	Create new entities.
Entities_Edit	Edit entity profile data and initiate deletion.
Entities_EditIsAdministeredStatus	Change the “Is Administered” status.
Entities_EditRiskRating	Change risk rating and risk score.
Entities_SetEndDate	Set or change the entity end date.
Entities_Shares_View	View share classes and share register.
Entities_Shares_IssueAndCreateClasses	Create share classes and issue shares.
Entities_BankAccounts_View	View bank accounts.
Entities_BankAccounts_Create	Create bank accounts.
Entities_BankAccounts_Edit	Edit bank accounts.
Entities_Debts_View	View debts.
Entities_Loans_View	View loans.
Entities_Loans_Create	Create loans.
Entities_Loans_Edit	Edit loans.
Entities_Assets_View	View fixed assets.
Entities_Assets_Create	Create fixed assets.
Entities_Assets_Edit	Edit fixed assets.
Entities_PaymentMethods_View	View payment methods.
Entities_PaymentMethods_Create	Create payment methods.
Entities_PaymentMethods_Edit	Edit payment methods.
Entities_Timeline_View	View the entity timeline.
Entities_Profile_ViewPracticeManagement	View practice management entity profiles.
Relationships_View	View relationships.
Relationships_Create	Create relationships.
Relationships_Edit	Edit relationships.
Contact_View	View contact details.
Contact_Create	Create contact details.
Contact_EditAddress	Edit addresses.
Contact_EditAddressLink	Edit address links.

FAQ

How do I delete an entity that has financial data?

Entities with statutory information or financial transactions cannot be deleted immediately. The system prompts you to launch a four-eyes approval workflow that must be approved by another authorised user. If the required workflow template is not installed, contact your system administrator.

Can I change an entity's base currency after posting transactions?

No. Once financial transactions exist, the base currency field becomes read-only. You should set the book currency carefully before posting any transactions.

Why can't I delete a user entity?

User entities cannot be deleted through the Client View. Instead, navigate to Admin → Users and set the user's logon status to disabled, then add them to the Global Excluded group.

How does the entity group email feature work?

When Save emails to all members is enabled on an entity group, any email saved to the group is automatically saved for all member entities.

What does "implicit relationship" mean?

An implicit relationship is one that was not directly created on the Relationships tab – it was inferred from another area of the system, such as a share register entry. These are indicated with a link icon and cannot be edited from the Relationships screen.

How do I set an entity's end date?

The end date can only be set if the entity has no open relationships, bank accounts, or other active records, and you have the appropriate permission. Use the edit form to enter the cessation date.

Why isn't the screening portal opening?

The "Unresolved Hits" warning banner links to an external screening portal. If you do not have permission to view screening results, a message will inform you to contact your compliance team.

What image formats are accepted for entity photographs?

JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, and PNG. Files must be between 1 byte and 5 MB. Images are automatically compressed if they exceed standard display dimensions.

How do I merge two entities?

Go to Admin > Utilities and click Merge two entities. A guided popout walks you through selecting a source entity (to be absorbed) and a target entity (to receive all data). Review the merge preview, then confirm. See the Entity Merging section above for the full procedure.

How do I change an entity’s type?

Go to Admin > Utilities and click Convert an entity. Select the entity, choose the new type, review any data-loss warnings, and confirm. See the Entity Conversion section above for the full procedure.

Why can’t I delete an entity?

Entity deletion requires a four-eyes approval workflow. After you initiate deletion, a second user with the Administrator role must approve it. If the workflow is rejected, the entity is not deleted. Additionally, you need the Entities_Edit permission to initiate the deletion request.

How do I export entity data?

Use Reports > Query Builder to create a custom query selecting entity fields. Results can be exported to Excel or CSV. For pre-built exports, check the Reports Dashboard for entity-related reports.

Test Yourself

Ready to put your entity management skills to the test? These 10 questions focus on the everyday features and shortcuts that will make you faster and more confident in PlainSail.