OneSuite is organized in four layers: your business, the solutions (modules) inside it, the capabilities each module offers, and the records you create. Knowing these layers tells you where any piece of work lives and why two people in the same business can see different things.
In this guide you’ll learn how to:
- Explain what a business is and the two ways people sign in to it
- Find each module in its sidebar group
- Tell a module apart from a capability inside it
- Recognize the records that hold your data
- Work out why a module is missing from your sidebar
What a business is in OneSuite
A business is the top-level container in OneSuite: every client, project, invoice, team member and setting belongs to one business.
Your business holds:
- Every module you use and the records inside it
- Your team members, their profiles and their permissions
- Your branding and custom domain, set under Settings, White Label
- Your connected tools, such as accounting, calendar, cloud storage, email and payments, set under Settings, Integrations
- Your client portal setup, set under Settings, Client Portal
Everyone on your team works inside the same business, so they all see the same up-to-date records, limited only by their permissions.
The two ways into a business
People reach your business through one of two entry points, depending on who they are.
| Entry point | Who uses it | What they see |
|---|---|---|
| Team sign-in | You and your team | Home, the modules your business uses, and Settings if their profile allows it |
| Client portal | Your clients | Their own portal Home and only the modules you grant them, such as projects, invoices, contracts and files |
Clients never see your team dashboard or your business settings.
What modules are and where to find them
Modules, also called solutions, are the main sections of OneSuite, and each one appears as a row in a sidebar group.
| Group | Module | What you do there |
|---|---|---|
| (pinned first) | Home | See your key numbers, a queue of work waiting on you, and your widgets. |
| Track | Timesheet | Log the hours you work. |
| Track | Expenses | Record the costs you incur. |
| Track | Approvals | Review your team’s time and expenses. |
| Organize | Tasks | See the tasks assigned to you across projects. |
| Organize | Projects | Plan, run and bill client work. |
| Client | CRM | Track the people, companies and opportunities you are pursuing. |
| Client | Clients | Keep client records and portal access. |
| Client | Contracts | Create documents and collect eSignatures. |
| Revenue | Invoices | Bill clients and record payments. |
| Revenue | Estimates | Send priced quotes before the work starts. |
| Company | Team | Manage your people, their assignments and their rates. |
| Company | Reports | Read time, profitability, activity and invoicing reports. |
Email is not a sidebar row. You open it from the Inbox icon in the top bar.
The modules share the same records. The client on a project is the client you invoice, and the time tracked on that project can be pulled into that client’s invoice without retyping it.
Why a module might be missing
A module row shows only when two things are true: the module is switched on for your business, and your profile has permission to open it. You can also hide rows from your own sidebar, which moves them into See more.
If you don’t see a module in the sidebar, an admin can switch it on in Settings, Customize Navigation, in the block Modules this business uses. Your own arrangement lives on the same page, in the block How you arrange your sidebar.
What capabilities are
Capabilities are tools inside a module or its settings, not separate apps.
- Client portal (Clients and Settings, Client Portal): a sign-in where clients see their own work.
- eSignature (Contracts): send documents to parties to sign.
- Kanban layout (CRM, Opportunities): see your opportunities as columns by pipeline stage.
- Work types (Settings, Time Tracking, Work Types): the categories your team tracks time against.
- Payments (Settings, Integrations, Payment): let clients pay invoices online through a connected gateway.
- Saved reports (Reports, Saved reports): keep, share and schedule the reports you use often.
Capabilities give you new ways to view and act on records you already have.
What records are
Records are the individual items you create and manage in each module.
| Record | Where it lives |
|---|---|
| People, companies and opportunities | CRM |
| Clients | Clients |
| Projects and tasks | Projects, and your own tasks in Tasks |
| Time entries | Timesheet |
| Expenses | Expenses |
| Documents and contracts | Contracts |
| Estimates | Estimates |
| Invoices and payments | Invoices |
| Team members | Team |
Not using OneSuite yet? Start your free trial →
FAQs
What is the difference between a module and a capability in OneSuite?
A module is a section you open from the sidebar, such as Invoices. A capability is a tool inside a module or its settings, such as online payments for invoices.
Why can’t I see a module my colleague can see?
You can’t see it because your profile lacks permission for it, or because you hid its row into See more. If nobody can see it, the module is switched off for your business, and an admin can switch it on in Settings, Customize Navigation.
What happens when an admin switches a module off?
The module’s row disappears from the sidebar for every member, and nobody can bring it back on their own. Switching off Timesheet also hides the timer in the top bar, and switching off Email Inbox hides the Inbox icon. Clients cannot be switched off.
Do my clients see the same OneSuite I do?
No. Clients sign in to the client portal and see only their own portal Home and the modules you grant them. They never see your team dashboard or your business settings.
Can I just use one module instead of the whole suite?
Yes. You can start with one module and switch on more as you need them. The modules pay off most when they connect, for example when tracked time on a project becomes an invoice for that project’s client.
What to do next
Find your way around: Learn the sidebar, top bar and account menu with Navigating OneSuite.
See how the modules connect: Follow work from lead to invoice with How Solutions Work Together.
Set up your business: Choose your modules and business details with How to Set Up Your Workspace.