User management and permissions

Managing Team Access

OtterClaims allows you to add multiple users to your facility account with different permission levels. This guide covers how to add, manage, and secure user access.

User Roles Overview

Owner

Full administrative access (one per facility):

• Manage all users and permissions
• Access and modify all settings
• View financial and payment information
• Manage billing and subscriptions
• Cannot be removed or downgraded

Manager

Administrative access with some limitations:

• Add and remove non-owner users
• Modify most facility settings
• View all claims and reports
• Manage provider relationships
• Cannot access billing/payment settings

Technician

Standard user for day-to-day operations:

• Create and submit claims
• Upload documents and photos
• Communicate with providers
• View assigned claims
• Update claim status
• Cannot modify settings or manage users

View Only

Read-only access for oversight:

• View all claims and details
• Read messages and documents
• Access reports and analytics
• Cannot create or modify anything
• Useful for bookkeepers, auditors

Adding New Users

Invitation Process

1. Go to Settings → Users
2. Click "Invite User"
3. Enter their email address
4. Select their role
5. Add a personal message (optional)
6. Click "Send Invitation"

What They Receive

The invited user gets:

• Email invitation with activation link
• Link valid for 7 days
• Instructions to create their password
• Overview of their assigned role

Activation Steps

New users must:

1. Click the activation link in email
2. Create a secure password
3. Set up two-factor authentication (recommended)
4. Complete their profile information
5. Accept terms of service

Managing Existing Users

Viewing User List

Access the user management page:

• Go to Settings → Users
• View all active users
• See pending invitations
• Filter by role or status
• Search by name or email

Editing User Details

Update user information:

1. Click the user's name
2. Edit their details
3. Change their role if needed
4. Update permissions
5. Save changes

Changing User Roles

To modify a user's role:

1. Open the user's profile
2. Click "Change Role"
3. Select new role from dropdown
4. Review permission changes
5. Confirm the change
6. User receives notification of role change

Custom Permissions

Advanced Permission Settings

Fine-tune access for specific users:

• Claim Management: Create, edit, delete claims
• Document Upload: Add files to claims
• Messaging: Communicate with providers
• Reports: View analytics and reports
• Settings: Modify facility settings
• User Management: Add/remove team members
• Financial: View payment information

Creating Custom Roles

For unique needs:

1. Go to Settings → Users → Roles
2. Click "Create Custom Role"
3. Name the role (e.g., "Service Advisor")
4. Select specific permissions
5. Save the custom role
6. Assign to users as needed

Claim Assignment

Assigning Claims to Users

Delegate claim responsibility:

• Open any claim
• Click "Assign To"
• Select a user from the list
• Add assignment notes (optional)
• User receives notification

Auto-Assignment Rules

Set up automatic claim assignment:

• Round Robin: Distributes evenly among users
• By Provider: Assigns based on provider relationships
• By Vehicle Type: Routes to specialists
• By Priority: Senior techs get critical claims

Workload Monitoring

Track team capacity:

• View active claims per user
• Monitor response times
• See approval rates
• Balance workload distribution

User Activity Monitoring

Activity Logs

Track user actions:

• Login/logout times
• Claims created or modified
• Documents uploaded
• Messages sent
• Settings changed

Performance Metrics

Evaluate team performance:

• Number of claims submitted
• Average approval rate
• Response time to providers
• Documentation quality
• Customer satisfaction scores

Suspending and Removing Users

Temporary Suspension

When a user is temporarily unavailable:

1. Go to Settings → Users
2. Find the user
3. Click "Suspend Access"
4. User cannot log in
5. All data and claims remain
6. Can be reactivated anytime

Removing Users

Permanently remove a user:

1. Suspend the user first
2. Reassign their active claims
3. Review their recent activity
4. Click "Remove User"
5. Confirm the action
6. Their claims history remains with facility

Offboarding Checklist

When removing a user:

• ✓ Reassign all active claims
• ✓ Transfer pending tasks
• ✓ Update provider contacts if necessary
• ✓ Remove from group messages
• ✓ Revoke any integrations they set up
• ✓ Update auto-assignment rules

Security Best Practices

Password Requirements

Enforce strong passwords:

• Minimum 8 characters
• Require special characters
• Force password changes every 90 days
• Prevent password reuse

Two-Factor Authentication

Require 2FA for sensitive roles:

• Mandatory for Owners and Managers
• Recommended for all users
• SMS or authenticator app options
• Backup codes provided

Session Management

Control login sessions:

• Set automatic logout after inactivity
• Limit concurrent sessions per user
• View active sessions
• Remotely log out users if needed

IP Restrictions (Optional)

For enhanced security:

• Restrict logins to specific IP addresses
• Useful for facilities with fixed IPs
• Can allowlist multiple locations
• Emergency bypass available

Team Communication

Internal Messaging

Collaborate within your team:

• @mention users in claim notes
• Internal comments not visible to providers
• Team chat for general discussion
• Notification of @mentions

Team Announcements

Broadcast messages to all users:

• Post facility-wide announcements
• Share policy updates
• Celebrate team wins
• Announce schedule changes

Training and Onboarding

New User Training

Resources for new team members:

• Built-in tutorial videos
• Interactive walkthrough
• Help center articles
• Practice mode with sample claims

Role-Specific Training

Customized training paths:

• Technician onboarding course
• Manager training module
• Advanced features training
• Best practices guides

Troubleshooting

User Can't Log In

Common solutions:

• Verify account is active (not suspended)
• Check if invitation link expired
• Reset password if forgotten
• Verify email address is correct
• Check 2FA setup if enabled

Permission Issues

If a user can't access features:

• Verify their role has necessary permissions
• Check if custom restrictions apply
• Ensure they're logged into correct facility
• Try logging out and back in