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Internal vs External Access

What is Internal vs External Access?

Internal vs External Access is how TMS.ai separates your team's full operational view from the limited, specific information you share with outside parties like customers, carriers, or partners. Internal users are your employees who need comprehensive access to run your operation: dispatchers, customer service reps, managers, and admins. External users are people outside your organization who need visibility into specific aspects of your operation but shouldn't see everything. TMS.ai maintains separate data panels, board permissions, and access levels for these two user groups, ensuring external parties get transparency without compromising your internal operations or sensitive data.

This separation is critical for modern freight operations. Your customers expect real-time visibility into their shipments. Your carriers need access to their assigned loads and documentation. But neither group should see your internal costs, other customers' data, or confidential operational details. Internal vs External Access creates this balance: collaboration and transparency where needed, security and privacy where required.

How Internal vs External Access works:

  1. Configure internal data panels: Using Object Builder, set up the internal data panel for each object type (Orders, Customers, etc.). This is what your team sees when they open a record. Include all fields your team needs: internal notes, cost information, margin calculations, carrier pay rates, and operational details.
  2. Configure external data panels separately: In the same Object Builder interface, switch to the External Data Panel tab. Choose which fields external users see when you share records with them. Typically, this includes delivery status, tracking information, and relevant documentation, while hiding internal costs, notes, and financial details.
  3. Create external user accounts: When you want to give a customer or carrier system access, create an external user account through Settings → Users. Assign them the Customer role (for customers) or Driver role (for carriers). External roles have drastically limited permissions compared to internal roles.
  4. Set external role permissions: External roles like Customer and Driver have predefined access that's appropriate for outside parties. Customers can view their own orders, request quotes, and access their invoices. Drivers can see their assigned trips, update delivery status, and upload proof of delivery documents. Neither can access other customers' data or internal operational modules.
  5. Share boards with external users: Use the Share function on any board to grant external access. When you share a board with a customer, apply filters automatically so they only see their own orders. When you share with a carrier, filter to show only orders assigned to them. External users access shared boards through invite links or direct login.
  6. Control widget visibility for external workflows: In Widget Builder, configure which workflow steps external users complete. For carrier onboarding, external users might complete insurance verification and equipment registration widgets, while internal users handle approval and compliance verification steps.
  7. Monitor external access through security settings: Admins can review which external users have access, see their activity logs, and revoke access if needed. Go to the External tab in security settings to manage external widget permissions and visibility.
  8. Use public share links for one-time access: For situations where you need to share information with someone who doesn't need a full user account, generate public share links. These provide view-only access to specific boards or records without requiring login credentials.

What it means for you:

Internal vs External Access transforms customer and carrier communication from constant phone calls into self-service transparency. Instead of your customer service team fielding dozens of daily "where's my shipment?" calls, customers log into their portal and see real-time order status themselves. Instead of carriers calling dispatch for delivery address confirmation, they open their app and have all trip details at their fingertips. Your team reclaims time previously spent answering routine questions.

For your operation, this separation maintains security while building trust through transparency. You share exactly what customers need to see—their orders, delivery windows, tracking updates—without exposing internal operational details, pricing structures, or information about other customers. Carriers access their assigned loads and documentation without seeing your full dispatch board or customer pricing. You collaborate openly with your freight network while protecting the competitive intelligence and sensitive information that keep your business running. And because TMS.ai enforces these boundaries automatically based on roles and permissions, you don't worry about accidentally sharing something you shouldn't—the system simply won't allow it.