Share devices with partner accounts
Background - Today, there is no easy way to work with devices from a different account in your project. You have to either
add the devices to your account, which would consume additional device licenses (or)
create copies of the same project in different accounts, and manage each account devices separately, which would be very inefficient
Introducing ‘shared devices’ feature - You can now invite devices from different accounts into a single project.
Workflow - This workflow involves 3 basic steps
Invite a partner account
Share devices with the partner account
Assign shared devices into project
From here on, the shared device would behave very similar to an owned device. The project manager can then easily
Share data to and from the shared device in the field.
View the device on the map.
Remote access into the device.
Details & Screenshots
1. Add a partner
Company A admin sends a partnering request to Company B.
Company B admin receives requests, and accepts invite.
Company A, and B become partners.
2. Company A shares devices with Company B
Company A selects devices, and shares with Company B.
Company B admin receives notification.
Company B admin is able to view shared devices from within his/ her account.
3. Company B assigns shared devices from Company A to his project. With this, the existing functionalities of data transfer, map, and remote access will be enabled/ available for shared devices as well.
Publish design to shared devices.
View, download field data from shared devices.
Remote into shared device.
Key takeaway: This feature gives the ability to invite devices from different accounts into a single project for easier project management
Benefits
If you are a contractor, you can work with rental/ subcontractor devices in your project seamlessly without any additional effort. You no longer have to add the rental/ subcontractor devices to your own account saving additional license costs. Neither do you have to create copies of the same project in your account as well the rental/ subcontractor account.
If you are an equipment rental agency, you can easily share/ unshare your devices with any contractor anytime instantly. You can view the devices shared with each of your contractor partners. You know which contractor a device is currently active on.
If you are a subcontractor firm, you can share/ unshare your devices with the contractor instantly. You continue to work with the same device credentials in the field to connect to the cloud.
Limitations
This workflow still does not support IBSS for the shared device. You can either raise a support request, or work with legacy TCC to set it up, if needed.
The current release supports these features
Add a partner
Share devices with partner
Invite a shared device to project
Publish design to shared devices
View, download field data from shared devices
FAQs
Do I have to establish a partnership before sharing devices? Yes, you need to establish a partnership with the other account, before sharing devices. However, once you add as a partner, you can share devices with that account anytime after that without needing any specific approval.
Can a base from a different account share corrections to devices from another account, with this workflow? No, this workflow does not support IBSS sharing yet. You have raise a support request, or establish a sharing setup in legacy TCC
Why should I specify an email id (or a set of email ids) when I invite a partner, or share a device? Adding an email id is not mandatory when you invite a partner, or share devices. It is just a mechanism to notify specific people when an invite request is sent, or when a device is shared. The workflow would perfectly work fine, even otherwise, just that the admin has to login to WorksManager to realize that a request is pending or that devices have been shared.