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User Deactivation

Manage user lifecycle, including deactivation and reactivation.

Overview​

User deactivation allows you to:

  • Remove access for departing users
  • Preserve historical data
  • Maintain audit trails
  • Reactivate users if they return

Why Deactivate Instead of Delete​

Deactivation Benefits​

AspectDeactivationDeletion
User dataPreservedRemoved
Inspection historyShows user nameShows "Deleted User"
Audit trailCompleteIncomplete
ReactivationEasyNot possible
User countDoesn't count against limitN/A

When to Deactivate​

  • Employee leaves the organization
  • Contractor engagement ends
  • Long-term absence (leave, sabbatical)
  • Security concern (temporary access removal)
  • Role change (evaluate before reactivating)

When to Delete (Rare)​

  • Test accounts
  • Duplicate accounts
  • User request (GDPR/privacy)
  • Never performed any inspections

Deactivating a User​

Steps​

  1. Go to Admin > Users
  2. Find the user to deactivate
  3. Click on the user
  4. Click Deactivate (or Edit → Deactivate)
  5. Confirm the action

What Happens​

Immediately:

  • User cannot log in
  • Active sessions are ended
  • Pending invitations are cancelled (if applicable)

Their data:

  • Profile information preserved
  • Inspection history preserved
  • Their name appears on historical records
  • Assignments and work history intact

Your organization:

  • User seat freed up
  • User removed from active user count
  • Can invite new users in their place

Viewing Deactivated Users​

Finding Deactivated Users​

  1. Go to Admin > Users
  2. Click Filter
  3. Select Status: Deactivated
  4. View list of deactivated users

User Status Indicators​

StatusMeaning
ActiveNormal access
PendingInvited, not yet joined
DeactivatedAccess removed

Reactivating a User​

When to Reactivate​

  • Employee returns to organization
  • Contractor re-engagement
  • User returns from leave
  • Security review completed

Steps​

  1. Go to Admin > Users
  2. Filter by Deactivated status
  3. Find the user
  4. Click on the user
  5. Click Reactivate
  6. Review and update their role/permissions if needed
  7. Confirm

What Happens​

  • User can immediately log in
  • Previous permissions restored
  • May need to reset password
  • User counts against active user limit

Important Considerations​

Before reactivating:

  1. Review role - Still appropriate?
  2. Review locations - Still accurate?
  3. Review permissions - Any changes needed?
  4. User limit - Do you have available seats?

Bulk Deactivation​

Deactivating Multiple Users​

  1. Go to Admin > Users
  2. Select multiple users (checkboxes)
  3. Click Bulk Actions > Deactivate
  4. Review the list
  5. Confirm

Use Cases​

  • Department reorganization
  • Contract end (multiple contractors)
  • Security incident response

Before Deactivation Checklist​

Items to Review​

Before deactivating a user, consider:

  • Assigned items - Reassign to another user
  • Pending inspections - Reassign or complete
  • In-progress inspections - Complete or assign
  • Open corrective actions - Reassign
  • Scheduled reports - Transfer ownership
  • Shared resources - Transfer or update

Data Handover​

For smooth transition:

  1. Export their inspection history if needed
  2. Reassign their assigned items
  3. Transfer any pending work
  4. Document any open items

Impact of Deactivation​

On Inspections​

ScenarioWhat Happens
Past inspectionsName preserved on records
Assigned inspectionsNeed to be reassigned
In-progress inspectionsCan be completed by others or voided

On Items​

ScenarioWhat Happens
Items they createdRemain in system
Items assigned to themNeed reassignment

On Reports​

ScenarioWhat Happens
Reports they generatedStill accessible
Scheduled reportsStop running (reassign)

On Corrective Actions​

ScenarioWhat Happens
Open actions assignedNeed reassignment
Completed actionsHistory preserved

Security Considerations​

When to Deactivate Immediately​

Deactivate without delay when:

  • Termination for cause
  • Security incident
  • Access violation
  • Suspicious activity

Security Best Practices​

  1. Prompt deactivation - Same day as departure
  2. Review recent activity - Check for concerns
  3. Update shared credentials - If any were shared
  4. Document the reason - In notes field

Audit Trail​

All deactivations are logged:

  • Who deactivated
  • When
  • Why (if reason provided)

Access audit logs in Admin > Security > Audit Logs.

User Data Retention​

What's Preserved​

Data TypeRetention
Profile informationIndefinitely
Inspection historyIndefinitely
Activity logsPer retention policy
Login history90 days after deactivation

Data Export​

Before deactivation, you can export:

  1. User's inspection history
  2. Activity report
  3. Items they were assigned

GDPR/Privacy Requests​

For data deletion requests:

  1. Export any needed data
  2. Contact support for full deletion
  3. Note: May affect audit completeness

Common Scenarios​

Employee Resignation​

  1. Reassign their items and work
  2. Deactivate on their last day
  3. Document any handover notes

Contractor End of Engagement​

  1. Complete or reassign pending work
  2. Deactivate on contract end date
  3. Review what data to export

Security Concern​

  1. Deactivate immediately
  2. Review recent activity
  3. Check for any issues
  4. Document the incident

Leave of Absence​

  1. Consider timing of deactivation
  2. May keep active for short absences
  3. Deactivate for extended leaves
  4. Plan for reactivation date

Role Change Within Organization​

  1. Consider deactivating old access
  2. Create new user with new role
  3. Or simply update existing user's role/permissions

Troubleshooting​

Can't Deactivate User​

Possible reasons:

  • You're trying to deactivate yourself
  • User is the only Super Admin
  • Insufficient permissions

Deactivated User Still Has Access​

  • Clear browser cache
  • Force logout (contact support)
  • Check for multiple accounts

Can't Reactivate User​

Check:

  • You have available user seats
  • You have permission to reactivate
  • User wasn't fully deleted

Best Practices​

Timing​

  • Same day for terminations
  • Planned date for known departures
  • Immediate for security concerns

Documentation​

  • Add deactivation reason in notes
  • Document what was transferred
  • Keep offboarding records

Process​

  1. Follow a consistent process
  2. Use a checklist
  3. Don't delay deactivation
  4. Review periodically for forgotten accounts

Regular Audits​

  • Review deactivated users quarterly
  • Delete truly unneeded accounts
  • Keep list clean

Next Steps​