👥 Primary Audience: Admins, Partner Admins , Office Admins
Every person on your team who needs access to Alvys must have their own user account. This article walks you through the entire lifecycle of a user account, from creating it for the first time, to assigning the appropriate role and permissions, to updating access as responsibilities change, and finally to deactivating the account when someone leaves your company.
This guide is intended for those who manage Alvys on behalf of their organization, including owners, general managers, office administrators, and in some cases senior billers. You do not need a technical background to follow these steps. The instructions below are designed to match exactly what you see on screen in Alvys.
User Management Requirements
Before you can create or edit users in Alvys, the following two (2) conditions must be met:
You must have access to the Management/Company Profile section of the platform.
Your own user account must have the Add user and Set Permission management permissions assigned to it.
Accessing the Company Profile/Management Page
The Company Profile, where user account management is centralized, is restricted to authorized personnel. This section is only visible to users assigned one of the following administrative roles:
Admin
Partner Admin
Office Admin
Support (Reserved for Alvys internal staff)
⚠️ Users assigned any other role, such as Dispatcher, Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, Operations Manager, or Driver, this menu option will not appear in your navigation. As a result, you will not be able to create, view, or modify user accounts.
Who Can Create New Users
Seeing the Management section is not enough by itself. To successfully create a new account, your profile must specifically include the Add User permission, which grants access to the user creation interface. Furthermore, possessing the Set Permission authorization is essential. This allows an administrator to modify and fine-tune the specific permissions that are automatically populated by default when a base role is selected during the account setup process. Without this, you may be able to create a user, but you will lack the authority to modify their permissions resulting in an incomplete account setup.
User Account Creation Workflow
Access User Management
Log in to Alvys using an account that possesses both the Add User and Set Permission authorizations.
Select your username in the bottom left corner of the interface and click the Company Profile menu item.
On the Company profile/ management page, Select the Users tab from the top navigation bar which will display the list of all active and inactive users within your organization.
Click the “Add User” button in the upper right corner of the Users screen. This will open the new user creation form
ℹ️ If the Add User button is not visible, your account does not have the required Add User permission. Please contact your Admin to request access.
Enter the User's Basic Information
First and Last Name: Enter the user's legal or preferred name, which serves as their identity for notifications, activity logs, and display throughout the Alvys platform.
Email Address: Provide a valid work email address to serve as the user's unique login username. This address must not already exist in the system.
Password: Assign a temporary password. It is a security best practice to instruct the user to update this credential immediately upon their first login.
Office Location: Select the specific branch or office to which the user is assigned to ensure proper organizational alignment.
Role Selection: This field determines the user's base access level; specific instructions for this selection are covered in a following step, so skip this for now.
Assign a Base Role
This is the most important configuration step. The role you select determines the starting set of permissions the user receives. In the Role dropdown, select the role that best matches this user's job function. Refer to the User Roles in Alvys article for a detailed explanation and comparison of the main roles.
Common Role Assignments by Job Title:
IT/System Administrator: Assign the Admin role.
Company Owner, President, CEO or General Manager : Assign the Partner Admin role.
Operations Manager, Fleet Manager or Terminal Manager: Assign the Operation Manager role.
Office Manager, Administrative Manager, or Back-Office Coordinator: Assign the Office Admin role.
Freight Dispatcher, Load Planner, Load Coordinator, or Driver Manager: Assign the Dispatcher role.
Billing Clerk, Accounts Receivable/Payable Specialist, Payroll Clerk, or Transportation Accountant: Assign the Biller role.
Freight Broker, Logistics Sales Representative, Account Executive, or Business Development Representative: Assign the Sales Agent role.
Data Entry Clerk, Administrative Assistant, Load Builder, or EDI Coordinator: Assign the Data Entry role.
Safety Manager, DOT Compliance Officer, Fleet Safety Coordinator, or Risk/Compliance Specialist: Assign the Safety role.
⚠️ Do not assign the Admin role to every user as a shortcut to "give them everything they need." The Admin role carries significant permissions, including the ability to edit pay plans, view financial data, and modify carrier and customer records, that most dispatchers and data entry staff should not have. Assign the most appropriate restricted role first and then adjust specific permissions as needed.
Review and Adjust Permissions
Once a base role is selected, Alvys automatically populates the default permissions associated with that role. Before finalizing the account, follow these steps to review and refine their access:
Scroll down to the Permissions area of the user form to view the available toggles organized by operational category.
Any toggle currently ON (checked) represents an active permission for the user; evaluate these defaults against the user’s specific job responsibilities.
Review the default permissions for the assigned role against the user's actual job responsibilities. For a full explanation of what each permission does, see the User Roles & Permissions Collection.
Turn individual toggles OFF for any capability you do not want this user to have.
Turn individual toggles ON for any additional capability the user specifically needs that is not in the default set.
✅ Best Practice: Do not rush this step. Taking a few minutes to review permissions when creating an account is far less disruptive than troubleshooting access issues afterward or discovering that a user had access to sensitive financial data they should not have.
Save the Account
Once you are satisfied with the role and permission configuration, click the Add User button located in the bottom-left corner of the form.
The user will receive a login invitation at their email address, or you can share the temporary password directly depending on your company's onboarding process.
The new user now appears in your Users list.
ℹ️ Newly created users are active immediately upon saving. If you are setting up an account for someone who has not yet started, you can create the account in advance and ask them to change their password on their first day.
Confirm Access
After finalizing the new account, follow these best practices to ensure the user has the appropriate level of access:
Request that the new user log in to confirm they can access all operational sections required for their role.
Have them report any areas where they receive "Access Denied" or do not see expected buttons; these instances typically indicate a missing permission toggle.
Perform any necessary adjustments directly from the User Management screen to resolve access issues and fine-tune the user’s functional capabilities.
Efficient User Setup with Base Roles and Granular Overrides
Alvys follows a Base Role plus Granular Override philosophy to simplify user setup while maintaining security and efficiency. Each user begins with a base role, such as Dispatcher or Sales Agent, which automatically activates a carefully curated set of default permissions. This eliminates the need to manually toggle every individual permission, ensuring that the role provides a sensible foundation for most users.
Once the base role is assigned, administrators should review the pre-loaded permissions and make only intentional, targeted adjustments. Turn off permissions that the user does not need and enable any additional permissions specific to their responsibilities. This approach is far safer and faster than starting with a restrictive role and manually enabling every permission or, conversely, assigning a high-level role like Admin indiscriminately. Doing so minimizes errors, prevents unnecessary access to sensitive data, and ensures users have exactly the permissions they need without confusion or security risks. Following this philosophy simplifies account creation, provides a clear baseline for permissions, and allows deliberate, controlled exceptions where necessary.
User Management: Editing, Deactivating, and Deleting Users
User accounts do not end with creation. Over time you will need to update roles, adjust permissions, deactivate accounts when staff leave, and occasionally remove accounts entirely.
Accessing an Existing User's Profile
Select your Username in the bottom left corner.
Navigate to Company Profile and select the Users tab.
Find the user by name or email in the Users list. You can use the search bar if your team is large.
Click the user's name or row to open their profile.
You will see their basic information, assigned role, and current permission toggles.
✅ Best Practice: Make it a habit to review user profiles periodically, ideally quarterly to ensure people only have access that matches their current job responsibilities. Staff change roles, take on new responsibilities, or leave the company, and their Alvys access should stay in sync.
Editing a User's Profile
To change a user's name, email, role, or individual permissions:
Open the user's profile (steps above).
Directly modify the fields if the form is open for editing.
Change the role dropdown if you need to reassign them to a different role.
⚠️ Note: Changing a role automatically reset all permissions to the new role's defaults. Review the permission toggles after a role change to ensure they reflect the intended access.
Adjust individual permission toggles as needed.
Changing a User's Password
If a user forgets their password or you need to reset access:
Open the user's profile.
Look for the password Reset option.
A password reset link will be sent to the user's email.
Notify the user to access their email and click the link to set a new password.
Deactivating and Reactivating a User
Deactivating (rather than deleting) a user account is the recommended approach when someone leaves your company or takes an extended leave. Deactivation:
Prevents the user from logging in immediately
Preserves their historical activity log and audit trail in Alvys (loads they dispatched, invoices they processed, etc.)
Allows the account to be reactivated in the future if needed
To deactivate a user:
Find the user by name or email in the Users list. You can use the search bar if your team is large.
From the user row, select the status dropdown menu.
Set the account to “Disabled”.
Save. The user will be unable to log in from this point forward.
✅ Best Practice: Deactivate a departing employee's account on their last day, ideally before they finish their shift. Do not wait until their IT equipment has been returned or their email has been shut down, as an active Alvys login would still allow access from any device.
To reactivate the user in the future, return to their profile, select the status dropdown, set it to “Active”, and save. The user will regain access with their previous permissions intact.
Deleting a User
Deleting a user permanently removes their account from Alvys. This action requires the Delete User permission, which is not included in the Admin default set and must be explicitly enabled. Deletion is irreversible, meaning the account and its direct records cannot be recovered.
Because deletion is permanent and requires a special permission that even Admins do not have by default, deactivation is strongly preferred over deletion in almost all cases. Deletion is typically only appropriate for test accounts or duplicate accounts created by mistake.
To delete a user (if you have the Delete User permission):
Open the user's profile.
Locate the Delete icon in the top right corner.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the requirements to create or edit users in Alvys? A: You must have access to the Company Profile section and your account must be assigned both the Add User and Set Permission authorizations.
Q: Which roles can see the Company Profile or Management section? A: Visibility is restricted to the Admin, Partner Admin, Office Admin, and Alvys Support roles. Other roles, such as Dispatcher or Sales Agent, will not see this menu option.
Q: Why can I see the Management section but not the "Add User" button? A: Visibility of the section is determined by your role, but the ability to create users requires the specific Add User permission toggle to be enabled on your profile.
Q: Is it okay to assign the Admin role to every user so they have full access? A: No. The Admin role should be used sparingly as it allows access to sensitive financial data and pay plans. It is better to assign a specific operational role and use granular overrides for additional needs.
Q: What happens if I change a user's base role after customizing their permissions? A: Changing a role automatically resets all permissions to the new role's defaults. You must review and re-adjust the permission toggles after switching a role to ensure the desired access is maintained.
Q: How do I handle a user who forgot their password? A: Navigate to the user's profile and select the Reset Password option. Alvys will automatically send a secure password reset link to the user’s registered email address.
Q: Should I delete or deactivate an account when an employee leaves? A: Deactivation is strongly preferred. It prevents the user from logging in while preserving their historical activity logs and audit trails, whereas deletion is permanent and irreversible.
Q: Can multiple employees share a single Alvys login? A: No. Every user must have a unique email address. Shared accounts are discouraged as they compromise security and make it impossible to track which individual performed specific actions.
Q: When is the best time to deactivate a departing employee's account? A: You should deactivate the account on their last day, ideally before their shift ends. This ensures they cannot access the system from personal devices even after returning company equipment.
Q: If a user sees an "Access Denied" message, what does that mean? A: This typically indicates a missing permission toggle. You should identify which action they were attempting and enable the corresponding permission in their user profile.
Q: Does deactivating a user affect the loads they previously dispatched? A: No. Deactivation only blocks future access. All historical records, including dispatched loads and processed invoices associated with that user, remain intact for reporting and audit purposes.
Q: How often should I review user permission profiles? A: It is a best practice to review user profiles quarterly to ensure that access levels still align with current job responsibilities and company security policies.
Next Steps
⏭️ Proceed to the User Permissions Glossary to quickly browse every permission, see its description, and identify which roles include it. This allows fast, easy reference when granting access, troubleshooting, or auditing user permissions.
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