How to add users and manage permissions
This guide explains how main contractors add new users in Sync and control what each person can do. Permissions can be managed per user, or in bulk through Roles, so access always matches someone’s job without setting every option by hand.
- Who can do it
- Users with the Manage users permission, usually an admin.
- Two ways to manage
- Per individual user, or in bulk through Roles.
- How access works
- Create, Edit, View and Delete, set per area of Sync.
- Heads up
- Bulk role assignment does not apply PO limits to users.
Before you start
Before adding a user or changing permissions, check that the following are in place:
- You have the Manage users permission, or an admin can add the user.
- You know the person’s name and email address.
- You know which role best fits them.
- You know their PO limit and approval bounds, if they raise or approve POs.
- Your roles are set up for how your team works.
Go to your account
From the main Sync dashboard, select Account from the left-hand menu. This opens your company area, with tabs for company details, users, roles, billing and more.
Open the Users tab
Select the Users tab to see everyone in your company. From here you can search by name, filter by status or role, open a user to edit them, or create a new one.
Select Create user
Select Create user. The screen is split in two: the User details on the left, and the User permissions on the right. You complete both before saving.
Enter the user details
Complete the user details on the left. Fields marked with a red asterisk are required.
The person’s name, as it should appear across Sync.
Select the role that fits them. The role sets a sensible starting point for their permissions.
Their work email. This is where the invitation to join Sync is sent.
The role you choose gives the user a sensible starting set of permissions, which you can then fine-tune on the right.
Set PO limits and approval bounds
If the user raises or approves purchase orders, set their limits in the user details. These are set per user and are not applied by role.
The maximum purchase order value this user can raise.
The minimum project profit percentage required before this user can raise a PO.
The lower and upper PO value this user is allowed to approve.
Set the user permissions
On the right, the permissions are grouped into tabs by area of Sync. Move between the tabs and tick what the user needs:
- General.
- Accounts.
- Customers.
- Trade partners.
- Projects.
- Health & Safety.
- Notifications.
Within each area, permissions are set with up to four levels of access:
Add new records in that area, such as a new project or report.
Change existing records they already have access to.
See records without being able to change them.
Remove records. Grant this carefully.
Check permission dependencies
Some permissions rely on another being granted first. For example, managing project document categories relies on access to project documents. Where a permission has a dependency, an information pop-out explains what it applies to and what it needs.
Add the user
Once the details, limits and permissions are set, select Add user to save. The user is created and an invitation to join Sync is sent to their email address. They then appear in the Users table.
Edit an existing user’s permissions
To change what an existing user can do, open the Users tab, find the person and open their record from the actions menu. Adjust their details, PO limits or permissions in the same way as when creating a user, then save. Changes take effect for that user only.
Per user or by role
Best for one-off changes, or when someone needs slightly different access from the rest of their team. Edit that individual’s record.
Best for updating many people at once. Change a role’s permissions and it applies to everyone on that role.
Open the Roles tab
In your account, select the Roles tab. Each role shows how many users are on it and an Assign Permissions action. Roles are the way to manage permissions for a whole group of people at once.
Create a new role
If none of the existing roles fit, create a new one. Give it a clear name that reflects the job, for example a role for site managers or for the commercial team. Once created, the role is available to select when adding or editing users.
Assign permissions to a role
Select Assign Permissions next to a role. Set the permissions for that role using the same Create, Edit, View and Delete options, across each area of Sync. This defines what everyone on that role can do.
Apply the changes in bulk
When you save a role’s permissions, the change is applied to every user on that role at once, so you do not have to update each person by hand. It is the quickest way to keep a whole team’s access consistent.
Common issues
You may not have the Manage users permission. Ask an admin or your Sync administrator to add the user or update your permissions.
Roles are managed on the Roles tab. Create the role first, then assign its permissions, and it becomes available when adding or editing users.
Some permissions depend on another being granted first. Use the dependency pop-out on the permission to see what it relies on, and grant that permission too.
Check their PO limit and approval bounds, and that they have the relevant PO permissions. Remember bulk role assignment does not set PO limits, so these are set per user.
This is expected. Bulk role assignment applies permissions, not PO limits. Set each user’s PO limit and approval bounds on their individual record.
Check the email address is correct and ask them to check their spam folder. You can also resend the invitation from the user record.
New user checklist
Before saving a new user, check the following:
- The user’s name and email are correct.
- The right role has been selected.
- The PO limit is correct, if they raise POs.
- The profit percentage limit is correct, if used.
- The PO approval bounds are correct, if they approve POs.
- The correct permissions are ticked for each area.
- Permission dependencies have been checked.
- Delete permissions are only granted where needed.
- The user has been saved with Add user.
- For bulk changes, PO limits were set separately per user.
Summary
To add users and manage permissions in Sync:
- 1Go to your account and open the Users tab.
- 2Select Create user.
- 3Enter the user’s details and role.
- 4Set their PO limit and approval bounds, if needed.
- 5Set their permissions per area, using Create, Edit, View and Delete.
- 6Check any permission dependencies with the pop-out.
- 7Select Add user to save.
- 8To manage many users at once, assign permissions in bulk on the Roles tab.
- 9Remember to set PO limits per user, as bulk assignment does not apply them.
Manage permissions per user for one-off changes, and through Roles when you need to update a whole team at once. Just remember PO limits are always set per user, even when permissions are assigned in bulk.