Managing Multiple Businesses

Learn how super administrators can configure, maintain, and oversee multiple business organizations within the Shifts platform while maintaining proper data isolation and security.

Overview

The Shifts platform uses a multi-tenant architecture that allows super administrators to manage multiple distinct business organizations within a single instance. Each business operates within its own secure environment with isolated data, while super administrators can oversee all businesses from a centralized interface. This article explains how to effectively manage multiple businesses in the platform.

Accessing Multi-Business Management

To access the multi-business management features:

1. Log in with a Super Administrator account
2. Navigate to the System Admin area by clicking the gear icon in the top-right corner
3. Select Business Management from the left navigation menu
4. The business management dashboard will display with a list of all businesses

Only users with the Super Administrator role can access this section.

Business Overview Dashboard

The business overview dashboard provides a comprehensive view of all organizations:

1. Business List: Shows all businesses with:
   • Name and subdomain
   • Status (Active, Suspended, Trial)
   • Created date
   • Business type
   • User count
   • Subscription status
2. Quick Metrics:
   • Total businesses
   • Active businesses
   • Businesses created this month
   • Total active users across all businesses
   • Total shifts scheduled
3. Action Tools:
   • Search and filter businesses
   • Create new business
   • Manage business settings
   • View business details
   • Generate reports

Creating a New Business

To add a new organization to the platform:

1. From the Business Management dashboard, click Create New Business
2. Complete the business creation form:
   • Business Name: The company name
   • Subdomain: The URL subdomain for this business (must be unique)
   • Business Type: Select type (Customer, Trial, Internal, Partner)
   • Industry: Select the industry category
   • Company Size: Number of employees
   • Primary Contact: Contact person information
   • Initial Administrator: The first admin user for this business
3. Choose setup options:
   • Default Settings: Apply standard configuration
   • Template Business: Copy settings from an existing business
   • Custom Setup: Configure all settings manually
4. Click Create Business

The system will provision the new business with appropriate initial settings.

Managing Business Settings

To configure business-specific settings:

1. From the Business Management dashboard, find the business
2. Click the Settings button for that business
3. You can modify:
   • Basic Information: Name, industry, contact details
   • Subdomain: URL subdomain (caution: changing affects all users)
   • Status: Active, Suspended, or Archived
   • Business Type: Change between different business types
   • Feature Access: Enable/disable platform features
   • API Access: Configure API permissions
   • Billing Information: Update subscription and billing details
4. Click Save Changes when finished

Switching Between Businesses

Super administrators can quickly move between businesses:

1. Click on the business selector in the top navigation bar
2. Select a business from the dropdown list
3. You will switch to the selected business context
4. The URL will change to reflect the business subdomain
5. All data and screens now display information for the selected business

When switching businesses, you retain your super administrator permissions.

Data Isolation and Security

The platform enforces strict data isolation between businesses:

Security Architecture

• Each business’s data is logically separated
• Cross-business data access is prevented through systematic controls
• Default security scopes ensure queries only return data from the current business
• Security auditing tracks any attempts to access cross-business data

Understanding Business Context

• The current business context is determined by the subdomain in the URL
• All database queries are automatically scoped to the current business
• System-wide resources are specially marked and shared across businesses
• Data created within a business remains isolated to that business

User Management Across Businesses

Adding Users to Multiple Businesses

To associate a user with multiple businesses:

1. Navigate to System Admin > User Management
2. Search for the user by email address
3. Select the user to view their profile
4. Click the Business Associations tab
5. Click Add Business Association
6. Choose the business to add
7. Set their role within the new business
8. Click Add Association

The user will receive an email notification about the new association.

Viewing Cross-Business User Information

To see which users belong to multiple businesses:

1. Navigate to System Admin > Reports > Cross-Business User Report
2. The report shows:
   • Users with multiple business associations
   • Which businesses they belong to
   • Their role in each business
   • Last login to each business
3. Use filters to narrow down results
4. Export the report as CSV if needed

Cross-Business Reporting

Super administrators can access analytics across all businesses:

1. Navigate to System Admin > System Analytics
2. The dashboard shows aggregate metrics:
   • User adoption rates
   • Feature usage statistics
   • System performance metrics
   • Growth trends
3. Use filters to focus on:
   • Business type
   • Date ranges
   • Geographic regions
   • Industry categories
4. Generate detailed reports with the Export Report button

Managing Shared Resources

Some resources can be shared across businesses:

System-Wide Settings

1. Navigate to System Admin > System Settings
2. Configure global settings that apply to all businesses:
   • Password policy defaults
   • Session timeout defaults
   • System maintenance windows
   • Default role configurations

Help Articles and Knowledge Base

1. Navigate to System Admin > Help Center
2. Manage articles that can be:
   • System-wide (visible to all businesses)
   • Business-specific (visible only to one business)
3. Toggle the System Article setting to make articles available globally

Business Templates and Cloning

Save time by creating new businesses based on templates:

1. Navigate to System Admin > Business Templates
2. Create a template from:
   • An existing business configuration
   • A pre-defined industry template
   • A custom configuration
3. When creating a new business, select the template
4. All settings, roles, and configurations will be copied

System Permissions for Business Management

Different system roles have varying levels of access:

1. Super Administrators: Full access to all businesses and settings
2. System Administrators: Can manage businesses but with some restrictions
3. Business Administrators: Can only manage their own business
4. Support: Limited access for troubleshooting

Review the System Roles article for detailed permission information.

Monitoring Business Health

Monitor the health and activity of all businesses:

1. Navigate to System Admin > Business Health Dashboard
2. View key metrics for each business:
   • Active users (last 7/30 days)
   • Feature adoption rates
   • Support ticket volume
   • System usage patterns
   • Upcoming renewal dates
3. Sort and filter to identify businesses needing attention
4. Click on a business to see detailed health metrics

Best Practices

For optimal management of multiple businesses:

1. Consistent Naming: Use a consistent naming convention for businesses
2. Regular Audits: Review business settings and user associations quarterly
3. Template Discipline: Keep business templates updated with current best practices
4. User Training: Ensure users understand how to switch between businesses
5. Data Validation: Verify data isolation when implementing new features
6. Document Customizations: Track business-specific customizations for support purposes
7. Staggered Updates: Roll out major changes to a subset of businesses first
8. Performance Monitoring: Watch for performance impact when adding businesses

Troubleshooting Common Issues

User Access Problems

• Verify business associations in the user’s profile
• Check role assignments within each business
• Ensure business is active and not suspended

Data Visibility Issues

• Confirm you’re in the correct business context (check URL subdomain)
• Review system permissions for the role
• Check if the data is system-wide or business-specific

New Business Setup Problems

• Verify all required fields were completed
• Check subdomain availability and formatting
• Ensure the initial administrator email is valid

Related Resources

• Cross Business Reporting
• Access Control Policies
• System Roles
• Tenant Security

This article should be updated when:

1. New multi-business management features are added
2. The business creation workflow changes
3. Data isolation mechanisms are enhanced
4. Cross-business reporting capabilities expand
5. Business template functionality changes