A member group is a grouping of users, used for various business purposes. Two types of member groups exist: implicit or explicit. A member group can be both implicit and explicit at the same time. An implicit member group contains users that share common attributes and are therefore considered members of a specific member group. An implicit member group contains criteria on attributes that users must satisfy in order to be considered members of that member group. You can also explicitly exclude certain users although they satisfy the criteria. An explicit member group contains explicitly assigned users who may or may not share common attributes.
Member groups data can be stored only in the WebSphere Commerce database and are not part of the membership hierarchy, but are owned by a member. For access control purposes, the following definitions apply:
- A user owns itself
- An organizational entity owns itself
- A member group is owned by an organizational entity
WebSphere Commerce supports three types (or intended usages) of member groups: user groups, access groups, or approval groups. When a member group is created, it can be associated with one of these types. Specifically, if a member group is to be used for a generic purpose, its type is a user group; if a member group is for access control purposes, its type is an access group; likewise, if a member group is to be used for approval purposes, its type is an approval group. To create member groups for purposes other than access control, you must modify the database directly.
The following outlines the details of the three types of member groups that WebSphere Commerce supports by default:
- User groups
- A member group of the type UserGroup is a collection of users, as defined by the Seller or merchant, who share a common interest. A user group is a more generic term to mean a set of users or customer profiles (which can be created using the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator). Member groups are similar to clubs that are offered by large stores for their frequent or preferred customers and are used primarily for marketing purposes or sale strategies. Being part of a member group can entitle customers to discounts or other bonuses for purchasing products. For example, if market research shows that senior customers repeatedly purchase travel books and luggage, you can assign these customers to a member group called "Seniors' Travel Club." Likewise, you can create a member group to reward frequent customers for their business. You can also create member groups that are based on demographic characteristics, such as a member group for students. You can assign different prices to products for different member groups. You can also customize the way products and categories appear to member groups.
- Access groups
- A member group of type AccessGroup is usually an implicit group. Access groups are referenced in access control policies. The criteria for members in this group are usually based on roles, the organization to which the user belongs, and the user registration status. For example, a member group called "Seller Administrators" is a group whose users play the role of seller administrators. WebSphere Commerce includes a number of default roles and corresponding to each role is a default member group. For instance, by default there is a role called Seller Administrator and a corresponding member group called Seller Administrators. The default set of access groups (roles) which are available for WebSphere Commerce profile management are Account Representative, Buyer (buy-side), Buyer (sell-side), Buyer Administrator, Buyer Approver, Category Manager, Channel Manager, Customer Service Representative, Customer Service Supervisor, Logistics Manager, Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, Procurement Buyer, Procurement Buyer Administrator, Procurement Manager, Product Manager, Pick Packer, Receiver, Registered Customer, Returns Administrator, Sales Manager, Seller, Seller Administrator, and Site Administrator.
- Approval groups
- A member group of type ApprovalGroup is one designated for approval purposes, such as a group of members within an organization who have the authority to approve orders before they are shipped.