Permission Types in Aclarian

Overview

Aclarian permissions control what users can see and do in different areas of the system.

This article explains the main permission types and when each one should be used.

Quick links

• • Forms permissions
  • Form Search - All Forms
  • Edit Form
  • Skip Approver
  • Data Management permissions
  • Reports permissions
  • Permission quick reference

Forms permissions

Forms permissions control whether a user can see, initiate, and edit forms within a module.

Visible

The Visible permission allows a user to:

• • see a form
  • initiate a form
  • edit a form when it is available to them in workflow

How form access works

A simple way to think about form access is whether the form is currently on the user’s desk.

• • If a form is in Draft status, it can be edited by the initiator
  • Once submitted, it moves to the approver and the initiator can no longer edit it
  • If the form is sent back, it returns to the initiator and can be edited again

Deleting a form

Only the initiator can fully delete a form, and only when the form is on that initiator’s desk.

Approvers can choose to Decline a form. This removes the form from workflow, but the record remains available in Form Search under Denied.

Form Search - All Forms

By default, users can see:

• • forms they initiated
  • forms where they are an approver

When Form Search - All Forms is enabled, users can see all forms of that type, whether or not they were involved in the workflow.

When to use it

This permission is commonly appropriate for:

• • supervisors
  • administrators
  • finance teams
  • auditors

Edit Form

The Edit Form permission allows a user to edit a form at any point in workflow, even when the form is not currently assigned to them.

Important behavior

When a form is edited using this permission:

• • the workflow approval process restarts
  • the form returns to the beginning of the approval chain
  • all approvers can review the updated version

When to use it

This permission should usually be limited to:

• • administrators
  • power users

Important: Because this permission restarts workflow, it should be assigned carefully.

Skip Approver

The Skip Approver permission allows a user to move a form past an approver in workflow.

When to use it

Use this permission only for exception situations, such as:

• • an unexpected absence
  • an urgent interruption in the approval path

For planned absences

If an absence is planned, use the User Designation Form to assign a temporary alternate approver.

System tracking

When Skip Approver is used, the system records:

• • who approved the step
  • which approver was skipped
  • the date and time of the action

Tip: Use this permission sparingly to preserve workflow integrity.

Data Management permissions

Data Management permissions control access to records outside of forms.

There are two main permission levels.

Visible

Use Visible when the user should be able to:

• • see records
  • view data without making changes

Edit

Use Edit when the user should be able to:

• • update data directly
  • modify records outside of forms

Important notes

• • The Audit Log Report tracks changes made through forms
  • Changes made directly in Data Management are not tracked in the same way
  • If a user has Edit access in Data Management, they should also have Edit Form permissions for related forms

Note: Direct edits may reduce visibility into how a change was made compared to form-based updates.

Reports permissions

Reports permissions are view-only.

Users can either:

• • see a report
  • not see a report

Reports do not include edit permissions.

Permission Quick Reference