Location Visibility Settings

AccuArk's CRM uses location-level visibility settings to control how CRM records are shared within each business location. These settings determine whether deals, tickets, and tasks are visible only to the person who owns them or to everyone at the location. Getting these settings right is critical for balancing privacy and collaboration — too restrictive, and your team cannot help each other; too open, and sensitive sales data may be visible to people who should not see it.

This article explains how the three CRM visibility settings work, describes the two visibility modes, walks through how visibility interacts with CRM permissions, and provides practical guidance for choosing the right configuration for your business.

The Three Visibility Settings

Each location in AccuArk has three independent CRM visibility settings. These settings are configured on the location record and apply to all users who work at that location.

Each setting operates independently. You can configure deals with one visibility mode and tickets with another. This flexibility lets you tailor the CRM experience to match how each type of record is used in your business.

The Two Visibility Modes

Each visibility setting can be set to one of two modes: owner_only or location_wide.

Owner-Only Mode

In owner_only mode, users can only see CRM records that they own. A user "owns" a record if they are the assigned user or the user who created the record. All other records at the location are hidden from them.

How it works in practice:

• Sarah creates a deal for Client A. Only Sarah can see this deal.
• Mike is assigned a ticket from Client B. Only Mike can see this ticket.
• Sarah cannot see Mike's ticket, and Mike cannot see Sarah's deal.
• If Sarah creates a task and assigns it to Mike, both Sarah (as creator) and Mike (as assignee) can see the task.

When to use owner_only:

• Competitive sales environments — When salespeople manage individual pipelines and you do not want them to see each other's deals or commission-sensitive information.
• Individual performance tracking — When each team member is accountable for their own records and you want to measure individual productivity.
• Privacy-sensitive environments — When customer data should only be visible to the person handling the relationship (for example, in legal, financial, or healthcare-adjacent businesses).
• Large teams — When a location has many users and showing everyone's records would create information overload.

Location-Wide Mode

In location_wide mode, all users at the location can see all CRM records at that location, regardless of who owns them. Every deal, ticket, or task created at the location is visible to every user who has the base VIEW_OWN_* permission and is assigned to that location.

How it works in practice:

• Sarah creates a deal for Client A. Everyone at the location can see this deal.
• Mike is assigned a ticket from Client B. Everyone at the location can see this ticket.
• A new employee, Lisa, joins the location. She can immediately see all existing deals, tickets, and tasks without needing individual assignment.

When to use location_wide:

• Collaborative teams — When team members need to see each other's work to provide backup coverage, share knowledge, or collaborate on customer issues.
• Shared workload — When tickets or tasks are distributed dynamically and any team member might need to pick up another person's work.
• Small teams — When the team is small enough that everyone benefits from full visibility and there is no need for record-level privacy.
• Support-focused operations — When customer support tickets should be visible to the entire support team so that anyone can step in to help.

Default Visibility Settings

When a new location is created in AccuArk, the three CRM visibility settings are initialized with the following defaults:

These defaults represent a balanced starting point. Deals and tasks are private by default to protect sensitive data and reduce noise, while tickets are shared by default to promote collaborative customer support.

How Visibility Interacts with Permissions

Visibility settings and CRM permissions work together as a two-layer access control system. Both layers must pass for a user to see a CRM record.

Layer 1: Permission Check

The first layer is the CRM permission check. A user must have the appropriate VIEW_OWN_* permission to access a type of CRM record at all. Without the permission, the entire tab or feature is hidden.

• CRM_VIEW_OWN_DEALS (320) is required to see the Deals tab.
• CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS (325) is required to see the Tickets tab.
• CRM_VIEW_OWN_TASKS (330) is required to see the Tasks tab.

If a user does not have the base permission, visibility settings are irrelevant — they cannot see the feature at all.

Layer 2: Visibility Filter

Once a user passes the permission check, the second layer applies: the location's visibility setting determines which specific records are shown.

• If the location uses owner_only, the user sees only records they own.
• If the location uses location_wide, the user sees all records at the location.

The VIEW_ALL Override

The VIEW_ALL_* permissions (CRM_VIEW_ALL_DEALS, CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS, CRM_VIEW_ALL_TASKS) bypass the visibility filter entirely. A user with a VIEW_ALL permission sees all records across all locations, regardless of the visibility setting at any individual location.

This override is designed for managers and administrators who need a global view of CRM data. It ensures that management-level users are never restricted by location-level settings.

Interaction Examples

The following examples illustrate how the two layers work together:

Example 1: Employee at an owner_only location

• User: Jane (Employee role)
• Permissions: CRM_VIEW_OWN_DEALS (yes), CRM_VIEW_ALL_DEALS (no)
• Location: Downtown Store (crm_deal_visibility = owner_only)
• Result: Jane sees only deals she owns (created or assigned to her) at the Downtown Store.

Example 2: Employee at a location_wide location

• User: Jane (Employee role)
• Permissions: CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS (yes), CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS (no)
• Location: Downtown Store (crm_ticket_visibility = location_wide)
• Result: Jane sees all tickets at the Downtown Store, including those assigned to her colleagues.

Example 3: Manager with VIEW_ALL override

• User: Tom (Manager role with CRM_VIEW_ALL_DEALS)
• Permissions: CRM_VIEW_OWN_DEALS (yes), CRM_VIEW_ALL_DEALS (yes)
• Location: Downtown Store (crm_deal_visibility = owner_only)
• Result: Tom sees all deals across all locations, regardless of the owner_only setting. The VIEW_ALL permission overrides the location visibility.

Example 4: User without base permission

• User: Sam (Accountant role)
• Permissions: CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS (no)
• Location: Downtown Store (crm_ticket_visibility = location_wide)
• Result: Sam cannot see the Tickets tab at all. The location_wide visibility setting is irrelevant because Sam does not have the base VIEW_OWN_TICKETS permission.

Where to Configure Visibility Settings

Visibility settings are configured on the location record. To change them:

1. Navigate to Settings in the main menu.
2. Click Locations.
3. Select the location you want to configure.
4. Scroll to the CRM Settings section of the location form.
5. For each visibility setting (Deal Visibility, Ticket Visibility, Task Visibility), select either owner_only or location_wide from the dropdown.
6. Click Save to apply the changes.

Changes take effect immediately. The next time a user at that location opens a CRM form, the updated visibility rules will apply. Users do not need to log out and back in.

Per-Location Configuration

Visibility settings are configured independently for each location. This means different locations in your business can have different visibility configurations. This is a powerful feature for businesses with diverse operational needs across locations.

Example: Multi-location retail chain

In this example:

• The Main Store uses location_wide for everything because it is a small, collaborative team.
• The Downtown Branch uses owner_only for deals and tasks because it has a larger sales team with individual targets, but location_wide for tickets because support is shared.
• Online Sales uses owner_only for deals because online salespeople manage independent pipelines, but location_wide for tickets and tasks because the online support team works collaboratively.

Common Configuration Scenarios

Below are recommended visibility configurations for different types of businesses.

Small Business (1 Location, 2-5 Employees)

With a small team, full visibility promotes collaboration and ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Everyone can see and help with everything.

Medium Business (Multiple Locations, Individual Sales Targets)

Salespeople manage their own pipelines without seeing competitors' deals. Support tickets are shared so any team member can respond. Tasks remain individual to keep personal action items focused.

Consulting Firm (Client Confidentiality Required)

All records are private. Each consultant sees only their own clients' data. This is the most restrictive configuration and is appropriate when client confidentiality is paramount.

Support Center (No Sales, Ticket-Focused)

Tickets and tasks are shared so the support team can collaborate and pick up each other's work. Deals remain private (if even used) since they are not the focus of the operation.

Troubleshooting Visibility Issues

If a user reports that they cannot see CRM records they expect to see, work through the following checklist:

1. Check the user's role permissions. Does the user have the appropriate VIEW_OWN_* permission? If not, the CRM tab will be hidden entirely. Grant the permission through Settings > Roles & Permissions.
2. Check the location's visibility setting. Is the location set to owner_only for the record type in question? If so, the user will only see records they own. Change the setting to location_wide if the user should see all records, or assign the specific records to the user.
3. Check the user's location assignment. Is the user assigned to the correct location? Users only see records at locations they are assigned to. Verify the user's location assignments in their user profile.
4. Check for VIEW_ALL override. Does the user have (or need) the VIEW_ALL_* permission? If they need to see records across all locations, grant the appropriate VIEW_ALL permission.
5. Refresh the form. Visibility changes take effect immediately, but the user may need to close and reopen the CRM form (or press F5 on the Dashboard) to see the updated data.

Summary Table

The following table summarizes the key differences between the two visibility modes:

Tips and Best Practices

• Start with the defaults — The default visibility settings are designed to balance privacy and collaboration. Change them only after understanding how your team works.
• Match visibility to workflow — If your team shares customer support responsibilities, use location_wide for tickets. If salespeople compete for commissions, use owner_only for deals.
• Use VIEW_ALL sparingly — The VIEW_ALL permissions override all location settings and show records from every location. Reserve them for managers and administrators who genuinely need a global view.
• Communicate changes — When you change a location's visibility settings, inform the affected team members. Switching from owner_only to location_wide means everyone will suddenly see each other's records, which may be surprising if they are not expecting it.
• Review when adding locations — Each new location inherits the default visibility settings. Review and adjust them when you set up a new location to ensure they match the location's operational needs.
• Document your rationale — Keep a note of why each location uses its specific visibility configuration. This helps when onboarding new administrators or reviewing settings during audits.

What to Read Next

• CRM Permissions & Role Setup — Complete reference for all 19 CRM permissions and default role assignments
• CRM Troubleshooting FAQ — Common CRM issues and solutions