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Function documentationApplication Group Development Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

Application group development involves setting up the application groups for all the users of the application and the Administrator. This is system information that is independent of any context definitions.

Application groups define each user's experience in the Administrator and the application in terms of permissions, views, and accessibility. All the members in the application group share the same functionality and access to the application, including the administrator with a few exceptions. If you want an individual user to have a unique view, you would create an application group with that user as the only member. For information, see Administrative Roles and Permissions.

Use application groups to provide a secure, unique and filtered experience of the application for your users. You can set the following limitations on an application group:

  • The ability to view certain tabs in the application.

  • The ability to view certain contexts. One group may be allowed to view one context in the application, while another group is allowed to view another context. For information, see Application Group Assignments.

  • The ability to perform certain reporting functions in the application.

  • The ability to perform certain administrative functions in the Administrator.

Every strategy management user must be added to at least one application group, even the administrator.

Integration

When starting the Administrator, each user is evaluated based on their application group. Users have access to certain sections of the application based on the permissions selected for their application group. If you do not allow an application group to use a certain feature of the Administrator, that section is grayed out and unavailable for the users in that application group.

When starting the application, each user is evaluated based on their application group. Users have access to certain tabs and functions in the application based on the permissions selected for their application group. For example, if an application group is not given the Create Initiatives permission, the Add Initiative link is unavailable in the Initiatives component for the members of that application group. If an application group is not given the Home tab, that tab is not displayed for the users in that group.

In the application, application group users with the appropriate permissions can do the following with application groups:

  • When creating a report in the Reports component, they can specify which application groups can see the report.

  • When creating a dashboard in the Dashboard component, they can specify which application groups can see the dashboard.

  • When creating a comment, they can specify which application groups can see the comment.

  • When creating an initiative, they can specify which application groups can see the initiative. For example, if the Marketing group has Create/Edit Initiatives permission, a user in the Marketing group can create an initiative and allow any application group to see the initiative.

  • The user can choose from all defined groups, even ones that the user is not a member of. Users always have access to the item they created.

Prerequisites

You are running the Administrator as the strategy management administrator. If Administration is unavailable to you, it means you are not running the Administrator as an administrator.

Features

You can do the following to develop application groups:

  • Create a new application group by clicking New. By default, a new application group has no users, no access to tabs, and does not have any reporting or administrative permissions. For information, see Creating an Application Group.

  • Rename an application group selected in the Application Groups list by clicking Rename.

  • Delete an application group selected in the Application Groups list by clicking Delete. Deleted users are removed from this application group, but are not deleted at the system level. These users can continue to use the application if they are assigned to another application group, and can be added to new application groups.

  • Edit application group definitions.

  • Display a list of all the saved application groups in the Application Groups list.

  • Add and remove users in the application group by selecting them from System Groups or Users and clicking Add. You can add up to 1,000 users to an application group. To remove users, select the user or system group and click Remove. As you assign users to application groups, keep in mind the model connections and contexts they will be accessing. For example, say you assign user 1, user 2, and user 3 to a model connection. Then you assign user 1 to an application group and you assign the application group to a context. Then you assign the model connection to the context. Only user 1 can access the context even though user 2 and user 3 can access the model connection.

  • Specify which tabs in the application are visible to the members of the application group. Select the tabs that at a minimum match the permissions you are providing. For example, if you are creating an application group that can create initiatives, you must select at least the Initiatives tab.

  • Change the order that tabs appear in the application using Move Up and Move Down.

  • Limit the selected application group's view of the application to just the Operational Review panel in the Home component. In the Tabs to Display section, select just the Home tab and no other tabs. If any tabs are already selected, remove them from the Selected Tabs list. All Reporting permissions and administrative permissions are ignored. You do not need to deselect them. Users can access Home and view just the Operational Reviews section. Users can click the operational review links to display the published operational reviews in a PDF Reader.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create objectives and perspectives by clicking Create/Edit Objectives. This permission makes the Perspectives and Objectives link in the Libraries section available. This application group should have access to the Scorecard tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create goal diagrams, cause and effect diagram, and themes, and pathways by clicking Create/Edit Strategy. This permission makes all the links in Strategy available. This application group should have access to the Strategy tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create contexts by clicking Create/Edit Contexts. This permission makes all the links in Contexts available.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create scorecards by clicking Create/Edit Scorecards. This permission makes all the links in Scorecards available. This permission also makes the Standard KPIs link in the Libraries section available. This application group should have access to the Scorecard tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create initiatives in the Initiatives component by clicking Create Initiatives. It displays the Add Initiative link in the Initiatives component. This application group must have access to the Initiatives tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create operational reviews in the Home component by clicking Create Operational Reviews. This permission displays the New link in the Operational Reviews panel in the Home component. This application group must have access to the Home tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to create comments and replies by clicking Create Comments. This permission displays the Comments: Add link in the components. It also displays the New and Reply buttons when you click Comments: View.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to use advanced report settings in the Reports component by clicking Display Advanced Report Settings. This permission displays the full settings and options in the Settings panel of the Reports component. This application group must have access to the Reports tab.

  • Allow the members of the selected application group to save dashboards and reports to a public set in the Dashboard and Reports component by clicking Save Public. This permission displays the All users (Public) option in the Save Report dialog box when a user clicks Save in the Reports and Dashboard components. Both the author and the administrator can edit, rename, and delete these public items. This application group must have access to the Dashboard and Reports tabs and must have the Display Advanced Report Settings permission. If you deselect this option, users in the application group can save reports and dashboards to their group set or to their own private set.

  • Display a user's memberships, permissions, and tabs by selecting a user or system group from the left-hand list. The selected name appears next to the Groups and users section with an icon showing a user. Click the user icon to display a box that shows you all the application groups to which this user belongs. After determining all the application groups this user is a member of, in turn select an application group from the Application Groups list and review the permissions and tabs.

  • Display the tabs assigned to a particular application group.

Activities

To develop application groups, click Manage Application Groups in the Administration section.

To display an application group's memberships by context, click Assign Application Groups in the Contexts section and select the context from the Context drop-down list.