Restricting User Logins With Time-Based Access

Managing user access and working hours is essential for maintaining security and operational efficiency within Merchanter. The Working Week Template feature enables administrators to define precise login schedules, control system access outside business hours, and maintain visibility over user sessions. This guide walks you through creating custom working hour templates, assigning them across your organisation, and monitoring compliance through session history. Whether you need to enforce standard business hours across your entire team or create specific schedules for different departments or individuals, this flexible system provides the control you need while maintaining the ability to accommodate exceptions where necessary.

Creating a Working Week Template

To start, make sure you logged into Merchanter with a user with the Prime Role. 
Then go to Settings → User Administration → Security. From here, you can create a working week template that defines the permitted login hours in the Schedules box.

You can see a list of any previously set up login schedules that have been set up. if you click an item from the list, it will give you a preview of the hours under the table.
You also have the option to edit the existing time schedule by clicking the Edit button or double-clicking the record.
If you wish to delete a schedule, you can select it and click the delete button.

Or to start a new time schedule, click the New button, and a new pop-up will open to set your working week details.

When creating a template, you will see several important fields and options to fill in:

• Name 
  • Enter a clear name in this field.
• Descritption 
  • Add a description to help describe the schedule if required.
• Allow logins outside of working hours
  • If Yes, users can log in at any time. The schedule acts as working hours information only.
  • If No, users are blocked from logging in before or after their shift has ended.
• Kick users outside of working hours 
  • If Yes, users are automatically logged out when their working hours finish. This only happens when they next return to the homepage, giving them time to complete their final task before their session ends.
• Days
  • Tick the days you work
• Start
  • Enter the start time on that day. Please note that the time must be entered in the 24h format, e.g. 09:00
• End
  • Enter the end time on that day. Please note that the time must be entered in the 24h format, e.g. 17:30

Save the template once you have set these options and added all the details required..

Assigning Working Weeks

After creating templates in User Admin → Security, you can assign the new schedules on the right-hand side of the page. You will see the option to set them at different levels within the business. Working weeks can be set at the ledger, depot, or individual account level.

The rules are applied in order of priority. If a working week is set at the ledger level, it applies to everyone.

But you can override it at the depot level.

Or even for individual user accounts if needed. 

This gives flexibility to enforce general rules across the business while still tailoring for exceptions where necessary.

Reviewing Session Login

To monitor how these rules are being used, if you come to Settings → User Admin → Security, and open the Session History tab in the window. Here you can see a record of login attempts, including a message column that shows and why logins were blocked. This ensures administrators have full visibility of how access control is affecting users day to day.

If you need to search this list, you do so at the top of the table. Your options are:- Username, login time (start), login time (end) and IP address.
You also have the option to export the login session history to Excel for further interrogation or turning into a pivot table.

User Experience

From the user's point of view, if try to log in outside of their permitted hours, they will see this message that lets them know what working hours they are assigned, and all they can then do is click the sign out button that takes them back to the login screen.

Please note: If the user has been on the system all day and they are still logged in beyond their work hours schedule, they will be presented with the login blocked window after finishing the job they are in and returning to the dashboard.

Summary

Implementing Working Week Templates provides a robust framework for managing system access while maintaining flexibility for your organisation's unique needs. By creating clear login schedules, you can enhance security, ensure compliance with working hour policies, and maintain better oversight of user activity. The ability to assign templates at the ledger, depot, or individual levels allows for both broad policy enforcement and specific exceptions where required. Regular monitoring of the Session History tab will help you verify that your access controls are working effectively and identify any areas needing adjustment. With this system in place, you can balance security requirements with operational practicality, ensuring users have appropriate access while maintaining necessary controls over your Merchanter environment.

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