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Users and Permissions
Users and Permissions

Understand what your staff can and can't access

Kevin Cheav avatar
Written by Kevin Cheav
Updated over 5 months ago

In this article:

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST NOT ARCHIVE YOUR MAIN USER/ADMIN

Adding a new user

Note: at least one user must be an admin.

  1. Go to Users. This is your staff member database.

  2. Click New User. You will be directed to the User Details page.

3. Enter their username, name, and choose their system role. The System Role determines how much access they have to Abacus POS features and the backend.

Generally, you will give your users the Staff system role.

4. Choose either a Password or a PIN:

  • A password will be used when you have enabled B1. ENFORCE USER PASSWORD in the app's settings

  • A PIN will be used when you have enabled A8. USE LOCK SCREEN in the app's settings

(See Lock Screen for more details)

5. (Optional) If you run training programs for your staff, you can also record the Program History.

Editing a user's details

  1. Go to the Users page

  2. Click the pencil button to the right of a staff member

3. This will take you to the User Details page
4. If you make any changes, make sure you Save

Archiving a user

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST NOT ARCHIVE YOUR MAIN USER/ADMIN

1. In the User Details page, click Archive.

2. Any archived users will cease to gain access to Abacus POS.

3. The "Archive" button will turn to a "Restore" button, so if you wish to un-archive the staff member later, you can go back into the User Details and click Restore.

What each system role can access

Each System Role has different permissions:

Staff

Manager

Admin

Settings

Access app settings

✔️

✔️

B15

Change app settings

✔️

B13

Access reports

A3, A25, B15

Delete held orders

✔️

✔️

B15

Delete historical orders

✔️

✔️

Cannot be changed

Transfer items/orders

✔️

✔️

B15

Access Products list

✔️

✔️

B14

Discount/change prices

B15, backend

Edit POS Menu

✔️

✔️

Cannot be changed

View cash variance

✔️

B12

Access printer settings

✔️

✔️

B15

Change printer settings

✔️

✔️

B8

Bypass credit surcharge

✔️

✔️

B15

Open cash drawer

✔️

✔️

B7, B15

Access backend

✔️

Backend

✔️ Access
⭐ Access dependant on settings
❌No access

Where access is dependent on settings:

  • Access app settings: Enable Setting B15^ to allow Staff to access Abacus app settings after entering a Manager's PIN

  • Change app settings: Enable Setting B13 so only your Admins will be able to change the app settings

  • Access reports: Enable Setting A3 to show the cash amount in your POS reports;
    enable A25 to hide Reports for everyone but Admins;
    enable B15^ to allow Staff to view reports after entering a Manager's PIN

  • Delete held orders: Enable Setting B15 to allow Staff to delete unfinished (held) orders after entering a Manager's PIN

  • Transfer items/orders: Enable B15 to require a manager or admin PIN to transfer items/orders between tables.

  • Access Products list: Enable B14 to allow Staff to view the "Products" screen/list

  • Discount/change prices: Enable B15^ to allow Staff to discount an order after entering a Manager's PIN. The discount amount will be determined by the Price Change Range set in the backend

  • View cash variance: Enable B12 to hide the expected amount of cash when closing the POS, if it is a Manager or Staff member logged in

  • Access printer settings: Enable B15^ to allow Staff to view printer settings after entering a Manager's PIN

  • Change printer settings: Enable B8 to allow Staff to select printers and printer locations

  • Bypass credit surcharge: Enable B15^ to allow Staff to bypass a Credit Card surcharge when they do a long press on the payment page

  • Open cash drawer: Enable B7 to allow Staff to open a Cash Drawer;
    enable B15 to allow them to do so after they enter a Manager's PIN. Regardless of this setting, the cash drawer will open automatically for any user if you have C6 or C7 enabled.

^ All settings with B15 are linked. If you have B15 enabled, a Manager PIN will be required for staff to access app settings, printer settings, reports, to delete held orders, transfer items/orders, discount products, open the cash drawer, and to bypass the credit card surcharge.

If you have prevented staff from changing settings (with setting B13), they will be prompted to ask an Admin user to change the settings (in Abacus POS version 2.8.16+).

Access to backend

As an admin, only you can access the back end.

However, there may be times where you want to give your employees access to specific pages (eg. to change the menu or to view reports).

In this case, you'll want to change their system role.

Change System Role Access

  1. Go to POS > Users

2. Click the pencil button to edit a user

3. Set a password

4. Set the System Role to Admin or Manager.

5. Click Save.

6. Your staff member must log into app.abacus.co using the username and password set above.

Customise System Role Access

  1. Go to Configuration > System Role Access.

  2. View existing access parameters. By clicking on Staff, Manager, and Admin, you can view what parts of the back end they have access to.

If a listing has a tick, it means that you can see it when you're logged in as the selected system role.

A page listing without a tick indicates that it is not accessible for the selected system role.

Note: For illustrative purposes, unticked options are shown in grey in this image. However, in a real case scenario, they will not be shown at all.

3. Tick what pages you would like Staff or Managers to see.

4. Click the pencil button next to the System Role Name

5. Select the Initial Load Page. This is the page that user type should land on when they log in.

6. Save. Any changes you make to the Staff, Manager, and Admin system role access will take effect the next time they log in

Read/write permissions

To further refine the system roles, one can give permission to particular roles to write and/or delete data. If you wish your staff members to access a read-only version of the website, leave Write and Delete unchecked. If you wish your staff members to only be able to add information, and not delete any, tick Write but leave Delete unticked.

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