Roles & Permissions

Deskpadi uses a role-based access control system with 11 distinct roles. Every user is assigned exactly one role, and that role determines which pages they can see, which actions they can perform, and where they sit in the approval chain. Roles cannot be combined — if a user needs capabilities from two roles, assign the higher-authority role.

1. Staff

Staff is the base role assigned to every regular employee. It provides the minimum set of permissions needed to participate in day-to-day operations.

Capabilities

• •View assets assigned to them and browse the company asset register.
• •Create purchase requests and track their approval status.
• •Create and manage personal tasks; participate in tasks assigned to them.
• •Send and receive messages via the built-in messaging system.
• •Submit expense claims with receipts.
• •Apply for leave (if the Leave module is enabled on the plan).
• •View their own profile and update personal information.

2. Department Head

The Department Head is the first-level approver for requests originating from their department. Their authority is scoped to their own department only.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Approve or reject purchase requests from staff in their department.
• •Approve or reject leave requests from staff in their department.
• •View a department-level dashboard with request summaries and team activity.
• •Manage department-specific asset assignments.

3. Manager

Managers oversee one or more specific departments via a managedDepartments array configured on their profile. A Manager does NOT have cross-department authority — they can only manage the departments explicitly assigned to them. They act as the second-level approver in the request chain.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Second-level approval for purchase requests that have already been approved by a Department Head.
• •Approve or reject leave requests from Department Heads in their managed departments.
• •Delegate approval authority to another Manager or Department Head when unavailable.
• •Access the My Team view, which shows direct reports, their pending requests, and team activity.
• •Configure approval thresholds (default: ₦500,000) above which requests escalate further.

4. Finance Officer

Finance Officers handle the finance-stage review of approved requests. They verify budget availability and payment details but cannot disburse funds.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Approve requests at the finance review stage.
• •View the finance dashboard and disbursement queue.
• •Manage and reconcile expense claims.
• •View department budget utilisation reports.
• •Cannot process disbursements — that authority belongs to the Finance Head.

5. Finance Head

The Finance Head has full financial authority including the ability to disburse funds and approve budgets.

Capabilities

• •All Finance Officer capabilities.
• •Process disbursements (select payment method, enter transaction references, upload receipts).
• •Approve and manage department budgets and budget lines.
• •Approve expense claims for final payment.
• •Manage company bank accounts.
• •Access finance analytics (total disbursed, by payment method, by status).

6. Procurement Staff

Procurement Staff handle the procurement stage of purchase requests on Pro+ plans. They prepare purchase orders and attach budget allocations.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Attach budget lines to approved purchase requests.
• •Generate purchase orders (POs) from approved requests.
• •Manage vendor records and vendor performance data.
• •Track PO delivery status and fulfilment.

7. Procurement Head

The Procurement Head approves requests at the procurement stage and oversees the procurement team.

Capabilities

• •All Procurement Staff capabilities.
• •Approve or reject requests at the procurement review stage.
• •Approve purchase orders before they are sent to vendors.
• •Set procurement policies and preferred vendor lists.

8. HR

HR users manage employee records and handle day-to-day human resources operations.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Manage employee profiles, onboarding, and offboarding.
• •Approve leave requests from staff members.
• •Manage leave types, balances, and accrual policies.
• •Initiate and manage disciplinary actions.
• •Conduct and manage 360° feedback cycles.

9. HR Head

The HR Head has elevated authority over HR operations, including approving requests that originate from HR staff themselves.

Capabilities

• •All HR capabilities.
• •Approve leave requests submitted by HR staff members.
• •Approve job requisitions before they are published.
• •Manage organisation-wide HR policies and settings.
• •Access HR analytics and workforce reports.

10. IT Admin

IT Admin is a technical administration role. Unlike some systems, IT Admin does NOT automatically bypass all permissions. Instead, each endpoint that an IT Admin can access explicitly lists the role as permitted.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Manage organisation settings, departments, and locations.
• •Configure integrations, webhooks, and SSO (Enterprise plan).
• •View audit logs and system activity.
• •Manage asset categories and custom fields.
• •Limited financial authority — cannot approve or disburse requests.

11. IT Staff

IT Staff handle user management and basic system administration tasks under the direction of the IT Admin.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Invite and deactivate user accounts.
• •Reset user passwords and manage account locks.
• •Assign and reassign roles to users.
• •Limited financial authority — cannot approve or disburse requests.

12. Super Admin

Super Admin is the highest-authority role in the platform. It is typically assigned to the organisation owner or a C-level executive.

Capabilities

• •All capabilities from every other role.
• •Approve any request at any stage, regardless of department or threshold.
• •Manage billing, subscription plans, and add-on modules.
• •Create and remove Super Admin accounts.
• •Access all analytics and reports across the organisation.
• •Override approval chains when necessary.

13. Site Engineer

Site Engineer is a specialised role available when the Real Estate add-on is activated. It grants access to construction and project management features.

Capabilities

• •All Staff capabilities.
• •Create and manage site plans and project timelines.
• •Submit and track Bills of Quantities (BOQ).
• •Manage submittals, subcontracts, and payment applications.
• •Submit HSE permits and safety documentation.
• •View site-level dashboards and progress reports.

Role Comparison Table

The table below summarises key capabilities across all roles for quick reference.