If you're like many of our users, you log into your software everyday and go about your business. Processing your Accounts Payable invoices and entering in your Payroll time as you normally do. Suddenly you come across an issue you haven't before. You need a specific report in order to finish your month end processing but that report is always provided to you by the administrator. You don't have access to it so you can't print it. The user said they would have it to you by today but they called out sick. What do you do?!?!?!?!
Another example (most common):
You just added a new report in Payroll that you need to send out to and auditor ASAP. You see that it has saved to your report list in Reports Manager. You save and exit the Report Manager but when you look through the menu, it is nowhere to be found. You go back into Reports Manager and see it in the list of reports plain as day! Are you going mad?!?!? You then remember that a software administrator must grant you access to that report since it is newly added. *GASP* You're software administrator has taken a trip to Hawaii to compete in the international Ironman Championship in Kona! He won't be back for a week! What do you do?!?!?!?!
Both of these scenarios are definitely avoidable with one simple addition to your setup... Create a SECOND admin user in the software. The software contains two administrator types: Security Administrators and Application Administrators. Both have important and separate functions. Security Admins have all the access of an Application Admin but Application Admins do not have the same access as a Security Admin. The Security Admin Role is meant to set up users, change security access, and change passwords. This would generally be your IT person or company owner. Your Application Admin would be your controller or office manager. The Application Admin can grant access to modules and other application specific changes but cannot do some of the "higher level" security changes that a Security Admin would do.
Why is it important to understand the difference? Imagine that you setup one Security Admin for your system and several Application Admins. Now imagine someone lost the password for that Security Admin account or worse, the employee left. This means you would have to go through our support process to reset that password on your system. If this occurs during a busy time of the year, say Year End, this can be a very lengthy process.
Avoid the headache and stay ahead of the curve by setting up TWO Security Administrators! One for a day to day user and one account specific for the owner or CEO. That way the user will always have a log in just in case.
This change in your security workflow can help you save time or when up against a deadline. What other tricks have you found when setting up security? Let us know in the comments below!