How to set access rights in Salesforce by utilizing profiles and permission sets

Salesforce is a useful tool for managing customer data and business processes within a company. However, not everyone has access to all data and functions, and it is important to set the appropriate permissions. In this article, we will explain in simple terms how to use profiles and permission sets to give appropriate permissions to specific people so that even beginners can understand.

1. What are Profiles and Authorization Sets?

1.1 What are Profiles?

Profiles are the basic rules that determine which data and functions are available to people using Salesforce. For example, you can set the following

• Decide who “can see the customer list,” “can create business meetings,” and “can delete data.
  • Give them “the ability to create reports” and “the authority to open applications.

A profile is like an employee ID card that defines “what” a person can do. For example, an employee ID card for a sales team has the authority to “view customer data” and “create business meetings,” while an employee ID card for a support team has the authority to “edit inquiry data. Also, since a profile is like an employee ID card, only one profile can be assigned to each person.

For example:.

• Profile for sales team → Authorization to view customer data and create business meetings.
• Profile for support team → Authorization to edit inquiry data.

1.2 What are Permission Sets?

Permission Sets are a mechanism for granting additional privileges to a profile.

While only one profile can be set per person, multiple permission sets can be assigned to a person. This makes it possible to grant special privileges only to certain people, or to attach temporary privileges only for the duration of a project.

Authorization sets are like “special stamps” that can be added to employee ID cards. For example, a “discount pricing” stamp can be added to a sales leader’s employee ID card.

Example.

• Only certain people on the sales team are authorized to “set discount prices”.
• Give only the support team leader the “Export Data” permission.

2. Differences between Profiles and Authorization Sets

Different uses: (1)

• Profile: Set basic privileges required for the entire team.
• Permission sets: Additional permissions required only for specific people.

Example.

• All sales people have “Edit customer data” privileges in a profile.
• The “Set discount price” privilege for the sales leader is added in a permission set.

3. How to set up a profile

3.1 Basic setting procedure

1. Click the gear symbol in the upper right corner of the Salesforce screen and click “Settings”.
2. Type “user” in the quick search in the upper left corner of the screen and click “profile” from the menu on the left.
3. Copy “Create New Profile” or “Standard User.” Then give it a name (e.g., for the sales team).
4. Set up the following fields: …
   • Object permissions: Grant permissions to “Browse”, “Create”, “Edit”, etc. customer and sales data.
   • Display tabs: Display only the tabs you need (e.g., the Sales team only has access to the Sales tab).
   • System Permissions: Determine if overall functionality (e.g. report creation, data export) is allowed or not.

3.2 Tips for using profiles

• Creating one profile per team simplifies management.
• It is flexible to set only the minimum necessary permissions and use permission sets when additional permissions are needed.

4. How to set up an authorization set

4.1 Basic setup procedure

1. Click the gear symbol in the upper right corner of the screen and click “Settings” → Type “Authorization Set” in the quick search in the upper left corner and select “Authorization Set”.
2. Click on “New Authorization Set” and give it a name (e.g., Discount Setting Authorization).
3. Configure the following items: a. Click on the “New Authorization Set” button. b. Click on the “Discount Setting Authorization” button.
   • Object Authority: Grant the authority to operate on a specific object (e.g., business meeting).
   • Field Authority: Set “Browse” and “Edit” for each field.
   • System permissions: Set up API access, data export permissions, etc.
4. Click “Assign to User” to apply the permission set to a specific user.

4.2 Useful Situations for Using Permission Sets

• Project-specific: Temporarily grant privileges needed for a specific project.
• Special roles within a team: Allow only the sales leader to set discount prices.

5. How to Combine Profiles and Authorization Sets

5.1 When should you combine them?

• Basic business permissions: Set by profile.
  • Authority for the sales team to edit negotiation data.
• Special role permissions: added in the permission set.
  • Authority for sales leaders to set discount prices.

5.2 Examples of actual settings

Example 1: Sales Leader is authorized to set discounts

1. A “Sales Representative Profile” is applied to the entire sales team.
2. Create a “Discount Setting Authorization Set” for the sales leader.
3. Assign “Discount Setting Authorization Set” to the sales leader’s users.

Example 2: Granting temporary privileges to project members

1. Create a “Development Project Only Profile” and set basic privileges.
2. Set up an “Authorization Set” for functions required only during the project period.
3. Delete the authorization set when the project is finished.

6. Notes and Tips

6.1 Principle of Minimum Authorization

Grant only the minimum necessary privileges to users. This prevents unauthorized operations and accidental data modification.

6.2 Periodic review

• Periodically review profiles and authorization sets to ensure that they are not outdated.
• Delete authority sets that are no longer needed.

6.3 Testing Authorizations

After setting new privileges, check the actual operation with a test user.

7. Conclusion

By skillfully using Salesforce profiles and permission sets, you can manage your company’s data securely and efficiently. By setting up basic permissions for your entire team with profiles and adding special permissions for specific people or situations with permission sets, you can achieve both flexibility and security.

Take advantage of this mechanism to make your company’s Salesforce environment even easier to use!