Adding new users to your Sumac database
Users are people who can log in to use your Sumac database. This article describes how a Sumac Administrator can add a new user and provide them with access to Sumac.
Important Note: Before you can invite new users to access Sumac, you should configure your database to send emails. This ensures that Sumac can email your users their invitations.
Check out these resources on how to set up Sumac to send emails using Gmail or Office 365, or to send emails using your organization's SMTP server.
If you are looking for help with editing an existing user, check out this article for guidance.
Setting the user's Login Name and contact record
To add a new user, expand Utilities > Sumac Administration. Click "Users" to open your user list.
Sumac will present you with a list of all your current users. Click "New" to add a new one. Start by giving them a log in name - this will be the name they use to identify themselves whenever they log into Sumac.
Next to the Contact field, click the Contact icon.
Sumac will open a new window where you can find this user's contact record in your database. You can type in their last name to find them quickly, or if this user does not already have a contact record, click "New" to create a contact record for them. Be sure to save their First and Last Name, and their email address!
Once you've associated the user with their contact record, you can proceed with setting up the rest of their user profile.
Setting a password
For brand new users, you do not have to set a password for them. Instead, when you send them their Sumac invitation, they will be assigned a unique, secure password that can be used for their initial log in. They can continue using this password, or if you want to recommend your users set their own personal passwords, put a check mark next to "Use password once." This ensures that after their initial log in, the new user will be able to set their own password according to their preferences.
The Set Password button allows you to create a password if a user forgets theirs.
Setting user permissions
Each user in your database can have unique permissions. Some may only require the ability to see data in certain areas while others need to edit and delete information. Administrators need permissions to manage all areas of Sumac and manage other users. You can tailor user permissions to exactly what they need to see, edit, and delete from the database, as well as other special permissions.
Put an X next to the areas of Sumac, data, or commands that you want to give access to. Consider the following abilities:
- View - this gives users permission to see data in an area
- Add - this gives users permission to add new records to an area
- Edit - this gives users permission to edit existing records in an area
- Delete - this gives users permission to delete records from an area.
- Special - this grants users other special permissions, like the ability to act as an Administrator, do bulk editing or importing, generate tax receipts and more.
Setting Contact Segments and User Types
Contact Segments and User Types are security features that allow you to control your users' access to different contact records and other information associated with contacts. For example, users might need to access Forms completed by Contacts. If your organization is using Contact Segments or User Types, put a check mark next to the Segments and User Types this user should have access to
If your organization is not using Contact Segments or User Types skip this step.
Sending the user their Sumac Invitation
Once a user is created and their permissions have been set, the final step is clicking "OK & Send Invitation." This will save the user into your database and send them an email with all the instructions they'll need to get the Sumac app installed on their computer and log in for the first time. This user is now ready to go!
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