Getting started with Administration

The order in which to set up a new company so people can sign in and work safely.

Before you begin

You need to be a superuser, or an administrator of the company you are setting up. Do this on a test company first if you can. Never clear or experiment on production data.

The order that works

Set things up in this order. Each step depends on the one before it.

  1. Company. Go to Administration > Workspace > Companies. Create the company (legal name, a code that never changes, business model) or open the existing one and fill in its details: trade licence, VAT registration number, address, base currency, fiscal year and time zone. Creating a company installs every available app and adds the standard payment terms. See Create a company and its branches.
  2. Branches. Go to Administration > Workspace > Branches and add each place of business. Decide now whether each branch keeps its own numbering run. See the same guide.
  3. Apps. Go to Administration > Workspace > Apps. Check what is installed and turn on only what the company uses. See Apps and configuration changes.
  4. Numbering. Go to Administration > Configuration > Sequences and set the prefix, size and next number of each document type before the first real document exists. See Menus, sequences and custom fields.
  5. Masters. Under Administration > Masters, add the standard payment terms and payment methods, then your price lists. Under Administration > Dimensions, add cost centres, departments, projects or profit centres if you analyse results that way. See Payment terms and payment methods and Price lists and dimensions.
  6. Roles. Go to Administration > Users > Roles. Review the roles that come with a2NSoft, and copy and adjust any that do not match your jobs. See Design roles and keep duties apart.
  7. Users. Go to Administration > Users > System users and create a login for each person. Give each a role, the branches they may work in, and a licence. See Create a system user.
  8. Audit. Under Administration > Audit, set how long the trail is kept and decide who is told about sensitive changes. See Audit alerts and evidence.
  9. Email and WhatsApp. Under Administration > Configuration, add the mail account the company sends from. See Email and WhatsApp connections.
  10. Backup. If you are the workspace owner, set a storage location and schedule under Administration > Settings > Storage and backup. See Back up the system and clear test data.

Your first records

After step 7, sign in as the new user in a private browser window. Check three things: they are asked to choose a new password, the menus match their role, and they see only the branches you gave them. If any of these is wrong, fix it before you create more users.

Permissions you will meet

PermissionWhat it allows
member.viewRead users and roles
member.manageChange users, roles, field access, record access, exceptions, limits and API keys
company.manageInstall apps, change menus, sequences, email and custom fields
reference.manageChange payment terms, payment methods, price lists, dimensions and branches
audit.viewRead alerts, evidence, retention and alert rules
audit.manageSeal the trail, set retention, place holds, change alert rules
apps.configure and apps.config.approvePropose and approve an app configuration change

Good to know

  • A company must always keep at least one administrator. The system refuses to remove the last one.
  • You cannot lock, suspend or archive your own account.
  • Hiding a menu is not a permission. Always remove the permission as well.
  • The Settings page has a search box. Type a word such as theme or backup to find a setting quickly.