Organization Hierarchy and Branches

Overview

Preparebuddy.com supports sophisticated organizational hierarchies that allow large institutions and corporations to manage multiple departments, branches, or divisions under a unified structure. This guide covers creating and managing hierarchical organizations through the web interface.

Understanding Organization Hierarchy

Hierarchy Structure

Parent Organization (Super Admin)
├── Branch A (Branch Admin)
│   ├── Group 1 (Members)
│   └── Group 2 (Members)
├── Branch B (Branch Admin)
│   ├── Group 3 (Members)
│   └── Group 4 (Members)
└── Branch C (Branch Admin)
    ├── Group 5 (Members)
    └── Group 6 (Members)

Key Concepts

Parent Organization

• Top-level organization in the hierarchy
• Managed by Super Admin
• Can have unlimited branches (subject to subscription limits)
• Controls global settings and policies
• Access to cross-branch analytics and reporting

Branch Organizations

• Child organizations under a parent
• Managed by Branch Admins
• Can inherit settings from parent or have custom settings
• Semi-autonomous operation within parent guidelines
• Individual analytics with parent access

Super Admin vs Branch Admin

• Super Admin: Controls entire hierarchy, creates branches, global oversight
• Branch Admin: Manages their specific branch, limited to branch-level access

Creating Parent Organizations

Initial Parent Setup

Step 1: Create Parent Organization

1. Access Organization Creation
2. Login to Preparebuddy.com
3. Navigate to Platform Solutions → Create Organization

4. Select Advanced Organization setup

5. Choose Parent Organization Type

6. Select Parent Organization option
7. This automatically grants you Super Admin role

8. Enables branch creation capabilities

9. Configure Parent Settings

10. Organization Name: Primary institution name
11. Description: Mission and scope of entire organization
12. Contact Information: Central administration details
13. Global Settings: Default policies for all branches

Step 2: Configure Global Settings

1. Access Global Settings
2. Go to Super Admin Dashboard

3. Click Global Settings → Organization Policies

4. Set Organization-Wide Policies:

5. Default Member Role: Role assigned to new branch members
6. Branch Creation Policy: Who can create branches
7. Settings Inheritance: Which settings branches inherit
8. Cross-Branch Access: Inter-branch visibility and collaboration
9. Global Branding: Logos, colors, themes for all branches

Step 3: Configure Branch Template

1. Create Branch Template
2. Set default branch configuration
3. Define standard roles and permissions
4. Configure default groups and structure
5. Set up standard exam and assessment templates

Creating and Managing Branches

Branch Creation Process

Method 1: Individual Branch Creation

1. Access Branch Management
2. Go to Super Admin Dashboard

3. Click Branch Management → Create New Branch

4. Branch Configuration:

5. Branch Name: Department or division name
6. Branch Type: Academic, Administrative, Training, etc.
7. Description: Purpose and scope of branch
8. Geographic Location: Physical location if relevant

9. Branch Admin: Assign initial branch administrator

10. Settings Configuration:

11. Inherit from Parent: Use parent organization settings
12. Custom Settings: Override specific settings for this branch
13. Member Sync: Sync members with parent organization
14. Analytics Sharing: Share analytics with parent

Method 2: Bulk Branch Creation

1. Prepare Branch Data
2. Download branch template CSV
3. Fill in branch information for multiple branches

4. Include branch admin assignments

5. Bulk Import Process:

6. Upload completed CSV file
7. Review branch configuration preview
8. Confirm bulk branch creation
9. Assign branch administrators

Branch Administration

Setting Up Branch Admin

1. Admin Assignment Options:
2. Existing User: Promote existing organization member
3. New User: Invite external user as branch admin

4. Multiple Admins: Assign co-administrators for large branches

5. Admin Configuration:

6. Assign branch admin role
7. Grant necessary permissions
8. Provide branch setup documentation
9. Schedule training session if needed

Branch-Specific Settings

1. Access Branch Settings
2. Super Admin: Access any branch settings

3. Branch Admin: Access only their branch settings

4. Configurable Settings:

5. Member Management: Branch-specific member policies
6. Exam Settings: Branch default exam configurations
7. Assessment Policies: Grading and feedback preferences
8. Notification Settings: Branch communication preferences
9. Branding: Branch-specific logos and themes (if allowed)

Settings Inheritance

Inheritance Options

1. Full Inheritance
2. Branch uses all parent organization settings
3. Changes to parent settings automatically apply to branch

4. Simplest management for consistent organizations

5. Partial Inheritance

6. Branch inherits selected settings from parent
7. Can customize specific settings for branch needs

8. Balance between consistency and flexibility

9. Custom Settings

10. Branch operates with independent settings
11. No automatic inheritance from parent
12. Maximum flexibility for specialized branches

Managing Inheritance

1. Global Inheritance Control (Super Admin)
2. Set which settings can be customized by branches
3. Force inheritance of critical policies

4. Allow branch flexibility in operational settings

5. Branch Inheritance Settings (Branch Admin)

6. Choose which parent settings to inherit
7. Override specific settings for branch needs
8. Request changes to inheritance permissions

Super Admin Management

Super Admin Dashboard

Dashboard Overview

1. Hierarchy Visualization
2. Visual tree showing entire organization structure
3. Branch status indicators (active, inactive, pending)
4. Member count and activity levels per branch

5. Quick access to branch administration

6. Global Analytics

7. Cross-branch performance metrics
8. Organization-wide member engagement
9. Comparative branch analytics
10. System usage and resource allocation

Super Admin Capabilities

Branch Management

1. Create/Delete Branches
2. Add new branches as organization grows
3. Deactivate or remove branches as needed
4. Merge branches when reorganizing

5. Archive historical branch data

6. Branch Admin Management

7. Assign and change branch administrators
8. Monitor branch admin activity
9. Provide support and training to branch admins
10. Handle escalated branch issues

Global User Management

1. Cross-Branch User Access
2. View all users across entire organization
3. Manage users who belong to multiple branches
4. Handle user transfers between branches

5. Resolve user access and permission issues

6. Organization-Wide Policies

7. Set global user policies and procedures
8. Manage organization-wide user roles
9. Configure cross-branch collaboration settings
10. Monitor security and compliance across branches

Advanced Hierarchy Features

Cross-Branch Collaboration

1. Shared Resources
2. Create organization-wide exam templates
3. Share assessment rubrics across branches
4. Provide global study materials and resources

5. Facilitate inter-branch knowledge sharing

6. Collaboration Tools

7. Cross-branch messaging and communication
8. Shared workspaces for collaborative projects
9. Inter-branch member exchanges and transfers
10. Organization-wide events and announcements

Branch Analytics and Reporting

1. Individual Branch Reports
2. Branch-specific performance metrics
3. Member engagement and progress tracking
4. Exam and assessment completion rates

5. Custom branch reporting needs

6. Comparative Analysis

7. Cross-branch performance comparisons
8. Best practices identification
9. Resource allocation optimization
10. Organization-wide trend analysis

Common Hierarchy Scenarios

Educational Institution

Example: Large University with Multiple Colleges

Structure:

State University (Parent)
├── College of Engineering (Branch)
├── College of Business (Branch)
├── College of Arts & Sciences (Branch)
├── Graduate School (Branch)
└── Continuing Education (Branch)

Setup Process: 1. Create State University as parent organization 2. Create branches for each college 3. Assign Dean or Department Head as branch admin 4. Configure college-specific settings and policies 5. Set up cross-college collaboration tools

Corporate Training Organization

Example: Multinational Corporation with Regional Training

Structure:

GlobalCorp Training (Parent)
├── North America Training (Branch)
├── Europe Training (Branch)
├── Asia-Pacific Training (Branch)
└── Corporate University (Branch)

Setup Process: 1. Create GlobalCorp Training as parent organization 2. Create regional branches for localized training 3. Assign Regional Training Directors as branch admins 4. Configure region-specific compliance requirements 5. Set up global certification and standards

Language Institute Network

Example: Language School Chain with Multiple Locations

Structure:

Global Language Institute (Parent)
├── Downtown Campus (Branch)
├── University District Campus (Branch)
├── Online Learning Division (Branch)
└── Corporate Training Division (Branch)

Setup Process: 1. Create Global Language Institute as parent 2. Create branches for each campus/division 3. Assign Campus Directors as branch admins 4. Configure course-specific settings per location 5. Set up student transfer and progression tracking

Best Practices for Hierarchy Management

Planning Your Hierarchy

1. Organizational Analysis
2. Map existing organizational structure
3. Identify natural division points
4. Consider future growth and changes

5. Plan for scalability and flexibility

6. Authority and Responsibility

7. Clearly define super admin responsibilities
8. Establish branch admin authority levels
9. Document escalation procedures
10. Create accountability measures

Implementation Strategy

1. Phased Rollout
2. Start with pilot branches
3. Test settings and permissions
4. Gather feedback from branch admins

5. Refine approach before full deployment

6. Training and Support

7. Provide comprehensive super admin training
8. Train branch admins on their capabilities
9. Create documentation and resource libraries
10. Establish ongoing support procedures

Ongoing Management

1. Regular Reviews
2. Quarterly hierarchy structure reviews
3. Annual permission and access audits
4. Ongoing branch admin performance reviews

5. Continuous process improvement

6. Communication

7. Regular super admin to branch admin meetings
8. Organization-wide updates and announcements
9. Feedback collection and implementation
10. Best practices sharing across branches

Troubleshooting Hierarchy Issues

Common Problems and Solutions

Branch Access Issues

Problem: Branch admin cannot access expected features Solutions: - Verify branch admin role assignment - Check inheritance settings for required permissions - Review global policy restrictions - Contact super admin for permission adjustments

Settings Inheritance Problems

Problem: Branch settings not inheriting from parent Solutions: - Check inheritance configuration settings - Verify parent settings are properly configured - Review custom override settings in branch - Re-sync inheritance if necessary

Cross-Branch Access Issues

Problem: Users cannot access other branches Solutions: - Review cross-branch access policies - Check user multi-branch membership - Verify branch visibility settings - Configure appropriate collaboration permissions

This comprehensive hierarchy management guide ensures you can effectively create and manage complex organizational structures in Preparebuddy.com.