We’re working on some changes to the user permissions in our Data Management and Website services.
There are several reasons why we’re working on this, but the major reasons are:
- We want the Volunteer role to provide only the most basic access and functionality, and no access to view contacts or animals
- We want to clarify the current security roles
We’ll be accomplishing this by gradually trimming permissions away from the Volunteer role, and assigning them to existing roles or new roles.
This does not mean that there will be fewer roles; in fact there will be more roles to choose from. However, we will simplify the roles by highlighting a small number of roles that will meet the needs of the majority of users.
In the end, our goal is to clarify the most commonly used roles (including a few new roles we will be adding):
Volunteer: Can access the Volunteers Only web page, and (if enabled) enter their own Volunteer Hours.
Contacts View and Animal View: Can view Contacts or Animals, respectively, and their related information.
Animal Foster Update: Can update animals if they are selected as the foster. This includes editing the animal, uploading pictures, and all other objects (files, relationships, etc.).
Animal Admin: Can add, update, and delete all animals and related information.
Data Admin: Can add, update and delete all data in your account, but is not authorized to make any account changes (like changing services or billing information).
Site Admin: Always has all permissions to the account, including adding/cancelling services, changing billing information, etc.
We will post to our blog as we are adjusting the roles. We will be updating our services object-by-object, so any disruption should be minor.
If you have any questions or need any additional help, please contact Support.
Here are a few of the most common questions regarding this upcoming change:
Why is this important to me?
This update is important because user permissions are going to be changing, and you may need to take action so that your users can maintain their current level of access.
Also, you will gain additional control over the user permissions that you can assign to a volunteer or staff member.
Is there anything I should do right now?
Since the volunteer role will actually be losing access, it’s important that you review your current volunteers and staff, and their job functions, and determine if they should be added to any additional roles.
For example, if one or more of your users is only in the Volunteers role and they need continue to access your Contacts and Animals list, you should consider adding them to additional roles.