Naming (Branches)

This article covers naming conventions for branches in Model Reef.

Branch names matter because they appear everywhere:

• In the branch tree.

• In report filters.

• In dashboards and charts.

• In collaboration and permissions settings.

You will learn:

• How to name entity, division, region and project branches.

• How to handle multiple levels.

• How to keep names stable while the business evolves.

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1. What branch names represent

A branch usually corresponds to a real world unit, such as:

• A legal entity.

• A country or region.

• A division or business line.

• A store, clinic, venue or site.

• A project or initiative.

• An eliminations or adjustment layer.

Branch names should therefore match the labels your team already uses for those units.

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2. Recommended naming patterns by level

Some patterns that work well in practice:

2.1 Group and entity levels

• Group Consolidated or simply Group.

• Entity - AU Pty Ltd.

• Entity - UK Ltd.

• Entity - US Inc.

This makes entity roles obvious and keeps them grouped in the tree.

2.2 Division and region levels

Under an entity:

• Division - Retail.

• Division - Online.

• Division - Wholesale.

• Region - ANZ.

• Region - UK and Europe.

This separates structure type (division vs region) from the descriptive name.

2.3 Store, clinic or venue levels

Under a region or division:

• Store - Sydney CBD.

• Store - Melbourne North.

• Clinic - Central.

• Venue - Oxford Street.

Short, descriptive names work best here.

2.4 Project and special branches

• Project - Data Centre Upgrade.

• Project - New Product Launch.

• Eliminations - Intercompany.

• Adjustments - Management.

These make their purpose obvious in filters and reports.

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3. Keep names aligned with reality

Where possible:

• Use the same names as your chart of accounts descriptions, store list or entity registry.

• Avoid internal nicknames that only one team uses.

• Update branch names when the real world unit is renamed (for example after a rebrand), but avoid renaming purely for cosmetic reasons.

Consistent naming makes it much easier to cross reference between Model Reef, accounting systems and operational reports.

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4. Handling codes and IDs

If your organisation uses codes, you can include them in branch names, for example:

• Entity - AU Pty Ltd (ENT_AU)

• Store - Sydney CBD (ST01)

This works well as long as:

• Codes are stable.

• The human readable part is still present.

• You do not rely on codes alone.

Remember, branches are used by all collaborators, not just finance.

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5. Renaming and restructuring branches

You can rename branches and move them in the tree without breaking variables:

• Variables stay attached to the same branch even if the branch is renamed.

• Parent level and consolidated reports automatically use the new names.

• Permissions attached to the branch carry over.

When restructuring, it is often better to follow a multi-step approach:

1

Create the new branch structure

Set up the new structure before making changes to existing branches.

2

Move existing branches under it

Re-parent branches into the new structure so you preserve history and variables.

3

Rename to match the new organisation

Rename branches to match the new organisation once they are in place, avoiding ambiguous intermediate states.

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6. Branch naming and permissions

If you use branch level permissions, branch names become part of how you explain access, for example:

• "You have Editor access to Division - Retail and Viewer access to Group Consolidated."

• "You can work on Region - ANZ but not Region - North America."

Clear naming reduces confusion and avoids misconfigured access.

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7. Common branch naming pitfalls

Avoid:

• Completely generic names such as Branch 1, Branch 2.

• Names that do not match real organisational units.

• Very long names that make the tree hard to scan.

• Reusing the same name for different branches in different parts of the tree.

If a branch name is ambiguous, anyone reviewing the model has to open it and inspect variables to understand what it is.

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