Open and Closed Permissions Models

The current roles in Sherpany are difficult to understand and fixed per user. Our new Roles and Permissions feature aims to simplify meeting roles and permissions and make their assignment within a meeting easier and more transparent. With this new concept, we provide you with:

• More flexibility and clarity when defining the roles of the users.
• An easier way to invite to a meeting or share library documents - with a pattern you are familiar with.

As a result, it’s easy to start using and use Sherpany; and you feel confident that you share the meeting content with the people you want to share it with. 

Within "Roles and Permissions" feature, we’re offering two distinct permissions models: the “Open Model” and the “Closed Model”. These models provide different approaches to managing meeting permissions based on your needs and preferences.

The "Open Model" allows you to:

• Create meetings: every user in a room can easily create meetings without restrictions or IT assistance.
• Invite all users: invite users from any group in a room to meetings.
• Define meeting permissions: Set meeting roles and manage access to meeting content. 
• Clear invitation overview: get a comprehensive overview of invited people without navigating between “Attendee” / “Editor” / “Viewer” tabs.

In the "Closed Model" there aren't many changes compared to the existing Sherpany’s setup. Here’s what you need to know: 

• It only involves changes in the user interface.
• There are no changes for Members. The changes are only visible for Admins and Editors.
• The names of the roles "Admin," "Editor," and "Member" are being dropped and replaced with their corresponding permissions.
• In the meeting details, the Participants, Editors, and Viewers sections will be removed, and users and groups will now be displayed on the right side in a consolidated view.
• Switching between “Edit” and “Non-edit” modes is now much easier, using a new handy toggle in the top-right corner.

"Open Model"

While being particularly well-suited for Steering Committee, Executive, and Divisional meetings, the "Open Model" enables seamless meeting creation and collaboration while maintaining complete control over your meeting content. Here's why we suggest using the "Open Model" for all rooms:

• To allow every user in a room to create meetings with ease.
• To allow every user to invite all other users in the room to meetings.
• To provide flexibility and avoid confusion caused by current "User Role" definitions.
• To avoid confusion caused by Group membership based restrictions.
• To run more of the existing meetings in Sherpany and therefore have more excellent meetings in your organisation.

"Closed Model"

The "Closed Model" offers optimal control over meeting permissions and is particularly suitable for Board meetings. Here's why we suggest using the "Closed Model" for all rooms:

• To prevent Board Members from creating meetings.
• To prevent Meeting Organisers from inviting people to the meeting, who are not part of the Group.

Q: Once a room has been migrated to the Closed Model, can it later still be switched to the Open Model?

Certainly, at any time. The more "Open models" the merrier, because it means more excellent meetings will be created in Sherpany.

Q: Can I switch between "Open" vs "Closed" Models? 

You have the flexibility to enable the "Open" or "Closed" Permission Model for your room(s). We suggest using the Closed model for all rooms, which are mainly used for Board meetings. If you’d like to choose the Open Model, we suggest opening a test room (or a new productive room), before thinking about migrating an existing room. In the "Open Permission Model", every user in the room can create meetings. 

Q: Once a room has been migrated to the Closed Model, can it later still be switched to the Open Model?

Certainly, at any time. The more "Open models" the merrier, because it means more excellent meetings will be created in Sherpany.

Q: Does the "Open model" mean that all users can see all meetings in that room?

Not at all! Same as today, the users can only see the items (meetings, documents in the library, tasks & decisions, agenda item requests in the topic hub), to which they are invited.

Q: What is the implication on pricing (Plans and Bundles)?

There are no implications, and nothing changes in that regard (Also in an "Open model" the pricing for both rooms and users remains the same).

Q: What are Roles & Permissions NOT?

The Roles & Permissions is a change of our “Technical roles” (members, editors, admins), but NOT a change of the definitions and use of the meeting roles (organiser, participant, leader, minutes taker, etc.).

Q: Will the Admin portal still be available on the profile? (as the attendee/editor view is not there anymore)

Yes. That "Link" will stay there — in the submenu when clicking the avatar on the top right.

Q: In the new "Open model", where users with restricted permissions no longer exist, when a User (former "Editor") creates a meeting, what setting defines if the selected attendees will have "View" or "Edit" rights?

People added to the meeting will be added with "View permissions" — and as Participants (also in the "Closed model"). To grant ‘’Edit Permissions" to the people, that should have "Edit Permissions" need to be updated manually by the Organiser.