Whenever access rights are assigned, almost always the same question comes up: do you create a role that applies to several people, or do you grant access individually to a single person? In the 1Tool Access Manager you do not have to decide which path to take as a matter of principle. Both options exist side by side and are not mutually exclusive, so you can choose whichever approach fits the situation better.
When role-based permissions pay off
Role-based permissions are the right choice for recurring standard tasks carried out by several employees with a similar function. A typical example is an entire sales team that needs access to the same customer records, or all accounting staff who need the same reports. Instead of setting up the same permission separately for each person, you grant it once to the role, and every employee with that role benefits automatically. This not only saves time during setup, it also ensures that new employees in the same function automatically receive the right permissions as soon as they are assigned the appropriate role.
When individual permissions pay off
Individual permissions per person, on the other hand, are the better choice for exceptions that cannot be cleanly mapped to a function. This applies, for example, to particularly sensitive individual records that only one specific person needs to access, regardless of their actual role in the company. Temporary special assignments or project-related responsibilities that do not match a person's regular function can also be mapped more precisely through individual permissions than a role created specifically for that purpose ever could.
Using both approaches at the same time
In practice, one does not rule out the other. Most permissions in a well-organised company can be sensibly mapped through roles, while a smaller number of exceptions are granted individually. The Access Manager in 1Tool supports exactly this combination, so you are not forced to commit to a single principle and then improvise creatively with every exception.
A question of structure, not effort
The choice between a role and an individual permission is therefore less a question of effort than a question of how the requirement is structured. If it concerns an entire function in the company, it belongs in a role. If it concerns a single person in a special situation, it belongs in an individual permission. Making this distinction consciously from the start, instead of always taking the same path out of habit, keeps your permission system clearer over time: roles do not get overloaded with exceptions, and individual permissions do not become a workaround for a role concept that is actually missing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to choose between roles and individual permissions in the 1Tool Access Manager?
No. Both options exist side by side and can be combined, depending on which approach suits the situation better.
When are role-based permissions the better choice?
For recurring standard tasks carried out by several employees with a similar function, a role is the more efficient solution.
When is it better to grant permissions individually?
For exceptions or particularly sensitive individual records that only one specific person needs to access, an individual permission is the more suitable solution.
Does your company already use a combination of roles and individual permissions, or do you rely on just one of the two?