Roles Overview
Understand role-based access control.
What is a Role?
A role defines what a user can do and see in NetSuite:
ROLE = PERMISSIONS + RESTRICTIONS + FORMS + DASHBOARD
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Example: Sales Representative Role
PERMISSIONS (What they can DO):
├── Create sales orders: ✓
├── View invoices: ✓
├── Edit customer records: ✓
├── See cost data: ✗
└── Access setup menus: ✗
RESTRICTIONS (What they can SEE):
├── Only their location
└── Only sales department
FORMS (What forms they USE):
└── Simple sales order form
DASHBOARD (Their home page):
└── Sales-focused dashboard
Why Use Roles?
| Goal | How Roles Help |
|---|---|
| Security | Users only access what they need |
| Simplicity | Hide complex features from basic users |
| Compliance | Audit trail shows who did what |
| Efficiency | Streamlined interfaces per job function |
Standard vs Custom Roles
ROLE TYPES
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STANDARD ROLES (Built-in):
├── Administrator
├── Sales Representative
├── A/P Clerk
├── A/R Clerk
├── Accountant
├── Warehouse
└── Many more...
CUSTOM ROLES (You create):
├── Clone standard + modify
├── Or build from scratch
└── Tailored to your needs
How Roles Work
User-Role Relationship
ONE USER, ONE OR MORE ROLES
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User: John Smith
├── Role 1: Sales Representative (default)
├── Role 2: Report Viewer
└── Role 3: (can add more)
John logs in:
├── Gets Sales Representative role (default)
├── Can switch to Report Viewer if needed
└── Has combined access when switching
Role at Login
When a user logs in:
- Default role loads automatically
- User sees that role's dashboard
- User can switch roles (top right menu)
- Each role = different access
Permission Levels
Every permission has a level:
| Level | Create | View | Edit | Delete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| View | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Create | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Edit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Full | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Viewing Role Permissions
HOW TO SEE WHAT A ROLE CAN DO
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Step 1: Navigate
Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles
Step 2: Click role name
Step 3: Go to Permissions tab
├── Transactions: What transactions they can access
├── Lists: What records they can access
├── Reports: What reports they can run
├── Setup: What settings they can change
└── Custom: Custom record access
Step 4: Review each permission level
Common Role Categories
| Category | Example Roles | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | A/P Clerk, A/R Clerk, Accountant | Financial transactions |
| Sales | Sales Rep, Sales Manager | Customer-facing |
| Operations | Warehouse, Purchasing | Inventory/fulfillment |
| Support | Support Rep, Support Manager | Customer service |
| Admin | Administrator | Full system access |
Assigning Roles
HOW TO ASSIGN A ROLE
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Step 1: Go to employee record
Lists > Employees > [Employee]
Step 2: Access tab
Step 3: In Roles section, click "Add"
Step 4: Select role from dropdown
Step 5: Check "Default" if primary role
Step 6: Save
Multiple Roles
Users can have multiple roles:
WHEN TO USE MULTIPLE ROLES
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Good reasons:
├── User does different jobs
│ └── Sales Rep + Report Viewer
├── Temporary extra access
│ └── Normal role + Project role
├── Different access for different areas
│ └── A/P Clerk + Purchasing Agent
Not recommended:
├── Giving more "just in case"
├── Workaround for bad role design
└── Too many roles (confusing)
Quick Reference
| I want to... | Go to |
|---|---|
| View all roles | Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles |
| See role permissions | Role > Permissions tab |
| Create new role | Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles > New |
| Clone a role | Role page > Duplicate |
| Assign role to user | Employee > Access tab > Add role |
Key Concepts
ROLE CONCEPTS SUMMARY
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1. LEAST PRIVILEGE
└── Give minimum access needed
2. JOB-BASED
└── Role matches job function, not person
3. TESTABLE
└── Always test roles before deploying
4. DOCUMENTED
└── Know why each role exists
5. REVIEWED
└── Audit roles periodically
Key Takeaways
- Role = what user can do and see
- Permission levels - None, View, Create, Edit, Full
- Users can have multiple roles - switch as needed
- Start with standard roles - customize as needed
- Least privilege - only what's necessary
Related Topics
- Role Permissions - Permission details
- Role Restrictions - Data limitations
- Custom Roles - Creating roles