RSMUS.comDashboards are one of the most transformative business tools of the last several decades even if the concept behind dashboards is quite simple. They collect key metrics, indicators, and visualizations onto a single page, organize the information to be as clear and easily consumed as possible, and then update that information as soon as new data becomes available. The purpose of dashboards is to keep decision makers informed about the issues that matter most to them. And by condensing and consolidating that information into one place, they ensure that nothing important gets overlooked or misinterpreted. More than just an information resource, dashboards are a tool for making the right decision more often.
So it’s no wonder that companies have been eager to get dashboards in front of anyone and everyone with important choices to make. Budget managers are high on that list since they monitor how the business is actually spending money compared to how it planned to spend money and making course corrections as necessary. They need an accurate, in-depth, and updated understanding of what’s going on – and that’s exactly what dashboards were designed to deliver.
Valuable as dashboards may be, they create some risk and complications as well. It’s important for users to have all the information they need but nothing more. In the case of budget managers, they need data relevant to their location, department, and role. But for security and possibly compliance reasons, they shouldn’t have access to data beyond that. As a result, every dashboard needs to be customized to the user and bound by certain controls.
That sounds like a lot of work. And with some financial management platforms, the time and input it takes to create dashboards significantly undercuts the value of those dashboards. But not with Sage Intacct. Smart features and intuitive designs make it easy to give budget managers the exact insights they need without restricting or extending access to data any more than necessary. Simply follow these steps.
1. Define the User
“Business users” have full access to data and permission to perform accounting transactions in Sage Intacct when the “full or limited” admin option has been selected. “Employee users” can view data but cannot edit it or perform accounting transactions. Their admin privileges are automatically set to “off.” Either user type can be limited to certain departments or entities so that they can’t see data or handle transactions for the entire company.
2. Create a Dashboard Role
Companies will determine for themselves how much access and permission a budget manager needs. Typically, though, they will only need to see dashboards and not need to edit information or handle any aspect of accounting. To give them that access, go to the company set up menu and head to the “roles” link. Give a name to the role, something like “budget manager” or “dashboard user.”
3. Grant Permissions
When granting permissions for that role, include the company and general ledger permissions. Within company permissions, select “view” and “list” in the row labeled “dashboard.” Within the general ledger permissions, select “view” next to “dashboards.” There is also the option to select “drill down to all transactions from reports,” which, when checked, allows the budget manager to explore the transaction-level data behind the dashboard for validation purposes. The general ledger permission section also has a portion labeled “reports.” Selecting “view” on the rows labeled “financials” and “graphs and performance cards” gives budget managers the optimal viewing permissions.
In practice, this whole process takes just a few minutes, if that. Once complete, budget managers have all the information and insights they need to perform their job at the highest level. For more help with using Sage Intacct to the fullest – or with implementing it for the first time – rely on the technical and accounting experts at RSM.
