Lesson 2.3: User Permissions

In FastFund Online, security and internal controls are paramount. Every user must log into the system with their unique email address and password, and their access to specific modules, lists, and transaction screens is strictly governed by the User Permissions assigned to their profile.

While assigning User Groups (covered in the previous lesson) is the fastest way to set up a new employee, FastFund also allows you to assign Individual User Permissions to create highly customized access levels for specific staff members.

[INSERT SCREENSHOT: The ‘Groups & Permissions’ tab within a User Details screen, displaying the Available Permissions list on the left, the Assigned Permissions list on the right, and the directional arrow icons in the center]

Assigning Individual Permissions When modifying a user’s profile, navigating to the Groups & Permissions tab allows you to fine-tune their access. FastFund provides standard navigation icons to help you easily move individual permissions from the Available Permissions column to the Assigned Permissions column:

• Assign a Single Permission: Click the specific permission to highlight it, then click the Right Pointing Arrow icon (>).
• Assign Multiple Permissions: Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard to select multiple distinct permissions, or hold the SHIFT key to highlight an entire continuous block. Once highlighted, click the Right Pointing Arrow icon (>).
• Assign All Permissions: Click the Double Right Pointing Arrow icon (>>) to instantly move every available permission into the assigned column.
• Remove Permissions: To remove access, highlight the permission in the Assigned column and click the Left Pointing Arrow icon (<). To remove all of them at once, use the Double Left Pointing Arrow icon (<<).

Special Permission Scenarios

1. Company Administration Rights The highest level of access in the system is Company Administration. This permission grants the ability to configure core Company Data, set up users and user groups, define account designators, unlock beginning balances, unlock budgets, and post or edit transactions in a Soft Closed Period. Internal Control Rule: Be extremely protective of this permission. Ensure that Company Administration rights are only granted to personnel who hold the proper managerial, fiscal, and organizational authority.

2. Read-Only Access Sometimes, you need to grant system access to an outside auditor, a board member, or a department manager who only needs to view data without making any changes. To create a “Read-Only” user profile, simply assign them the Reports permission and nothing else. If you want them to view reports but do not want them modifying report criteria, ensure you withhold the Report Filters and Custom Queries/Reports permissions.

3. Securing Sensitive Payroll Data Because payroll inherently deals with sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as Social Security Numbers (SSN) and direct deposit bank routing numbers, access must be strictly limited. Only users who are explicitly assigned Payroll permissions will be able to view these highly sensitive fields within the employee setup screens.