User Configuration

User Types

User Types in OPS-COM categorize your system users (e.g., Student, Staff, Public) and control various aspects of their interaction with the system, including access to specific lots, available payment options, and the fields visible on their profile. Configuring user types allows administrators to tailor the OPS-COM experience to different user groups, ensuring appropriate permissions and functionalities.

Setup & Configuration

User Type configurations are managed through the User Type Administration tool.

  1. Hover over System Configuration, then Users, and click Types.

This will open the User Type Administration page, displaying a list of your existing User Types.

Creating a New User Type
  1. Click the Create New User Type button.
  2. Enter the Type Name for your new user type (e.g., Public Parker).
  3. Set the Grouping for this user type. This is crucial as it links to OPS-COM's internal master user categories, which govern access to other system items and the appearance of profile forms. The four main internal categories are:
    • Staff
    • Student
    • Public
    • Athletics

    • New user types must be assigned to one of these categories. These are hardcoded and cannot be changed.

  4. You can toggle Visible to Users to make this user type selectable by end-users during registration.
  5. Set the number of Extra Active Vehicles that users of this type can have. By default, users can have one active vehicle; this field specifies how many additional active vehicles are allowed.
  6. Choose the Allowed Payment Types for this User Type by enabling the checkbox next to the Payment Type.  Refer to this wiki article for more information.
  7. Click Create User Type.

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Once saved, your new user type (e.g., Public Parker) will appear in the list.

You can also create user types to allow you to categorize your archived users. Refer to this wiki article to learn about managing archived users by user type.

Using this Feature

Applying a User Type to a User

A User Type can be assigned to a user when their account is created or changed at any time later.

  1. Hover over User Management and click User Search.
  2. Search for the user you want to edit.
  3. Edit the user profile and click the User Type picklist.
  4. Choose the desired User Type (e.g., Public Parker).
  5. Click Submit Profile Information, review the submission, and click the Information Correct button.
Searching by User Type

User Types can be used as criteria in various search tools within OPS-COM. You can use the User Search tool or you can click the # of Users button beside the lot to automatically perform a search for this user type.

Searching for Payment Types Assigned by User Type

You can click the # of Payment Types button to immediately see a list of all payment types associated to each user type.  

Configuring Access to Lots with User Types

User Types play a critical role in controlling access to parking lots.

  1. Hover over Parking Management, then Lot Administration, and click Pricing & Lot Admin.
  2. Click on the Lot Name of the lot you wish to configure.
  3. On the General Tab, under the Lot Access section, ensure User Type Lot is selected.
  4. Select the specific user types you wish to allow access to this lot in the Lot Types picklist. Ctrl + Click to select multiple types.  
    • Scenario Example: For a particular lot, you might allow students and public parkers to purchase permits but restrict access for Staff/Faculty users.
  5. When viewing the list of lots in Lot Administration, you can click Show/Hide Lot User Types to quickly see which user types a lot is configured for.
User-Side Lot Visibility

When a user logs into the system (e.g., as "Joseph Callaghan" who is a student), and attempts to purchase a permit:

  • The system will only display lots that are configured for that user's specific User Type.
  • In this example, the user might only see "Standard Permit Lot" and "Text2Park" if those are the only lots accessible to their user type.
Deleting or Archiving a User Type
  • A user type can only be deleted or archived if no users are currently assigned to it. You must reassign all users from a user type before it can be removed. Once you have done so, edit the user and click the Delete User Type button.

Best Practices & Considerations

  • Align with Organizational Structure: Create user types that directly reflect the categories of individuals interacting with your system (e.g., Faculty, Undergraduate, Graduate, Visitor).
  • Control Vehicle Limits: Use the Extra Active Vehicles setting to manage the number of vehicles associated with users, which can impact parking availability and system load.
  • Granular Access Control: Leverage user types in Lot Administration to precisely control who can access and purchase permits for specific parking areas, enhancing security and resource allocation.
  • Impact on Profile Fields: Remember that the Grouping (Staff, Student, Public, Athletics) you assign to a User Type affects the visibility of fields in the user's profile registration form. For instance, student users might see specific student ID fields that staff users would not.
  • Payment Type Restrictions: Utilize the Allowed Payment Types to ensure only relevant payment methods are available to specific user types (e.g., restricting payroll deduction to Staff users only).
  • Clear User Communication: Ensure users understand their assigned user type and how it affects their system experience, including visible lots and payment options.

Limiting Active Vehicles

OPS-COM allows administrators to control the number of active vehicles a user can have associated with their profile. This feature, configured through User Types, helps manage parking inventory, prevent abuse, and ensures that users maintain a reasonable number of active vehicles in the system. This article explains how to set these limits and how they impact the user experience.

Setup & Configuration

Limiting active vehicles is controlled through the settings of individual User Types. For detailed information on working with user types, refer to this wiki article.

  1. Hover over System Configuration, then Users, and click Types. You'll be redirected to the User Type Administration page.
Editing Active Vehicle Limits for a User Type
  1. Locate the user type you wish to edit from the list (e.g., Full Time Student) and click Edit.
  2. Locate the Extra Active Vehicles field. This number represents how many additional active vehicles a user of this type may have on their profile, beyond the first required active vehicle.
    • For example, if you set this number to 1, the user may have a maximum of 2 active vehicles (their one required active vehicle + one additional).
  3. Enter the desired number to reflect the maximum additional active vehicles allowed.
  4. Click Update User Type to apply your new limit.

Using this Feature

Once the active vehicle limit is set for a user type, it directly affects how users interact with their vehicle information on the user portal.

What Users See on the User Portal
  1. A user logs into their portal and clicks the Vehicle tab to access their vehicle information section.
  2. This tab displays any vehicles currently associated with their profile (e.g., a "beige Acura" with plate "ABC316").
  3. The user attempts to add a new vehicle by clicking Add New Vehicle, fills out the information, and clicks Save Changes. A pop-up message will confirm the vehicle was successfully added, and it will appear on their Vehicles tab.
Exceeding the Active Vehicle Limit

If a user tries to add a vehicle that would exceed the configured limit (e.g., attempting to add a third vehicle when the limit is set to a maximum of 2 active vehicles):

  1. The user enters the vehicle information and clicks Save Changes.
  2. They will still receive a pop-up message indicating the vehicle was successfully added.
  3. However, the newly added vehicle will appear on the Vehicles page in an Inactive state.
  4. If the user attempts to make this third vehicle active by toggling its state, they will receive a pop-up message indicating that the vehicle cannot be made active due to the limit set for their user type.
Minimum Active Vehicle Requirement

Conversely, if a user attempts to make all vehicles on their profile inactive, a pop-up will appear indicating that the user must always have at least one active vehicle associated with their profile.

Best Practices & Considerations


Manage User Departments

User Departments allow administrators to categorize users based on their departmental affiliation within an organization. This feature enhances user management by enabling better organization, reporting, and potentially targeted communications or access controls, ensuring that user data is structured and easily manageable.

Using this Feature

  1. Hover over System Administration, then Users, and click Manage User Departments. The Manage User Departments page will display. This page provides a simple interface to add, edit, and delete user departments.
Adding User Departments
  1. Click Add User Department and enter the desired Department Name.
  2. Click Save Changes.
Editing User Departments
  1. Locate the user department you wish to modify in the list.
  2. Click the Edit button next to the department.
  3. Update the existing name of that department.
  4. Click Save Changes.
Deleting User Departments

In order to delete a user department, it must not currently be in use by any user in the system. Administrators must first ensure that no users are assigned to this department before it can be removed. 

  1. Locate the department you wish to remove from the list.

  2. Click the Delete button next to the department and click Confirm.

Best Practices & Considerations

Locker User Types

Locker User Types allow administrators to categorize users specifically for the purpose of locker management. This enables flexible control over who can access and utilize certain locker areas or types, enhancing organizational efficiency and tailored access to locker resources.

Setup & Configuration

Locker User Types must be created within OPS-COM before they can be assigned. This is done via the Manage Locker User Types screen.

  1. Hover over System Configuration, then Users, and click Locker User Types.

The Manage Locker User Types screen appears, listing any existing Locker User Types. This list typically includes the Name of the locker user type, and the Number of user records associated to that type.

If you do not see the settings mentioned above, please contact support@ops-com.com to have them enabled for you. You will need the permission of your Primary Admin.

Adding a New Locker User Type
  1. Click on the Add Locker User Type button.
  2. Enter the full Name of the user type (e.g., Public User).
  3. Click Save Changes (or similar button).

The Manage Locker User Types screen will refresh, and your new user type will be added to the list.

Using this Feature

Assigning Locker User Types to User Profiles
  1. Hover over User Management and click User Search.
  2. Search for the user you want to edit.
  3. Edit their profile and choose the Locker User Type from the picklist.
  4. Click Submit Profile Information, review the submission, and click the Information Correct button.

Locker User Types are not editable or viewable on the User Side portal. They must be assigned by administrators only.

Assigning Locker User Types to Locker Areas

Once Locker User Types are created and assigned to users, they must also be associated with Locker Building Areas to control user access to specific lockers.

Refer to this wiki article for information about assigning Locker Types to Building areas.

Best Practices & Considerations

Login Sources (SSO)

Login Sources define the various methods by which users can sign into the system. This feature provides administrators with flexible control over user authentication, allowing for standard OPSCOM logins or integration with external identity providers like SAML or LDAP, enhancing convenience and security for diverse user populations.

Setup & Configuration

Login sources are managed under the System Configuration menu, within the Users section.

  1. Hover over System Configuration, Users, and click Login Sources.
Default Login Source
Adding Login Sources

OPS-COM supports multiple login sources, allowing some users to utilize SSO while others log in directly.

  1. On the Login Sources page, click the Add Login Source button.

  2. Fill out the required information:

    • Red fields are required to be filled before you can click Save.
    • Yellow fields are technically required for the login source to function correctly, but they will still allow empty or invalid values to be saved initially. Yellow fields can also indicate that a change has been made to the field.

    The Login Source - Code field is crucial as it's what the user profile will match against when associating users with this new login source. However, only one login source code can be activated at a time for a particular type (e.g., you can have multiple SAML configurations, but only one primary 'SAML' code active for user matching at a time if the system differentiates by 'type' of code rather than unique code string across all). The source name (code) itself is typically determined by your Identity Provider, with the exception of 'OPSCOM' for direct logins.

  3. Name can be anything that is identifiable to you.

  4. Login Source is what you will see on the user profile to indicate if this user will login with a special source. Often is is called SSO or SAML
  5. Domain Name for OPS-COM to use should be set to the OPS-COM domain without any references to admin etc. For example, if the domain name you login looks like CLIENTID.admin.ops-com.com/admin, this should be changed to CLIENTID.ops-com.com only.
  6. Do not fill out the rest of the fields until you are ready to follow the instruction for setting up your SSO information.

  7. Click Save Changes to add the new login source.

Using this Feature

Once login sources are added, you can manage their status and properties.

Managing Login Sources

From the Login Sources page, you can manage your configured login sources using the buttons next to each entry:

Active/Inactive/Hidden Login Sources

You can make Login Sources Active, Inactive or Hidden. If a source is made Inactive, users who were previously connected will no longer be able to login and must be changed to a different login source.

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Best Practices & Considerations