Creating Authorization Passwords for Users

Managers can create one-time or multiple-use authorization passwords to enable other users to complete authorization-protected tasks on an as-needed basis. This allows for greater security and auditing capability since managers no longer have to share their personal passwords. It also increases productivity since a manager no longer needs to be at a workstation to authorize specific tasks.

For example, only authorized users can approve pricing adjustments that exceed defined limits. Typically these users are in management positions. When a non-authorized user enters a pricing adjustment in order entry that exceeds the designated limits, the system displays the following prompt: Enter Authorized Password.

Two ways to respond to this prompt are:

Authorized users can enter their Eclipse password at the prompt. For example, an authorized manager walks over to the order taker's terminal and enters the manager's Eclipse password.
Authorized users can create authorization passwords, which they can tell another user to enter on their behalf. The user requesting the override enters the authorization password at the prompt. This eliminates the need for a manager to walk over to the other user's terminal to respond to the prompt.

To create authorization passwords, managers must be assigned the AUTH.PWD.MAINT authorization key. They can create one-time or multiple-use passwords, depending on the level assigned to the key.

Every time a user enters an authorization password at the Enter Authorized Password prompt, the system sends a message to the user who created the password. The message describes the password, who used it, and the reason for using it.

If the message is for a one-time password, it also indicates that the password is now expired.
When the system determines that a multiple-use password has expired, it sends a message to the user who created it.

To create authorization passwords for users:

Do one of the following to display the Authorization Passwords screen:
From the System > System Files > User Control menu, select Authorization Password Maintenance.
From the User Maintenance screen, use the Add'l hot key and then the Auth Pswds hot key.

In the Login Password field, enter the user's system password to access the password definition part of the screen.
In the Password field, enter a password. The system populates the remaining columns as follows:

If your authorization level is...	Then the password is set for...
0	one-time use. You cannot change this setting. The system deletes the password from the list after the first use.
1-998	multiple use for the number of days equal to the level number. If you change the date, it cannot be later than the system-generated date or earlier than the current date. The system deletes the password from the list following the expiration date.
999	multiple use with no expiration date. The password is available for use until you remove it from the list.

To allow the password to be used just once, set the value in the One Time field to Y.
To allow the password to be used multiple times for a limited period, enter an expiration date in the Expire Date field. This field does not apply if the password is set up for one-time use.
To set up additional authorization passwords, repeat steps 3 through 5.
Press Esc three times to update the user record and exit User Maintenance.