Role Based Security 

Best Software has a new release date for the upcoming Version 4.0: February 2003. Since this is Best Software’s most significant release in over five years, they have allocated a longer period for QA testing and controlled release. This should help enable customers to have a smooth transition to the new update.

One of the more asked-about features added to 4.0 is the introduction of role-based security to MAS 90/200. Role-based security will impact many of our customers by offering the ability to define roles within their organization such as supervisor or data entry. One or more of these roles may be assigned to individual users, which significantly reduces the amount of work required to maintain security, while offering greater flexibility in how it is implemented. For example, currently in MAS 90/200, if you want to give a user access to Accounts Receivable Invoice Data Entry and Accounts Payable Invoice Data Entry, you need to assign that user to a group with all of those rights, or give those rights directly to that user. With Version 4.0, you can set up an AP Data Entry role and an AR Data Entry role, and then assign those roles to the user. There’s no limit to the number of roles that can be assigned to a user.

MAS 90/200 4.0 modules (General Ledger and Library Master) will have new attributes that may be designated for the various programs specific users need to access. For example, maintenance and data entry programs such as Account Maintenance and General Journal Entry have the following attributes: Full Control, Create, Modify, Delete and View Only. These can be set for each program within a particular role, providing the administrator with maximum control over who can create, modify or delete entries.

Additional security enhancements include:

• An option where customers can choose to use Windows authentication, which will be tightly integrated with MAS 90/MAS 200 security.

• Special privileges such as one-sided journal entries, previously controlled by the supervisor setting, are now individual security events that may be enabled for various roles.  (General Ledger and Library Master only).

• Task-based security, as opposed to menu based, enabling security to be maintained regardless of how various tasks are executed.

If you do not have the latest version of MAS 90/200 and would like to see how to become current on your Subscription Plan, you can call us at 800.613.6350.