BT Business Direct - What is the 'Roles & Permissions' option in 'My Account' for?

What is the 'Roles & Permissions' option in 'My Account' for?

All about our "Roles & Permissions" Scheme

When you visit the 'My Account' area of your BT Business Direct online account you will notice a section at the bottom called 'Roles & Permissions'. But exactly what is Roles & Permissions and how can it benefit business and organisational customers like you? Let us explain...

Roles & Permissions from BT Business Direct is the online account management tool that business and organisational customers have been waiting for.

With Roles & Permissions, even organisations with complex procurement processes designed to control expenditure and manage supply relationships can enjoy the speed and convenience of buying online.

Roles & Permissions allows business and organisational customers to:

Keep control of online purchases by only giving order placement and authorisation rights to designated members of staff.
Avoid 'maverick' spend by unauthorised members of staff thus staying in control of the purse-strings.
Assign different levels of authority to specific individuals depending on their role within the organisation.
Keep tabs on who is ordering what within your organisation.
Manage everything online via the Administrator Role.

So what are the 'Roles' and their related 'Permissions?'

The Administrator: You can make one or more people in your organisation a Roles & Permissions Administrator. An Administrator enjoys the maximum level of authority available under the Roles & Permissions scheme. Administrators can view any personalised pricing that has been agreed for their organisation, as well as view, place, edit and authorise orders. They can also add, delete or amend those contacts given authority to use your organisation's online account. In addition, Administrators are responsible for managing the level of authority awarded to any individual contact.

The Authoriser: Authorisers have the ability to effectively 'sign off' an online order - thus authorising placement on behalf of their business or organisation. Authorisers can also view any personalised pricing that has been agreed for their organisation, as well as view, edit and place orders too.

The Requester: A Requester is someone authorised to place or edit an online order, but not to sign it off. Requesters can also view any personalised pricing that has been agreed for their organisation. Once a Requester has placed an online order, it won't be processed until an Authoriser approves it.

The Viewer: This is the lowest level of authority under the Roles & Permissions scheme. As the name suggests, a Viewer is allowed to log in to the organisation's online account in order to view any personalised pricing that has been agreed for their organisation, However, they are not permitted to access transactional history, or place, edit or approve online orders.

Frequently Asked Questions About Roles & Permissions

How do I enable the Roles & Permissions functionality on my BT Business Direct online account?
It's easy! Just follow these three steps:

Step 1: Log in to your BT Business Direct account and go to the 'My Account' area.
Step 2: Scroll down until you see the Roles & Permissions section.
Step 3: Click the 'Enable Roles & Permissions' link and follow the online instructions.

As the first contact to join the Roles & Permissions scheme, the system will automatically make you an Administrator. You can then choose to add further contacts, all of which are defaulted to Administrator status in the first instance. However, it's really easy to change the status for each contact depending on whether you wish to make them an Administrator, an Authoriser, a Requester or a Viewer.
Does enabling Roles & Permissions cost anything?
Absolutely nothing! The Roles & Permissions scheme is just one of the many reasons that business and organisational customers choose BT Business Direct. Click here to learn more about the other benefits of working with us.
How will Authorisers be alerted when an order needs to be signed off?
Depending on the communications preferences set, all members of staff who have been designated "Authoriser" status for your organisation will automatically be sent an email to inform them that a Requester has placed an order. The order won't be processed by BT Business Direct until an Authoriser approves it via the online facility provided.
What happens if an Authoriser declines to sign off an order?
If an Authoriser chooses not to 'sign off' an order, then an email will automatically be sent to the person who placed the online order (the Requester) to let them know it has been declined and by whom. Orders that have been declined will not be processed by BT Business Direct and will appear in your transactional history as 'cancelled'.
What happens if an Authoriser neither approves nor declines an order?
Once an order has been placed by a Requester and the automated email alert sent to the designated Authorisers for your organisation, the order will be held in an 'Awaiting Approval' status for a maximum of 7 days. If after 7 days have elapsed the order has still not been approved or declined, then it will be automatically cancelled. Should this happen, an email will be sent to the Requester who placed the order to inform them.
Who can I talk to if I need further help in setting up or using the Roles & Permissions scheme?
For help on any aspect of setting up or using the Roles & Permissions scheme, please call our dedicated call centre exclusively for business and organisational customers on...