GS505 – Creating a Feature from Scratch in Globalization Studio

So far in this series, we’ve covered:

• GS501: What Globalization Studio is and why it matters
• GS502: The shift from RCS to Globalization Studio
• GS503: A guided tour of the workspace and repository
• GS504: How feature lifecycles and applicability rules work

Now, it’s time to build your first custom feature from scratch.

Whether you’re creating a new tax rule, customizing an invoice format, or setting up a country-specific export, Globalization Studio makes it possible to do it all without writing code.

🎯 What Are We Going to Build?

We’ll create a feature to:

• Generate electronic sales invoices for Spain (Facturae format)
• Submit them to the FACe (Spanish public administration portal)
• Use real examples and screenshots from your environment

🪜 Step-by-Step: How to Create a Feature

🔹 Step 1: Open the Globalization Studio Workspace

1. In Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain, go to:
   Workspaces > Globalization Studio
2. Click the tile called Electronic Invoicing

🔹 Step 2: Click “Add” to Create a Feature

🔹 Step 3: Add a Setup (Processing Pipeline)

• Once your feature is created,

• go to the Setups tab and click Add Setup.

• Click Edit to go to feature version setup

You’ll define the logic of what the system should do when this feature runs.

👉 Want help designing the pipeline? See GS506 – Understanding Processing Pipelines

🔹 Step 4: Attach the Format (ER Configuration)

Now go to the Configurations tab:

1. Click Add configuration

2. Select your ER Format Mapping (must be published already in the system)

3. Link it to the “Generate file” step in your pipeline

This format will generate the file content (Excel, XML, PDF, etc.).

Need help building ER models and formats? See GS509 – ER Basics

🔹 Step 5: Define Applicability Rules

Go to the Applicability Rules tab and click New Rule.

Set conditions like:

This ensures the feature only runs when it should.

🔹 Step 6: Move Through the Lifecycle

Now that your feature is ready:

1. Mark it as Complete – Locks your changes

2. Deploy– Push it to your current sandbox

3. Test It – Post a transaction and see if the feature runs as expected (In my example, Invoice documents get converted to XML and sends an email to myself.)
4. Submit Electronic document

• Email received with XML file attached.

• Check submission details

You can always clone and create new versions if changes are needed.

📄 Real-Life Example: Exporting UK Invoices to Excel

Let’s say:

• Your finance team needs a monthly Excel file of all invoices in a specific format
• It must include customer name, invoice amount, due date, and VAT

You would:

• Build a format in ER (Excel template)
• Create a feature in Globalization Studio
• Define steps: Generate → Store on SharePoint
• Apply it only to CONTUK
• Schedule it via a batch job or execute it manually

You’ve now automated a once-manual process, without any custom code.

🧩 Summary Table

🧭 What’s Next?

Now that you’ve built your first custom feature, you’re ready to:

• Import Microsoft features and customize them (GS507 – Electronic Invoicing Overview)
• Add more logic with advanced pipelines (GS506 – Pipelines Deep Dive)
• Deploy features across environments using Power Platform (GS508 – ALM for Compliance Features)

📘 Coming Up Next

In GS506 – Understanding Processing Pipelines, we’ll break down:

• Each type of step (generate, sign, submit)
• The order in which steps run
• Best practices for designing real-world pipelines

📖 [Continue reading: GS506 – Understanding Processing Pipelines →]