A location is an office, warehouse or internet line that your staff are allowed to sign in from. You write down its internet (IP) addresses once and then link employees to it. When the internet provider changes an office address, you change it on the location and everyone linked to it is covered at their next sign-in. The system administrator uses this page, together with the IT or office manager who knows which internet connections each office uses. If an employee sees Unauthorised location when they sign in, the cause is almost always set here or on the employee's record in Members.
1 Before you start
You need these rights in Roles (Role Master). Ask your administrator if you do not have them.
To do this | Right you need |
|---|---|
See the menu entry, the list, History, Who uses this and Help | Access Locations - View |
Add a location | Access Locations - Create |
Change a location and its addresses | Access Locations - Update |
Deactivate or activate a location | Access Locations - Delete |
Link an employee to a location, switch IP Access on | Members - Create / Update (see Members) |
Rights are read when a person signs in. After a change in Role Master, the person must sign out and sign in again. See Signing in.
Before you add a location:
Find the internet address of each office line. From a computer in that office, search the web for "what is my IP". The address shown is the one PharmaERP sees.
Ask the internet provider whether the address is fixed ("static"). A changing address locks people out when it changes.
If the office is in another country than head office, know its time zone.
Nothing else has to exist before you add a location.
To open the page:
Sign in to PharmaERP.
Open System Settings in the left menu.
Under Roles & Access, click Access Locations.
If the menu entry is missing or you land on an Access Denied page, your role does not have the Access Locations View right. See Troubleshooting.
1.1 The page at a glance
The list shows one row per location: code, name, addresses, time zone, how many employees use it, status and last change. The toolbar above it has Help, Add New (only with the Create right), the Status filter and a search box. The Option button on each row opens a menu with Edit, History and Deactivate / Activate, depending on your rights.
An amber banner appears when active locations have no IP address. Nobody who needs the address check can sign in through those locations.
2 Step by step
2.1 Find a location
Open Access Locations. The list shows active locations only at first.
Type part of the code, name or description in Search code, name or description. The list narrows after a short pause.
To see closed locations, change Status to Inactive only or All.
Click a column heading (Code, Location Name, IP Addresses, Time Zone, Status, Modified) to sort.
The search does not look inside addresses. To find which location holds an address, open the likely locations or try to add the address. The error message names the location that already has it.
2.2 Add a new location
Add a location when a new office, warehouse or line comes into use, before you link employees to it.
Click Add New. The form Create Access Location opens.
Type the Location Code, for example EX-OFFICE. It turns into capitals when you leave the box. It cannot be changed later, so choose it carefully.
Type the Location Name. Everyone sees this name. You can change it later.
Optionally, type a Description, for example the provider or floor.
Leave Time Zone on Company time zone unless the office is in another country than head office. In that case, choose that country's zone.
Under IP Addresses, click Add IP Address for each line. Type the address and, if you like, a Label, for example Main line.
Click Save.
The location is stored as active. Each address is written in its standard spelling (for example 192.0.2.011 becomes 192.0.2.11). History lines are added. You return to the list with a green message. If you saved without any address, you see an amber warning instead (see Messages you may see).
If the location cannot be saved, the form stays open with a red box that lists every problem. Correct them and save again. Nothing is stored until all problems are fixed.
Next, link the employees of this office to the location (see Link employees to a location).
2.3 Change an office address
This is the main job of the page. When the provider changes a line, staff are refused at their next sign-in until the location is updated.
Find the location, click Option, then Edit.
Read the amber note at the top: "N employees are assigned to this location. Changes here affect all of them."
Click Add IP Address, type the new address and click Save. Both the old and the new line now work.
If the browser asks "This change affects N employees who currently sign in from this location. Continue?", click OK to save or Cancel to go back.
When the new line is confirmed working, open Edit again, click the bin next to the old address and click Save.
A removed address is not deleted. It is kept and listed under Previously removed on the Edit form and History records who removed it and when. If you add the same address again later, the old record comes back.
People who are already signed in keep working. The new addresses are used from each person's next sign-in.
2.4 See who uses a location
Check this before you rename a location, change its addresses or close it.
Open the location with Edit (or History).
Click Who uses this.
Read the window, then close it with the cross.
The window lists every active employee with an active link to the location: Employee, Email, Paired with (the shift they work there, see Access Shifts) and Primary. The primary location decides which hours apply when the employee's IP Access is No.
2.5 Read the history of a location
Click Option, then History. You can also click History on the Edit form.
To find a change, type a word, user or value in Search history.
Each line shows When (company time), Who, What changed (for example "Location - Created" or "IP address - Added IP address") and the value From and To. History keeps names as they were at the time. If a user no longer exists, Who shows "User #" and a number.
Changes to an employee's links with a location (added, removed, primary changed, shift changed) are not shown here. They belong to the employee record in Members.
2.6 Close or reopen a location
Locations are never deleted, so their history stays readable. Close a location when an office closes or a line is given up.
Open Who uses this. If employees are still linked, move them to another location on the Members page first.
Click Option, then Deactivate.
When the browser asks "Deactivate this location? Employees assigned to it will no longer be able to sign in through it.", click OK.
The list refreshes. The location is now under Status Inactive only.
To reopen it, show Inactive only, click Option, then Activate. No question is asked.
If active employees are still linked, the system refuses and nothing changes. A closed location still keeps its addresses. Another location cannot use them until you open the closed location with Edit and remove them.
2.7 Link employees to a location
A location only takes effect for employees who are linked to it and whose IP Access is Yes. You do this on the employee record.
Open System Settings, then List Members. Find the employee and click Edit. See Members.
Under Access locations, click Add location and choose the location. If Time Access is used, also choose a shift.
Mark one row as Primary.
Set IP Access to Yes (and Time Access as the business requires).
Save the employee.
The employee form refuses to save when IP Access is Yes and a chosen location has no address or when a chosen location has been deactivated. The location list on the employee form offers active locations only.
2.8 What the employee sees at sign-in
When an employee with IP Access Yes signs in, PharmaERP first checks the e-mail and password. Then it compares the address the sign-in comes from with the active addresses of the employee's own active locations.
From an approved address, the employee is admitted.
From any other connection, such as a home connection, the employee sees Unauthorised location and stays on the sign-in page.
If Time Access is also Yes, the shift is checked in the location's time zone. Outside the hours, the message is Time period expired.
Each attempt is recorded and can be reviewed under Login Security.
For someone who works from home or travels, do not register home connections, because they change. Set that employee's IP Access to No instead. Time Access still works.
Employees whose IP Access and Time Access are both No are not checked at all.
3 Fields explained
Field | What to enter | Rules |
|---|---|---|
Location Code | A short, stable key for the location. | Required. Up to 30 characters. Must not be used by any other location, active or inactive. Shown in capitals. Cannot be changed on Edit. |
Location Name | The name everyone sees. | Required. Up to 100 characters. Must differ from every other active location. |
Description | A free note. | Optional. Up to 500 characters. Shown in grey under the name in the list. |
Time Zone | The time zone the location's working hours are read in. | Optional. Company time zone (default) or one of the listed zones. |
IP Address (each row) | One internet address of the location. | Optional, but without one nobody who needs the check can sign in. One complete address per row: four numbers 0-255 separated by dots or an IPv6 address. No ranges ("-"), no subnets ("/"). Up to 45 characters. An address can belong to one location only. |
Label (each row) | Your note for the line. | Optional. Up to 100 characters. |
Status (list filter) | Which locations the list shows. | All, Active only (default) or Inactive only. |
Search code, name or description | Part of a code, name or description. | Not case-sensitive. Does not search addresses. |
4 Messages you may see
4.1 Saving a location
Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
The Location Code field is required. / The Location Name field is required. | You saved with an empty code or name. | Fill the field. |
Location Code is required. / Location Name is required. | The same problem, found when the server checks the form. | Fill the field and save again. |
Location Code cannot be longer than 30 characters. / Location Name cannot be longer than 100 characters. / Description cannot be longer than 500 characters. | The text is too long. | Shorten it. |
Location Code "X" is already in use. | The code exists on another location, even an inactive one. | Choose another code. |
Another active location is already called "X". | The name matches an active location. | Choose another name or deactivate the old location first. |
"X" is not a time zone this server recognises. Pick one from the list or leave it blank to use the company time zone. | The chosen time zone is not known to the system. | Pick a zone from the list or choose Company time zone. |
Time Zone cannot be longer than 100 characters. | The time zone text is too long. | Pick a zone from the list. |
Incomplete address. Enter all four parts. | An address has fewer than four parts. | Type the full address. |
Subnet notation is not supported. Enter each address separately. / Ranges are not supported. Enter each address separately. | An address contains "/" or "-". | Add each address on its own row. |
Zone identifiers cannot be used to identify a location. | An address contains "%". | Remove the "%" part. |
That is not a valid IP address. / That is not a valid IPv6 address. | The text is not an address. | Correct or remove the row. |
"X" is not a valid IP address. Enter a complete single address. Ranges and subnet notation are not supported. | The server could not read the address. | Correct the address in the red box or remove the row. |
Enter an IP address or remove this row. | An address row is empty. | Type an address or click the bin. |
One or more IP addresses are not valid. Correct the rows marked in red or remove them. | A row is red when you save. | Correct the red rows. |
"a" and "b" are the same address. Remove one of them. | The same address is on two rows (also with extra zeros). | Remove one row. |
IP address "X" is already assigned to location Y. An address can belong to only one location. | Another location, even an inactive one, has this address. | Decide which office really has the line. Open location Y with Edit (set Status to All or Inactive only if it is closed), remove the address there, save, then add it here. |
The label on "X" cannot be longer than 100 characters. | A Label is too long. | Shorten the label. |
Saved. This location has no IP address yet, so nobody assigned to it with IP Access set to Yes will be able to sign in until one is added. | You saved without addresses. | Open the location with Edit and add the addresses before you link employees. |
This change affects N employees who currently sign in from this location. Continue? | You are saving a location that has linked employees. | Click OK to save or Cancel to review. Use Who uses this to see who is affected. |
The location could not be saved. Nothing was changed. | An unexpected problem stopped the save. | Try once more. If it repeats, tell support the time and see Error Log. |
4.2 Closing and reopening
Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Deactivate this location? Employees assigned to it will no longer be able to sign in through it. | The question before a location is closed. | Click OK to continue or Cancel to stop. |
This location cannot be deactivated because N active employees are still assigned to it. Reassign those employees to another location first. | You tried to close a location that is still in use. Nothing changed. | Use Who uses this, then move the employees to another location on the Members page. Then try again. |
The change could not be saved. Nothing was changed. | Deactivate or Activate failed. This can happen when you reopen a location whose name is now used by another active location. | Check the names in the list. Rename the other location or this one, then try again. If it repeats, tell support and see Error Log. |
4.3 Other messages on this page
Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
That location no longer exists. | The location was opened from an old link or an old list. | Go back to the list and refresh it. |
That list could not be loaded. | The Who uses this window could not open. | Close the window and try again. If it repeats, sign in again. See Signing in. |
4.4 On the sign-in page
These two messages appear to the employee, not on this page. The cause is usually set here or in Members.
Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Unauthorised location | The employee's IP Access is Yes and the sign-in cannot be matched to one of their locations. The e-mail and password were correct. | Follow Unauthorised location below. |
Time period expired | The sign-in is outside the employee's shift at the matched location. | Check the shift in Access Shifts and the location's Time Zone here. |
For other sign-in messages, see Signing in and Sign-in problems.
5 Troubleshooting
5.1 Unauthorised location at sign-in
The employee typed the right e-mail and password and then sees Unauthorised location. Every location refusal shows this same text. The real reason is one of the causes below. Each attempt is recorded in Login Security, so an administrator can look it up there.
Possible causes:
The employee signs in from a connection that is not on any of their locations (home, hotel, mobile, another office).
The office address has changed (the provider changed the line) and the location still holds the old one.
The location the employee is linked to has no IP address.
The employee is linked to a different office than the one they sit in. An address registered for another office does not let them in.
The employee has no location at all or every location they are linked to is closed.
The employee has IP Access set to No, Time Access set to Yes, several locations and none marked Primary.
The system cannot read the address the connection reports.
If you are a user:
Check that you are on the office network, not on a home, hotel or mobile connection.
Do not try again and again from the same place. Tell your administrator the time of the attempt and where you were.
If you must work from home or travel, ask your administrator whether your IP Access can be set to No.
If you are an administrator:
Open Members, find the employee and click Edit. Look at IP Access and at the rows under Access locations. See Members.
If the employee has no location or every location is closed, add an active location with Add location and mark it Primary. Until then the employee is checked against the old address list on their employee record and is refused if the address is not on it.
If the employee is linked to the wrong office, change the location row to the office they work in.
Open that location here: click Option, then Edit. Check that it has at least one address. The list also shows a red "No IP address" line and an amber banner for locations without one. Add the address if it is missing.
From a computer in the office, search the web for "what is my IP" and compare the result with the addresses on the location. If the provider changed the line, follow Change an office address.
If the employee has IP Access No and Time Access Yes and several locations, mark one row Primary on the employee record.
If the employee works from home or travels, set IP Access to No on the employee record instead of adding a home address. Time Access still works.
Ask the employee to sign in again. Changes apply at the next sign-in.
To see who is still checked against the old address list, use the Access Matrix in Login Security.
If it still fails, see Sign-in problems.
5.2 The menu entry is missing or Access Denied appears
If you are a user:
Tell your administrator which page you tried to open.
If you are an administrator:
Open Roles and check the person's role for the Access Locations View right.
Save the change. The person must sign out and sign in again before it applies. See Signing in.
5.3 I cannot see Add New, Edit or Deactivate
Add New needs the Create right, Edit needs Update and Deactivate / Activate needs Delete. With View only, the row menu shows History only.
An administrator can add the right in Roles. The person signs out and in again.
5.4 The list is empty or saving does nothing
Check Status. The default is Active only. Change it to All.
Clear the search box. The search does not match addresses.
If the list stays empty after a wait or a save shows an error page, your session may have ended. Sign in again. See Signing in.
If it repeats after signing in again, send the time and what you did to support. See Error Log.
5.5 A red box appears and an empty red pop-up shows in the top corner
The red box holds the real messages. The empty pop-up is a display fault and can be ignored. Fix the problems the red box lists, then click Save again.
5.6 Staff were refused after someone edited the same location
If two people edit the same location at the same time, the one who saves last wins. An address the other person just added can disappear.
Open the location and click History to see who removed which address.
Add the address again with Edit.
Agree who edits a location at a time.
6 Good to know
Changes apply at the next sign-in. Removing an address, closing a location or switching IP Access on does not sign anybody out.
A closed location keeps its addresses. If a line moves to another office, remove it from the old location first (open it with Edit, even when inactive), then add it to the new one.
Deactivate is offered even when it will be refused. Check Who uses this first.
The questions "Continue?" and "Deactivate this location?" are the browser's own boxes with OK and Cancel.
Time zone matters across countries. A shift of 09:00-18:00 at a location in another country is read in that location's time zone. A wrong zone refuses staff at times they believe are allowed.
The Modified column shows the date in universal time (UTC). History shows company time, so the two can differ by a day near midnight.
Employees with no location yet or whose locations are all closed, are still checked against the old address list on their employee record. Use the Access Matrix in Login Security to see who is still on the old list.
The address check is not a strong barrier on its own. Keep strong passwords and use Login Security as well.
Nobody is e-mailed when a location or address changes. Tell the affected staff yourself.
See also: Members, Access Shifts, Roles, Signing in, Sign-in problems.