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Organization Chart Changes and Evolution

An organization's chart is a living structure that evolves over time. Avanteam provides tools to efficiently manage these changes while preserving data integrity and process continuity.

Organization Chart Management

Fundamental Principles​

The Organization Chart as a Logical Engine​

In Avanteam, the organization chart is not just a visual representation, it's the engine that drives:

  • Workflows: Automatic identification of approvers via dynamic roles (N+1, Manager)
  • Access Rights: Permission inheritance based on hierarchical position
  • Distribution: Targeted document sending to department members
  • Reporting: Data aggregation by organizational entity

Impact of Changes​

Any modification to the organization chart can affect:

  • Ongoing Workflows: Tasks pending validation
  • Access Rights: Permissions inherited from the structure
  • Resource Reservations: Access to rooms and equipment
  • Reports and Dashboards: Filters by department

Types of Changes​

Creating a New Entity​

Use Case: Creating a new department, service, or division

Procedure:

  1. Go to Directory > Organization Chart
  2. Select the parent entity
  3. Click Create Department
  4. Fill in the information:
    • Department name
    • Code (unique identifier)
    • Description
  5. Assign the manager
  6. Validate creation

Impact:

  • The department appears immediately in the hierarchy
  • Members can be assigned to it
  • It becomes available in filters and workflows

Moving a Department​

Use Case: Reorganization, attachment to another division

Drag & Drop Procedure:

  1. Switch to Macro view (departments only)
  2. Select the department to move
  3. Drag and drop to the new parent entity
  4. Confirm the move

System automatically proposes:

  • Transfer of ongoing cases
  • Update of attachments
  • History preservation

Impact:

  • Ongoing workflows are preserved
  • Members retain their rights
  • Reports are automatically updated

Moving an Employee​

Use Case: Internal mobility, transfer, promotion

Drag & Drop Procedure:

  1. Switch to Micro view (departments + employees)
  2. Select the employee
  3. Drag and drop to the new department
  4. The system proposes:
    • Transfer of ongoing cases
    • Update of assignments
    • Notification to the new manager

User Profile Procedure:

  1. Open user profile (Directory > Users)
  2. Assignments tab
  3. Member of section
  4. Remove old attachment
  5. Add new department
  6. Validate

Impact:

  • Ongoing tasks are transferred or reassigned
  • Rights are updated according to the new department
  • User history is preserved

Manager Change​

Use Case: Departure, promotion, managerial reorganization

Procedure:

  1. Go to Directory > Organization Chart
  2. Select the concerned department
  3. Click Edit Department
  4. Manager section
  5. Select the new manager
  6. Validate

Critical Impact:

  • Workflows: New cases will be routed to the new manager
  • Delegations: Existing delegations need verification
  • Rights: The new manager automatically inherits managerial rights
  • Ongoing Cases: Pending validation tasks may require manual reassignment

Recommendation: Plan this change with the new manager to ensure continuity

Department Merger​

Use Case: Rationalization, downsizing, consolidation

Procedure:

  1. Identify the target department (which will be kept)
  2. Move all employees from the source department to the target department (Drag & Drop)
  3. Verify that all ongoing cases are transferred
  4. Check resources assigned to the source department
  5. Delete the source department once empty

Points of Attention:

  • Check workflows specific to the deleted department
  • Adapt views and reports filtered on this department
  • Communicate the change broadly to users

Department Split​

Use Case: Growth, specialization, creation of new teams

Procedure:

  1. Create new departments (e.g., Department A becomes Department A1 and Department A2)
  2. Assign managers to each new department
  3. Distribute employees among the new departments
  4. Reassign resources if necessary
  5. Delete the old department once empty

Recommendation: Perform this operation outside production hours

Impact Management​

Ongoing Workflows​

Issue: What happens to pending tasks during a change?

Scenarios:

  1. Employee transferred:

    • Nominally assigned tasks follow the employee
    • Role-assigned tasks (e.g., "Purchasing Department Member") may be reassigned

  2. Manager changed:

    • Tasks pending manager validation remain pending
    • The new manager sees them in their list
    • No manual action required

  3. Department moved:

    • Workflows are automatically updated
    • Dynamic roles are recalculated

Verification Tool:

  • Use AdminTools > Workflow Report to identify impacted workflows
  • Check overdue tasks after a major change

Access Rights​

Automatic Inheritance: Rights are automatically recalculated when attachment changes

Verifications to Perform:

  1. Log in with the transferred employee's account
  2. Verify application access
  3. Check document permissions
  4. Test creating a new case

Special Cases:

  • Specific rights: If a user had nominal rights (not inherited), they are preserved
  • Profiles: Explicitly assigned profiles do not change automatically

Resources and Reservations​

Resource Impact:

  • Resources assigned to a department follow the department when moved
  • During a merger, resources must be manually reassigned to the target department
  • Reservation calendars are preserved

Verifications:

  1. Go to Directory > Resources
  2. Filter by the old department
  3. Reassign resources to the new department if necessary

Reports and Dashboards​

Automatic Update:

  • Reports using department filters are automatically updated
  • Department charts reflect the new structure

Recommended Verifications:

  1. Open your main dashboards
  2. Verify data consistency
  3. Adapt filters if necessary (deleted department)

Active Directory Synchronization​

AD-Driven Changes​

If your organization uses AD synchronization:

Automation:

  • Department changes in AD are automatically reflected in Avanteam
  • The AD "Manager" field updates hierarchical attachments
  • Synchronization occurs at configured frequency (usually daily)

Points of Attention:

  • Changes in Avanteam may be overwritten during the next AD sync
  • Prefer modifications in AD to ensure consistency
  • Document any differences between AD and Avanteam

Configuration: Go to AdminTools > SynchroAzureAD (or SyncTool depending on your environment) to:

  • Verify field mappings
  • Force manual synchronization after an important change
  • Check synchronization logs

Manual Changes as Supplement​

Some specificities may require manual adjustments:

  • Cross-departmental attachments (multiple departments)
  • Functional responsibilities not reflected in AD
  • Complex matrix organizations

Change Procedures​

Minor Change (< 5 people)​

Definition: Individual transfer, occasional manager change

Simplified Procedure:

  1. Make the change directly in the interface
  2. Check ongoing tasks for the concerned person
  3. Inform the employee and their new manager

Timeline: Immediate, real-time effect

Major Change (> 5 people or entire department)​

Definition: Department reorganization, merger, division creation

Formal Procedure:

  1. Planning:

    • Document the target change
    • Identify impacts (workflows, rights, resources)
    • Choose an off-production slot (weekend, evening)

  2. Preparation:

    • Create new entities if necessary
    • Assign new managers
    • Prepare user communication

  3. Execution:

    • Make changes in logical order (departments first, then users)
    • Verify after each critical step
    • Document actions performed

  4. Verification:

    • Test workflows with a concerned user
    • Verify access rights
    • Check logs for potential errors

  5. Communication:

    • Inform users of the change
    • Update documentation
    • Remain available for support

Recommended Timeline: 2 hours to 1 day depending on scope

Complete Reorganization​

Definition: Structural overhaul, company merger, new organization

Project Procedure:

  1. Scoping (D-30):

    • Target organization chart definition
    • Impact mapping
    • Project team formation

  2. Impact Analysis (D-21):

    • Critical workflow audit
    • Specific rights inventory
    • Assigned resource identification
    • Report and dashboard analysis

  3. Transition Plan (D-14):

    • Detailed migration plan drafting
    • Fallback scenario definition
    • Test planning
    • Communication drafting

  4. Testing (D-7):

    • Reproduction on test environment if available
    • Procedure validation
    • Duration estimation

  5. Execution (D-0):

    • Production environment implementation
    • Continuous verification
    • Gap documentation

  6. Stabilization (D+1 to D+7):

    • Intensive user support
    • Issue correction
    • Fine adjustments

  7. Closure (D+30):

    • Transition assessment
    • Final documentation
    • Lessons learned

Best Practices​

Before the Change​

  • Communicate: Inform impacted users in advance
  • Plan: Choose a low-activity time slot
  • Backup: Make a configuration backup
  • Document: Note the current state for rollback capability

During the Change​

  • Proceed Step by Step: Don't change everything simultaneously
  • Verify: Test after each critical step
  • Track: Document each action performed
  • Stay Vigilant: Monitor logs and alerts

After the Change​

  • Test: Verify critical functionalities
  • Communicate: Confirm the change to users
  • Monitor: Stay alert to feedback for 48h
  • Document: Update documentation and organization charts

Support Tools​

  • AdminTools > MngUserInfo: Check who is connected before a change
  • AdminTools > Workflow Report: Identify ongoing workflows
  • AdminTools > ProcessTimers: Ensure automatic tasks function
  • Log Journal: Monitor errors after the change

Use Cases​

Case 1: Employee Transfer​

Context: John Doe moves from Sales to Marketing

Actions:

  1. Via Directory > Organization Chart, Micro view
  2. Drag and drop John Doe from Sales to Marketing
  3. System proposes to transfer his 3 ongoing cases → Accept
  4. Verification: John sees his new colleagues and new manager
  5. Communication: Email to John and both managers

Duration: 2 minutes

Case 2: Director Change​

Context: Quality Director retires, replaced by Mary Martin

Actions:

  1. Via Directory > Organization Chart, select "Quality Division"
  2. Edit department, Manager field: Mary Martin
  3. Check 12 tasks pending Director validation
  4. Option 1: Leave them (Mary will see them)
  5. Option 2: Manually reassign them to Mary via workflows
  6. Communication: Official announcement to entire management

Duration: 15 minutes

Case 3: Two Department Merger​

Context: "Purchasing France" and "Purchasing International" merge into "Group Purchasing"

Actions:

  1. Create new "Group Purchasing" department
  2. Assign new manager
  3. Move all Purchasing France employees to Group Purchasing
  4. Move all Purchasing International employees to Group Purchasing
  5. Reassign resources (meeting rooms) to Group Purchasing
  6. Check ongoing workflows (37 cases)
  7. Delete "Purchasing France" and "Purchasing International" departments
  8. Adapt reports and views filtered on these departments
  9. General communication via memo distribution

Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Case 4: Complete Reorganization Following Acquisition​

Context: Your company acquires a competitor, 150 new employees to integrate

Project: 6 weeks preparation

  1. New organization chart definition with HR
  2. New structure creation in Avanteam (test)
  3. User import from competitor's AD
  4. Synchronization of both ADs to Avanteam
  5. 1-month testing
  6. Saturday transition with 3-person team
  7. 2-week stabilization

Project Duration: 6 weeks + 6-hour transition

Error Management​

Error Detected Immediately​

Action:

  1. Cancel change via rollback
  2. Check error cause
  3. Correct and retry

Error Detected Late​

Action:

  1. Document error and consequences
  2. Assess impact (number of users, cases)
  3. If minor impact: Direct correction
  4. If major impact: Backup restoration and new plan

Blocked Workflows​

Action:

  1. Use AdminTools > Workflow Debug
  2. Identify errored workflows
  3. Manually reassign tasks if necessary
  4. Contact support if problem persists

Support and Escalation​

Level 1: Simple changes (individual transfers) → Functional administrators

Level 2: Medium changes (department reorganization) → Technical + Functional administrators

Level 3: Major reorganizations → Project with Avanteam vendor support

Support Contact: In case of doubt or major blocking, don't hesitate to contact Avanteam support before making a structural change.