Overview
The Distributor Operations role allows distributor users to delegate daily administrative and operational tasks—such as scheduling cases, managing inventory movement, creating requests, and handling billing documentation—to back-office and customer service staff.
By mirroring the data visibility and management permissions of the primary Distributor account without granting inventory custody or surgical case representation, this role enables team members to manage operations on behalf of the distributorship while preserving individual user accountability and audit trails.
How Distributor Operations Users Are Invited
Distributor Operations users are created and invited directly through the Beacon Console by an Administrator, a Distributor, or an existing Distributor Operations user.
Invitation Steps
Navigate to Users in the main navigation menu of the Beacon Console.
Click Add Users and select Invite / Add User.
In the user form, enter the user's Name and Email Address.
In the Role dropdown menu, select Distributor Operations (displayed as Operations or Distributor Operations).
Click Add User or Send Invite.
Complete User Setup: Before the user can log into their account, open their user profile in the Users list and toggle Training Complete to On.
Note: A Distributor can have multiple Distributor Operations users linked to their distributorship. However, each Distributor Operations user can only be linked to a single Distributor.
Account Connection and Data Scoping
Distributor Operations accounts operate through a hierarchical relationship, establishing a direct linkage between the primary Distributor (Coordinator) and the Distributor Operations user (Subordinator).
Data Mirroring and Visibility
Because Distributor Operations accounts are connected hierarchically to the distributor, they automatically share the exact data scope of their linked Distributor:
Distributorship Inventory: Full visibility into all inventory held in the primary Distributor's custody as well as inventory in the custody of assigned Sales Representatives.
Events & Cases: Ability to view, track, and manage all surgical cases and events scheduled across the distributorship.
Movements: Access to view all pending and historical inventory transfers, replenishments, and requests for the group.
Directory & Assignments: Access to all assigned Facilities, Physicians, Procedures, Product Lines, and Preference Cards associated with the distributorship.
Reporting & Analytics: Access to Looker dashboards, commission tracking, and AI analytics scoped to the distributorship's performance.
User Management: Ability to view, invite, and manage Sales Representatives linked to the distributorship.
Permissions and Capabilities
A Distributor Operations user possesses the same functional permissions as a Distributor account, empowering back-office staff to execute operational workflows:
Surgical Case Workflow: Stage new events, record item usage/sales, upload bill sheets/patient stickers, submit cases for billing, generate and share Sales Orders/Invoices, and enter Purchase Order (PO) numbers.
Inventory Logistics: Initiate inventory requests to the manufacturer organization, process incoming transfers, and create outgoing transfers on behalf of the Distributor or connected Sales Representatives.
Directory Management: Create and update customer records (Facilities, Physicians, Procedures, and Preference Cards) for the distributorship.
User Administration: Invite new Sales Representatives or additional Distributor Operations staff to the distributorship, manage user settings, and update contact information.
System Restrictions and Guardrails
To maintain strict accounting, regulatory compliance, and operational accuracy, the Distributor Operations role includes built-in non-custodial guardrails:
Feature / Selection | Distributor Operations Capability |
Inventory Custody | Blocked. Distributor Operations users cannot physically hold or own inventory in Beacon. |
Event Representative | Blocked. Cannot be selected as the primary representative covering a surgical case. |
Transfer Recipient | Blocked. Cannot be designated as the recipient of an inventory transfer. |
User Selection Pickers | Hidden. Automatically excluded and hidden from all custodian, event representative, and transfer recipient dropdown menus across mobile and web interfaces. |
Staging Actions on Behalf of Custodians
When a Distributor Operations user creates a surgical case or initiates an inventory transfer, they must select a valid custodial user (e.g., the primary Distributor or an assigned Sales Representative) as the active representative or recipient.
Audit Trail Integrity
Every action taken by a Distributor Operations user—such as editing a case, submitting a billing document, or initiating a transfer—is stamped with their unique user ID in the system (created_by / modified_by). This ensures full operational traceability without requiring staff to share login credentials with the Distributor Principal.