Skip to content
See the Magic
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

External Security & Access Controls

What is External Security & Access Controls?

External Security & Access Controls in TMS.ai gives you granular control over what customers, carriers, and partners can see when accessing shared boards, onboarding portals, or other collaborative features. You configure security rules that automatically filter data by relationship, restrict field visibility, and control which information panels appear for each external user type, ensuring partners access only information relevant to their role while protecting sensitive business data.

This capability makes customer visibility practical and safe. When you share boards with customers or give carriers portal access, External Security & Access Controls determines exactly what they see. You define security at multiple levels: which records appear (customers see only their orders), which fields are visible within those records (showing delivery information while hiding your carrier costs), and which actions are available (viewing vs downloading vs uploading). These rules apply automatically based on who's accessing the shared resource, letting you provide useful visibility without exposing margin data, carrier rates, or other competitive information.

How External Security & Access Controls works:

  1. Access security configuration: When creating or editing a shareable board or customer portal, navigate to the Security or External tab in the configuration panel. This is where all access rules get defined.
  2. Identify external user types: Determine which types of external users will access this resource. Common types include customers (need order status and delivery information) and carriers (need dispatch and settlement data).
  3. Set field-level visibility: Review every field and data point in the view. For each field, decide whether external users should see it or have it hidden. Toggle visibility on for customer-relevant fields (status, ETA, delivery location) and off for internal fields (costs, margins, internal notes).
  4. Apply automatic relationship filters: Configure security filters that restrict which records external users can see based on their relationship to the data. When a customer accesses a shared board, they see only orders where they're listed as the customer. When a carrier accesses their portal, they see only loads assigned to them.
  5. Control widget visibility: In the External tab, review the sequence of information widgets and panels. Turn on widgets that provide value to external users (order details, delivery status, document access). Leave internal-use widgets disabled so they don't appear in the external view.
  6. Arrange information logically: Organize visible widgets in the order that makes sense for external users, which may differ from your internal team's view. Put the most important information (current status, next action required) at the top.
  7. Configure notification preferences: Set up whether external users receive notifications when relevant events happen (like order status changes, delivery completions, or document uploads). Choose email notifications, in-app notifications, or both.
  8. Test the external view: Before sharing widely, use the preview function to see exactly what external users will see when they access the board or portal. Verify that sensitive fields remain hidden and relevant information displays correctly.
  9. Share with confidence: Once security rules are configured and tested, share the board link or portal access with customers and partners. The security filters enforce automatically every time they access the resource.
  10. Update permissions as needs evolve: Modify security settings when relationships change or new information needs arise. Add fields to the external view when customers need more detail, or tighten restrictions if you're sharing competitive information.

What it means for you:

You provide customer visibility without worrying about exposing sensitive business data. Customers see exactly what they need (their order status, delivery timing, documents) without seeing what they shouldn't (your carrier costs, profit margins, other customers' data). This balance keeps customers informed while protecting your business model.

The operational benefit shows up in how confidently your team shares information. Instead of manually filtering data before every customer interaction, you set security rules once and the system enforces them automatically. New customers immediately see their orders with appropriate visibility as soon as you create them. Your customer service team focuses on solving problems instead of being the gatekeeper for every piece of information. The granular controls mean you can tailor visibility to different customer relationships - high-volume partners might see more detail while occasional customers get simpler views. You're enabling collaboration without creating business risk, and the automatic enforcement means security doesn't depend on human vigilance.