How to Configure the Initial Tenant Setup in iDempiere for Retail

Learn how to run Initial Tenant Setup in iDempiere for retail businesses — configure users, accounting, warehouse, and chart of accounts in one step.

Introduction

The Initial Tenant Setup process creates the basic business structure required to start using iDempiere. Instead of manually creating setup records one by one, this process automatically creates users, roles, organization details, accounting structure, warehouse setup, and standard business records.

This process is usually performed once during initial implementation and prepares the system for further configuration and business transactions.

Process Flow

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following are in place:

• Logged in with the System Administrator role
• Access to the Initial Tenant Setup window
• Basic company information is available:
  • Tenant name
  • Organization name
  • User information
  • Contact details
• Source Currency and Country details identified

Business Rules

• Tenant Name and Organization information must be entered to create the business environment.
• Administrative User details must be provided, and Set Initial Password should be enabled.
• If a custom Chart of Accounts is unavailable, enable Use Default CoA.
• Material Policy must be defined before inventory transactions begin; FIFO is commonly used in retail.
• Email settings must be configured and Test Email should complete successfully before using email communication.

Step-by-Step Configuration

Configure Company Info

Step 1: Open Initial Tenant Setup

Navigate to: Menu → Initial Tenant Setup

The process window displays the required setup fields.

Disclaimer: All data in this document are illustrative samples and not intended for real-world use.

Step 2: Enter Business Information

Enter the organization details as shown below.

Field	Example Value	Purpose
Tenant Name	POTS	Creates the company environment
Org Key	CDC	Short code used to identify the organization
Organization Name	Centralized Distribution Center	Name of the business unit

Step 3: Configure Initial Users

Enter the users who will access the system.

Field	Example Value	Purpose
Administrative User Name	PotsAdmin	Performs configuration and administration activities
Administrative User Email	admin@potsretail.com	Email for future activities
Normal User Name	StoreManager	Performs daily operational activities
Normal User Email	storemanager@potsretail.com	Email for future activities

Important: Enable Set Initial Password to allow the system to create passwords automatically during setup.

Step 4: Enter Organization Location Information

Provide the organization address details.

Field	Example Value	Purpose
Currency	INR	Default currency used for transactions
Country	India	Business operating country
Region	Tamil Nadu	Organization location detail
City Name	Chennai	Organization location detail
ZIP	600001	Organization location detail
Address 1	Central Office	Business address

Note: Some location fields can be updated later if required.

Step 5: Select Required Accounting Options

Enable the following options:

• BP Accounting — Creates accounting setup for customers and vendors
• Product Accounting — Creates accounting setup for inventory and products
• Sales Region Accounting — Creates region-based sales accounting
• Use Default CoA — Automatically creates a standard Chart of Accounts

Leave disabled unless specifically required:

• Project Accounting
• Campaign Accounting
• Activity Accounting

Step 6: Enter Contact Information

Provide the organization contact details.

Field	Example Value
Phone	04440112233
2nd Phone	04440112255
Email Address	support@potsretail.com
Tax ID	GST33AABCP7188K1Z5

Step 7: Run the Process

Click OK to start the process. The system will begin creating the required setup records automatically.

System Generated Records

The Initial Tenant Setup process automatically creates the following standard records required for future configuration and transactions.

Organization and User Records

• Tenant
• Organization
• Admin Role
• User Role
• Administrative User
• Normal User
• Business Partner
• Business Partner–User Mapping
• Sales Representative
• Sales Representative Location

Note: The user setup process is created automatically for both the Administrative User and Normal User.

Accounting Records

• Calendar
• Calendar Element
• Accounting Schema
• Organization Accounting Schema Element
• Product Accounting Schema Element
• Sales Region Accounting Schema Element

Business Master Records

• Business Partner Group
• Sales Region & Sales Region Translation
• Activity & Activity Translation
• Campaign & Campaign Translation
• Project Cycle
• Project

Product and Pricing Records

• Product Category
• Tax Category & Tax Category Translation
• Tax Rate
• Product
• Price List & Price List Version
• Product Price
• Discount Schema
• Payment Term & Payment Term Translation

Location and Inventory Records

• Company Location
• Business Partner Location
• Warehouse Location
• Warehouse
• Locator

Financial and System Records

• Cash Book
• Print Formats

After successful execution, the system creates the core business structure, standard setup data, accounting configuration, and inventory foundation required for further implementation activities.

Reviewing Tenant Configuration

After the Initial Tenant Setup process is completed, iDempiere automatically creates the Tenant record using the information entered during setup. The Tenant window is then used to maintain company-level settings such as Material Policy and email communication.

Navigation: System Administrator → Tenant

Material Policy

Material Policy determines how inventory costs are consumed during stock transactions.

Configuration

1. Open the Tenant window.
2. Select the required Material Policy.
3. Save the record.

Example – FIFO (First In First Out)

Batch	Quantity	Unit Cost
Batch 1	100 Units	₹100
Batch 2	100 Units	₹120

If 50 units are sold, inventory is consumed from Batch 1 first and the cost applied is ₹100 per unit.

Email Communication Setup

The Tenant window also contains the email settings used for outbound communication.

Configure Email Server

1. Navigate to the Request Management section.
2. Enter the Mail Host and SMTP Port.
3. Enter the Request Email and Request User.
4. Enable SMTP SSL/TLS.
5. Save the record.

Example

• Mail Host: smtp.gmail.com
• SMTP Port: 587

Configure Email Authentication

1. Enable SMTP Authentication.
2. Enter the email password or application password.
3. Save the configuration.

Verify Email Connectivity

1. Click Test Email.
2. Confirm the process.
3. Verify the success message and email delivery.

This confirms that iDempiere can successfully connect to the configured email server and send outbound emails.

Common Issues and Resolution

Issue	Resolution
Tenant already exists	Use a unique tenant name
User creation fails	Verify user information is complete and unique
Missing accounting setup	Enable Use Default CoA during setup
Currency validation issue	Verify the currency is correctly configured in the system

In retail businesses, Initial Tenant Setup helps quickly establish the foundation required to manage stores, warehouses, products, users, and business operations — reducing manual setup effort and accelerating system implementation.

Next Steps

After completing the Initial Tenant Setup, continue with the following configuration steps:

• Organization Setup
• Warehouse Setup
• Product Setup