SAFIO supports multiple user roles to accommodate different responsibilities within the planning process. Depending on your organization’s implementation, users may be responsible for forecasting, sales collaboration, administration, reporting, or a combination of these activities.
Overview #
Not every SAFIO user interacts with the application in the same way.
Some users spend their day creating and reviewing forecasts, while others contribute sales knowledge, manage system configuration, or simply view reports and dashboards.
Understanding your role will help you focus on the features and documentation that are most relevant to your daily responsibilities.
| Role | Primary Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Planner | Forecasting & inventory planning |
| Sales Representative | Customer forecast collaboration |
| Client Administrator | Planning oversight & administration |
| Tableau Viewer | Reporting & analytics |
| SAFIO Administrator | System administration & security |
Why It Matters #
Each role is designed to support a specific part of the planning process.
Understanding who is responsible for each activity helps improve collaboration, reduces confusion, and ensures planning decisions are made by the appropriate people.
How It Works in SAFIO #
Planner
Planners are typically responsible for maintaining demand forecasts, reviewing statistical forecasts, managing exceptions, analyzing inventory, and making planning decisions.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Reviewing forecast recommendations
- Adjusting forecasts
- Managing planning exceptions
- Monitoring inventory health
- Reviewing purchasing requirements
- Analyzing forecast accuracy
Sales Representative
Sales representatives provide customer and market knowledge that improves forecast accuracy.
Depending on your organization’s configuration, forecasts may be assigned to individual sales representatives, allowing them to review and update forecasts for their assigned accounts while planners maintain overall planning oversight.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Reviewing assigned customer forecasts
- Updating forecasts based on customer knowledge
- Communicating promotions or upcoming demand changes
- Collaborating with planners
Client Administrator
Client Administrators oversee their organization’s planning process and user access within SAFIO. In many organizations, the lead planner also serves as the Client Administrator.
Typical responsibilities:
- Manage planners and sales representative access
- Oversee forecast locking
- Review and approve forecasts
- Manage planning activities
- Perform approved manual data uploads (when enabled)
- Access additional administrative features available to the organization
Note: The capabilities available to Client Administrators vary by organization and may depend on permissions granted by the SAFIO team.
Tableau Viewer
Some users access SAFIO reporting without participating directly in the planning process.
These users typically consume dashboards and reports to monitor business performance, forecast accuracy, inventory health, or operational metrics.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Viewing dashboards
- Monitoring KPIs
- Reviewing forecast performance
- Sharing business insights
SAFIO Administrator
SAFIO Administrators are members of the SAFIO Solutions team responsible for maintaining the application, integrations, system configuration, and client environments. These responsibilities are not typically available to client users.
Typical responsibilities:
- Configure client environments
- Manage integrations
- Maintain application settings
- Support client implementations
- Troubleshoot technical issues
- Manage system-wide configuration
Examples #
A typical planning cycle may involve multiple roles working together:
- A planner reviews statistical forecasts.
- A sales representative adjusts forecasts for assigned customer accounts.
- The planner reviews and approves the final forecast.
- Management monitors results through Tableau dashboards.
- An administrator maintains user access and application configuration.
Best Practices #
- Understand the responsibilities associated with your assigned role.
- Collaborate with other users throughout the planning process.
- Focus on the areas of the application that support your daily responsibilities.
- Contact your administrator if additional access is required.
Common Questions #
Can one user have multiple roles?
Yes. Depending on your organization’s implementation, a user may perform multiple responsibilities.
Will every organization use the same roles?
Not necessarily. Organizations may configure SAFIO differently, and responsibilities may vary.
How do I know which role I have?
If you’re unsure which responsibilities or permissions apply to you, contact your SAFIO administrator.
Related Topics #
- Administration
- Forecasting
- Reporting
- User Management