Business Units let you see where value is landing across your organisation, and which areas aren’t yet contributing. They give every leader a view of their own part of the pipeline.
This guide explains how to set up Business Units in SilkFlo: why to do it first, how the three-level structure works, how to create and edit units, and good habits for keeping them accurate.
Business Units mirror your structure inside SilkFlo, such as directorates, departments and teams, up to three levels deep. Every idea is linked to one, so set them up before you invite people and your reporting is accurate from day one.
Why set them up first #
Leaders rarely ask “how much value is in the pipeline?” They ask “how much is in my area?” and “which departments aren’t contributing?” You can only answer those questions if ideas are tagged to the right part of the organisation from the start.
Set up Business Units before you invite people. Re-linking a hundred ideas later is a slow job, and reports in the meantime will be wrong.
How the structure works #
You can create up to three levels, for example:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | Accounts Payable | Invoice Processing |
| Adult Social Care | Commissioning | Contracts |
Match the levels to how your organisation reports, not how the org chart looks. If budgets and performance are reviewed by directorate and department, two levels may be enough. Fewer, clearer units make it easier for people to pick the right one when they submit an idea.
Set up your Business Units #
Admins manage Business Units under Settings > Platform Setup > Business Units.
The first time you open the page you’ll see an example structure. Edit it, or delete it and build your own.
- Add: click + Add on the level you want to add to.
- Edit: change a name. The change shows everywhere in SilkFlo, including on existing ideas.
- Delete: you can only delete a unit that no idea uses. SilkFlo warns you before deleting.
- Save: click Save or press Enter.
Use Search to find a unit by name.
Location isn’t part of this structure. It’s captured per idea in the project details of the Smart Assessment.
Good habits #
- Use names people recognise. Use the names staff use day to day, not internal codes.
- Rename instead of delete-and-recreate when a team changes name, so its ideas stay linked.
- Review after a restructure. Move ideas off old units before deleting them.
FAQs #
How many levels of Business Units can I have in SilkFlo? #
Up to three.
Why can’t I delete a Business Unit? #
It’s still linked to at least one idea. Move those ideas to another unit first, then delete it.
Who can set up Business Units? #
Admins (any role other than Standard User), under Settings > Platform Setup.
