In this session we want
to look at Access Management Strategies. In IES there are so many tools for
Managing Access. We do not necessarily
have to use all of them. So how do we determine
which ones should we use in a particular installation? |
The reason why we have
Menu Access is for purposes of Control, Responsibility and Accountability. In a Small Business, run
by a single person, everything is done by the same person. In that case Menu
Access and Privileges in the Business System is irrelevant since that one
person should have Access to everything and all functions, to be able to
perform everything that needs to be done. In a bigger Business
with more people, it becomes apparent that it is essential to define the
tasks and responsibilities of different people in different jobs. Therefore
Access and Privileges in the Business System becomes important so that
people, who are responsible for certain functions, are also the ones that have
Access to those functions, and are accountable for how the tasks are
performed. Only some people are
allowed to Update certain information, while others have Access to look at
some information, but will not be able to change it. This is more or less where
Menu Access and Privileges become relevant. |
All the Tools and
Options for managing Access and Privileges are dealt with in detail in the
various Tutorials. In this session we are
not looking at the detail, but we are considering the various Access
Strategies and we discern the following Categories: Very Small Operations Small to Medium Size
Operations Large Operations with a
Large Number of Users. |
In a Small Operation
where we have 1, 2 or 3 Users, generally these Users are quite powerful in
terms of the Access Privileges, i.e. they have Access, if not to everything,
then usually to almost everything. So the easiest way to
manage the Access and to have the least amount of Administration in this operation,
we use “Mirror” when we create a New User. We “Mirror” from the
Master Profile and we possibly also use the “Copy From” the “Full Access”
Profiles. Sometimes we may Trim
some Options or Privileges if considered necessary. |
In
Small to Medium size Operations, where we possibly have a User number
somewhere between 4 and 20 Users,
the recommended Strategy would be to use the “Mirror Access” function and
also “Copy from Full Access” Profiles, and trimming those Profiles where
necessary. We may even use User
Groups and Register each User to such a Group. We can have one or more
Groups, for having the convenience of adding New Options, when they become
available to such Groups. It is still optional
whether we may want to use Profile Subscription. |
In larger Setups that
exceed 20 Users, it is usually the best way to go to “Set up Subscription
Profiles” in any suitable configuration of the number of subscription
Profiles that we may have and that we can mix and match and combine for
attaching to various Job positions, so that when we set up New Users, we can
simply Subscribe them to the Profiles that are available. This would probably be
the most efficient and effective way of managing our Access in the System. However the “Mirror” and
“Copy” Options are still available and allowed and we have to determine the
balance by considering the amount of work in Managing the Menu and Privilege
Access. |
In the final analysis,
we can say that all the Options and Tools available for Managing Access
Profiles, Menu Access and Privileges, are available at all Installations in
all Sites. It is really up to us to determine, in each case, what is the most
efficient and effective Method to manage the Access Profiles in our
particular Site, by choosing which Tools are appropriate to use, and what our
policy is with regards to Access Management.
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