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How to use User Groups

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Written by Faith Maldoner
Updated this week

User Groups in FieldEx let you control who can view, act on, and approve key workflows across the platform. In the Admin setup, you’ll define groups, add members, and map those groups to modules and locations (like inventory zones and bins). This article explains how User Groups work in general, and how to use the four core group contexts in FieldEx: Job Order, Ticket, Inventory, and Notification.

What Are User Groups?


A User Group is a named set of users with shared responsibilities and permissions. Groups are referenced by multiple modules to determine who can perform actions (e.g., create/assign/approve) and who must be notified. Groups also enable location-based control: you can attach a group to a zone or bin so that only members of that group can move, receive, or approve transfers for inventory in that location.

Concept

What it controls

Typical examples

Membership

Who is allowed to act/approve/receive in a process

Technicians, Planners, Supervisors, Storekeepers

Group Type

Which module references the group for permissions/workflow

Job Orders, Tickets, Inventory, Notifications

Location Mapping

Which zones/bins the group manages

Warehouse A → Zone ER-12; Vans → User Bins

Tip: Keep groups role-based and reusable. For example, “East Region - Inventory Approvers” can be referenced by multiple zones and still be used in approval workflows.

The 4 User Group Contexts in FieldEx


FieldEx references groups across four core contexts. You can create separate groups per context or reuse the same set where appropriate.

1) Job Order Groups

Used by the Job Orders module to define who can create, assign, progress statuses, or approve specific steps. Typical groups include: Job Planners, Supervisors, Field Technicians, Quality Review.

  • Control assignment and status transitions

  • Gate sensitive actions (e.g., completion approval)

  • Drive visibility in job dashboards and queues

2) Ticket Groups

Used by the Tickets module to route new issues, control who can triage and escalate, and define approval for closures where required. Typical groups: Support Tier 1, Support Tier 2, Escalations.

  • Define who receives and triages new tickets

  • Separate frontline vs. escalation responsibilities

  • Optionally require closure approvals

3) Inventory Groups

Inventory groups control who can perform and approve transfers and who can receive items for specific zones/bins. This is the core of custody, movement approvals, and auditability.

  • Create groups of users and assign them to inventory zones/bins

  • Only users in the assigned group can move or receive items for those bins

  • Approval workflows (e.g., requisition/consignment) reference these groups for Level 1/Level 2 approvals

4) Notification Groups

Define who gets notified for specific events (e.g., “Transfer Pending”, “Approval Required”, “Job Overdue”). Use them to keep the right people informed without spamming everyone.

  • Target notifications to the responsible team

  • Support email and in-app notifications

  • Map events to groups centrally in the Notifications setup

Useful Pre‑requisites


Before you configure group-based controls, make sure the following are defined:

  • Clear roles and responsibilities in your operation

  • Warehouse/Zone/Bin structure (including user bins and van bins)

  • Approval policy for Job Orders, Tickets, and Inventory movements

Tip: Start with a small set of groups (e.g., by region and function) and expand only if policy requires finer control.

Creating User Groups


Path: Setup > Users > Groups

  1. Select the Group Type this group will serve (Job Order, Ticket, Inventory, Notification).

  2. Click Create New.

  3. Enter a Group Name (e.g., “East Region – Inventory Approvers”).

  4. Add Members (users) to the group.

  5. Click Save.

Field

Description

Example

Group Name

Label used across modules and approvals

East Region – Inventory Approvers

Group Type

Where this group is referenced

Inventory / Job Order / Ticket / Notification

Members

Users belonging to the group

Staff, Engineer

Assigning Groups to Inventory Zones/Bins


Path: Setup > Modules > Inventory > Zone

  1. Select the Zone that contains the bins you want to control.

  2. Set the Managing Group for the zone (e.g., your Inventory Approvers group).

  3. Save changes. All bins under this zone now inherit the managing group.

With this mapping in place, only users in the assigned group will be able to initiate, approve, and receive transfers for the bins under that zone. This includes requisitions, consignments, and direct bin-to-bin transfers.

Why this matters: Location-based control prevents unauthorized stock movement and ensures accountability for all item custody changes.

Using Groups in Approval Workflows


Many approval flows in FieldEx (e.g., Requisition and Consignment notes) reference groups as Level 1 and Level 2 approvers. Typically, the Zone Managing Group acts as Level 1, and a supervising group (e.g., Regional Management) acts as Level 2.

  • At least one approval group is required for inventory movements.

  • Level 1 and Level 2 must be different groups.

  • Approvals can be sequential or parallel, based on your setup.

Using Groups in Job Orders, Tickets, and Notifications


Job Orders

  • Restrict who can change statuses or approve completions.

  • Route jobs to the correct planning/approval group.

Tickets

  • Route new tickets to the correct triage group.

  • Define escalation groups for advanced support.

Notifications

  • Map specific events to the right notification group (email & in‑app).

  • Keep communications targeted and actionable.

Key Field Summary


Field

Type

Used In

Purpose

Group Name

Text

All

Identifies the group across modules and approvals

Group Type

Choice

Job Order / Ticket / Inventory / Notification

Determines where the group is referenced

Members

Users

All

Defines who can act/approve/receive

Managing Group (Zone)

Reference

Inventory

Controls transfers and approvals for bins in the zone

Approval Level

Level (L1/L2)

Inventory / Job Order / Ticket

Sets sequence and oversight in approvals

Notification Mapping

Event → Group

Notification

Targets the right audience for alerts

Tip: For inventory control, assign a Managing Group at the zone level so that all bins under the zone inherit the same governance—this reduces configuration drift and audit gaps.

Examples & Use Cases


  • Inventory: “Warehouse A – Approvers (L1)” and “Regional Ops – Approvers (L2)” govern all bins under Warehouse A’s zones.

  • Job Orders: “HVAC Planners” can assign and re‑schedule jobs; “HVAC Supervisors” approve completion.

  • Tickets: “Support Tier 1” receives new tickets; “Escalations” handles complex cases.

  • Notifications: “Inventory Alerts – East” receives “Transfer Pending” and “Approval Required” events for East region bins.

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