Enterprise groups - Getting Started
Enterprise groups allows you to manage security, automation, and business intelligence across two or more locations. You can also conveniently view the status and recent activity for multiple systems on one page.
For more information about Enterprise groups, see What is an Enterprise group?.
Prepare Enterprise information
Prior to creating an Enterprise group, it is recommended to prepare the following information:
- A naming convention for group names (e.g., region, manager’s name, store number, etc.).
- A list of all the locations to be added to each group.
- A list of Enterprise users vs. Single-System users.
- A list of Enterprise users that will be added to each group.
- A list of the locations each user can access.
- If applicable, list the specific times users can access the locations (e.g., employee’s panel/lock code will work from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM M-F). This feature is available on all compatible locks and select security panels.
- Determine the types of notifications (e.g., open/close, alarms, etc.) to use and who should receive them.
- List the business hours for each location. A template can be made to apply to locations that have the same business hours.
- Determine which account is the primary login (e.g., corporate office, headquarters, etc.). Create the first Enterprise Group under this account. The primary login for the first system will be the default administrator login for the Enterprise group.
Note: The default administrator login can be changed a later time. For more information see To create a new group login.
Configure an Enterprise group
Locations may be put into at most one Enterprise group. This can be done using the Alarm.com customer website.
Important: The accounts must be with the same dealer to be added to the same group.
For more information about adding locations to an existing Enterprise group, see Add a new location to a group.
For more information about creating an Enterprise group, see Create a new Enterprise group.
Set up an Enterprise user
To allow user access to the panel locally on-site, create a new group user to add new user codes locally to the system. Creating a group user code does not give the user remote access to the Alarm.com customer website and Alarm.com app for the system. For more information about adding group users, see Create a new group user.
To allow user remote access to the system using the Alarm.com app and Alarm.com customer website, create a new group login for the system. Creating a group login does not give the user a local code for on-site access to the panel. For more information about adding a group login, see Create a new group login.
Some best practices for setting up Enterprise users:
- Determine which account will be the primary login (e.g., corporate office, headquarters). Create the first Enterprise group under this account. The primary login will have administrator rights to manage the Enterprise group.
- An Enterprise user can be granted access to multiple locations within a group of locations. An Enterprise Administrator can configure permissions for Enterprise Users so that they have access to all locations, some locations, or no locations within a group. One possible reason to set up an Enterprise User without access to any locations would be for them to receive notifications but not be able to disarm a system.
- Enterprise users with location access need a user code. Once added through the Alarm.com Alarm.com customer website, this user code is pushed to the alarm panel for each location where they will be granted access to panels, keypads, or smart locks.
- Add an email and/or phone number of the Enterprise user so they can receive email/text notifications (e.g., alarms, open/close emails).
- If applicable, add cards and PIN codes to allow Access Control users to gain access to doors with card readers or keypads.
- If you have existing User codes on the Single System level that you would like span across multiple locations, the users must be deleted from individual locations and recreated on the Enterprise Group level.
- Removing users from a single system and adding to Enterprise:
- If the user is currently receiving text or push notifications, please make note of their mobile carrier and other details that will need to be entered again when the user is recreated.
- For Concord and Neo panels must be disarmed when adding or removing users.
- Once a user is added to Enterprise, keep in mind that those systems will be busy for quite some time. Do not arm, enter programming, send other remote commands, or power cycle the panel for 5-10 minutes.
- After a user is deleted, select the refresh icon on the top right corner of the webpage. If this is not done, the Alarm.com customer website may display a warning message saying the code is already in use when you try to recreate the user in the Enterprise.
Add business hours
Business hours make it easier to configure and manage commercial features like reporting, arming schedules, auto re-arming, and notifications.
For information about creating a business hours template to apply to locations, see Create a Business Hours Template.
Add reports
Smarter Business Reports allow further awareness of what is happening at each location. For information about enabling reports, see Enable Smarter Business Reports.
Add notifications
By setting up notifications, you will have constant awareness of what is happening at your business, even when you are not there. For more information about creating and editing notifications, see Create/edit Enterprise Notifications.
For more information about the different types of notifications that can be created, see Enterprise Location Management.
Enterprise group best practices
There are various ways to set up Enterprise groups and get the most from them depending on the customer's situation.
Scenario 1
Various managers can be given different levels of access to specific locations.
Example: The customer has 8 restaurants and each restaurant has its own manager
and staff. There are also 2 regional managers. The customer wants the owner and regional manager to to oversee and control access to all locations while allowing each individual manager to control access and staffing for their specific location.
For this example, it is recommended that the owner and regional managers be given
logins to the Enterprise group and have their user profiles created at the Enterprise
level. Their Enterprise login will allow them to manage each of the properties based
on the login permissions and their Enterprise user profiles can be given access to
any device that exists in the group from the Enterprise level.
The owner or regional manager can then give individual store managers login access to their specific location so they can manage their staff at the single system level. The Enterprise logins can still make changes if needed, and any access granted to the Enterprise Users
cannot be overridden by a single system login.
Scenario 2
Employee access may vary or change frequently.
Example: The customer manages eight warehouses with minimal local staffing but has a network of 30 drivers that may need access to one or multiple sites at any given
time.
For this example, it is recommended to create the majority of the user profiles on
the Enterprise level. The drivers may need access to multiple sites at a time, so managing them at the Enterprise level would allow the customer to grant a specific driver access to multiple properties using a few clicks. It is recommended to limit the number of single system users to avoid duplicate users and credentials from being created by accident. For this type of setup, it is not uncommon for only the default master user to exist on most of the properties.
Video tutorials
Create an Enterprise Group
Add a Location to an Enterprise Group
Move a location between Enterprise Groups
Add a User Code to multiple locations
Add a Login to Multiple Locations
Using the Location Summary Page
Create a Smarter Business Report
Create Enterprise Notifications
Enterprise Camera Groups