User-to-User Overview

See also: Hierarchy vs User-to-User

Introduction

User-to-User (U2U) is a special type of profile field allows for a chain of relationships between users. The U2U profile field type was created in order to support organizations that have a chain of leadership and managers who may want to review completions of users that report to them, or other similar use-cases.

It is highly recommended to use a U2U chain rather than implementing the concept of a hierarchical chain of "manager’s value" as that solution will not work for a chain of user relationships that extends beyond 2-3 users deep. Whereas a User-to-User profile field allows for far a arbitrary number of strata in the relationships between users.

Notes

1. You may create only 1 U2U profile field type in the system.
2. Access to this feature must be enabled by Technical Support. Please submit a ticket to us if you would like to enable this feature.
3. This type of Profile Field is slightly different from other types of profile field. Only the following options are available:
   1. Type
   2. Required 
   3. Visibility
4. Individual users are unable to edit their own User-to-User profile field values from their profile. 

Profile Field Values

The values of a User-to-User profile field type differ from the other profile field types in that Admins do not specify the values of this field type. Instead, all users in the system are by default a "value" that can be used for this profile field. Additionally, these "values" are not immediately visible in the UI of the profile field details page. 

In the UI of the profile field details page, only relationships that have been explicitly made will appear in the table of field values. The U2U profile field has a one-to-many relationship; i.e. only one user can be associated with another user in a User-to-User profile field. In other words, you cannot have an employee that reports to multiple managers.

Connection Mechanics

Connections between users can be applied manually, via a datafeed or through SSO. 

Manual

Manual associations between users can be accomplished by Admins through profile field edits. In a user’s profile, selecting another user for that user’s User-to-User profile field will create a relationship. Only one value can be selected per user.

Datafeed 

When a valid value is sent to a datafeed, it is saved on the user profile. This value must take the form of match-on value for the user's supervisor (the datafeed cannot process these in any other format, such as First Name, Last Name).

This field value is processed after all users in the file have been created or deleted, in order to mitigate the risk of trying to connect one user to another user who doesn't yet exist, or to a user who is about to be deleted. Links to any users who are removed will be cleared out.  

SSO

In the instance where the LMS is the service provider (SP) in an SSO, if the profile field value is provided within the SSO, the user profile is updated/created with the correct User-to-User value. If the field does not exist, the user should not receive a value for the field. If the user to link does not exist, the user should not receive a value for the field.

Validation

When a value is selected for a user, the system validates the selected value to ensure the following:

• No direct loops (e.g. User X reporting to User Y, & User Y reporting to User X)
• No indirect loops (e.g. grandchild relationships X → Y → Z → X)
• Cannot link a user to themselves
• The user must exist

Note that an inactive user is considered a valid value. 

Roles

Role Creation with Audience

When a User-to-User profile field is used to define the audience for a Role, three operands are available for defining rules:

1. Is equal to: 
   Delivers a set of users whose value for the User-to-User field is equal to "user X"
2. Is equal to or below: 
   Delivers a set of users whose value for the User-to-User field is equal to "user X", and any users whose value for the User-to-User field is equal to or below any of those users and so on until no further users are identified.
3. Is equal to or below the administrator:
   Delivers a set of users whose value for the User-to-User field is equal to the currently logged-in administrator, and any users whose value for the User-to-User field is equal or below to any of those users and so on until no further users are identified

Role Abilities

When a Role with an audience based on a User-to-User field is created, restrictions are placed on the abilities of that Role. Admins will not be able to assign the abilities to manage Modules, Content, or Merits to the Role; their respective drop down menus are disabled and set to No Access. The remaining abilities can be configured by the Admin as per established workflow. 

In this initial implementation of U2U, when the audience is set using a User-to-User profile field after the Role abilities are assigned, the user will not be notified that their audience definition has impacted their selected abilities. 

If a Role has any existing associations with modules or content, the UI blocks the Admin from using a User-to-User field to define the role audience. The field should exist in the field selection modal, but be in an inactive state, with a tooltip explaining:

"A user-to-user field cannot be used to define the audience for a role with existing associated modules or media."

Reports

The User-to-User profile field can be used as a filter when generating reports, specifically:

1. A user can filter the report data based on one or more rules containing the User-to-User field.
2. A user can select a specific user as the admin (e.g. filter the report by all users who report to User X).

When a user-to-user field is selected as a report filter, there are two operands available:

1. Is equal to:
   Following this, any user in the system can be selected
2. Is equal to or below:
   Following this, any user in the system can be selected

Bulk Admin Action Tool

When executing a bulk user action that involves updating the User-to-User profile field for a number of users, no values will appear by default as all users are valid filter options. You must enter a user's name in the search bar for the profile field value in Step 3 of the bulk admin action to proceed.