Set Security Access Right: Protect Costs & Margins in SQL Account

Agnes Lee
Sep 8
2 min read

Not everyone should see costs, margins, or be able to change prices. Setting security access correctly in SQL Account protects profit, prevents mistakes, and keeps approvals clean—without slowing sales.

Giving everyone full access sounds easy—until selling prices leak, discounts spiral, or a rep screenshots your margins. SQL Account lets you decide exactly who can see costs and margins, who can change prices, and who approves exceptions. Here’s a simple, practical guide.

TL;DR (Decide in 60 seconds)

Sales reps: No cost, no margin %, can view selling price only; allow discount up to a limit.
Sales manager: Can see cost & margin, approve bigger discounts/credit notes.
Finance: Full cost visibility, P&L and stock valuation reports.
Warehouse/logistics: No price or cost; pick/pack/DO only.
Owner/Director: Everything.

Set roles first, then assign rights to each role. Avoid one-by-one user tinkering.

What You Can Control in SQL Account

Hide cost fields.
Price/discount authority: who can change price, require manager approval when exceeded.
Document permissions: who can create/edit/delete Sales Quotation, Sales Order, Delivery Order, Invoice, Credit Note; same for Purchases.
Report access: allow/deny sensitive reports like Item Profitability, Gross Profit by Document, Stock Valuation, Customer Sales Analysis with margin.
Period lock & back‑date rules: stop late edits once month is closed; restrict back‑dated entries.
Warehouse/branch scope: limit users to specific locations or branches.
Void/Delete security & audit trail: require rights to delete; every action logged.

The 80/20 Permission Matrix

Role	See Cost	See Margin %	Change Price	Discount Limit	Approvals	Reports
Sales Rep	✖	✖	✖ (or limited)	≤ 5%	—	Customer Sales (no margin)
Sales Manager	✔	✔	✔	≤ 15%	Credit Note & big discounts	Item Profitability, GP by Doc
Finance	✔	✔	—	—	Returns/Adjustments	P&L, Stock Valuation, GST
Warehouse	✖	✖	✖	—	—	DO/Picking only
Owner/Director	✔	✔	✔	No limit	All	All

Start tight. You can always loosen later.

Quick Checklist (No How‑To)

Roles first: Sales, Sales Manager, Finance, Warehouse, Owner.
Hide cost & margin from Sales/Warehouse; allow for Manager/Finance.
Price & discount controls: set discount ceilings; require approval above limits.
Sensitive reports: restrict profitability/stock valuation to Manager/Finance.
Period lock & back‑date: lock month‑end; limit back‑dated entries.
Void/Delete & audit trail: keep rights tight; review activity monthly.

Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)

Everyone can see cost → Create Sales role without cost rights
Price changes at counter → Disable “edit price”.
Back‑dated edits after close → Turn on monthly period lock; give unlock rights to Finance only.
Sensitive reports emailed around → Restrict report access; watermark exports with user name/date.

Quick Recap

Decide who sees costs & margins by role, not user.
Lock down price edits and discount ceilings; add approvals for exceptions.
Limit reports that reveal margin; enable period locks and audit trail.