Access Matrix

Access Matrix

What it is: What each role can see and change.

Overview

Works out the smallest useful Access Matrix setup for the business in front of it, then builds it only when asked. The default output is a short recommendation, not a spreadsheet. Artifacts - CSV, SQL DDL, JSON Schema, Notion mapping - are produced on request, from one field list so they cannot drift apart.

Layer: Layer 1: Foundation. Fits: Growth stage. Table code: n/a.

When to Use This Skill

• who can access what matrix
• role permission matrix
• access control spreadsheet
• who sees which data

Also use it when the user says "what each role can see and change", or describes the same process happening in a spreadsheet, a document or someone inboxes.

Do not use it for: payroll calculation, tax filing, or legal advice. This skill produces empty templates only - it never holds or processes real employee or customer data.

How It Works

Follow the shared execution contract. The module-specific rules below define only domain fields, decisions, calculations, and safety constraints.

Step 1 - Identify intent

Read the request and pick the intent before asking anything.

• "set up" or "build" or "create" -> the user wants artifacts; go to Step 2.
• "our process is ..." or "it is in a sheet" -> the user wants to move an existing process; capture it, then Step 2.
• "is this right" or "review" or "audit" -> the user wants a check, not a build; answer from what they share.
• "how do I ..." -> advice question; answer directly and offer the build only if it helps.

Ask only if this is the highest-value missing fact; otherwise proceed without an opener:

Q: How many roles exist in the company?

Step 2 - Ask only what is missing

Skip anything the user already answered, in any earlier message. Ask the rest one at a time, and stop as soon as the remaining answers would not change the output.

• Scope - Which system or data? / How many roles? / Any external people?
• Roles - Who is owner or CEO? / Who is admin? / Who is line manager?
• Rules - View only or edit? / Any confidential areas? / Reviewed how often?
• Current process - How do you track access now? / Spreadsheet or none? / Any known gaps?
• Outcome - What should this produce? / An access list or a review cycle?

Never invent an answer. If the user does not know, record it as unknown and carry on.

Step 3 - Hold the internal context

Hold the answers in this shape. It stays internal - it is not shown to the user unless they ask, and it never carries a value the user did not give.

module: access-matrix
intent: null            # setup | advice | review | fix | build | convert | export
scale: null             # Starter | Growth | Scale, only if the answer changes it
areas:
  "Scope": null
  "Roles": null
  "Rules": null
  "Current process": null
  "Outcome": null
requested_outputs: []   # csv | sql | json | notion | xlsx - requested formats only
confirmed_facts: []     # only what the user actually said
open_questions: []      # the unanswered ones, in the order worth asking

Step 4 - Recommend the smallest workflow

If an artifact was requested, build it after resolving essential missing facts. Otherwise give a short recommendation and offer the relevant artifact.

Recommended approach: Keep the matrix in the tool the team already reviews in, and treat it as a recurring review rather than a one-time document.

Why this one: Access problems are rarely about storage. They are about nobody re-checking who still needs what, so a review cycle matters more than the matrix itself.

Workflow: Role list → System inventory → Access rows → Quarterly review → Removal

Step 5 - Build only on request

Once the user asks for it, derive the fields from the confirmed context and emit the requested artifacts. For machine-readable text, keep prose outside the data; for files, provide a usable link. Report material validation failures or limitations separately.

A selected Notion output is rendered by notion-manual-import, so route the Notion step there. When the user selects Notion, hand that step to @notion-manual-import: it holds the CSV, the property mapping, the import steps and the verification checklist, and it renders the Field Reference below instead of defining a table of its own. Do not restate the mapping here and do not improvise the import steps. Manual CSV and mapping outputs need no connection. For requested workspace changes, follow the shared contract: verify actual tool access and the target before writing. A user saying "connected" is not tool evidence. Never ask for a Notion password or token.

For an Excel-compatible CSV, use UTF-8 with a byte order mark so Excel opens the text correctly. A CSV is not an .xlsx workbook; create .xlsx only when the user requests a workbook. A CSV carries no types, so after it, name the columns that need a number, date or currency format applied.

Module,Module ID,Layer,SME Tier,Owner / CEO,Board,Finance,Tax,HR,IT & Admin,Department Head,Line Manager,Employee,Intern,Client,Confidential
Invoices & Billing,,Layer 8: Operate,Small,Full - all modules,Read - board pack only,"Read, add, edit - payroll and invoices","Read, add, edit - tax register",Full - people and compliance modules,"Read, add, edit - assets and access",Example Reviewer,"Read, add, edit - own team",Read - own records,Read - onboarding only,Example Customer,Internal

CREATE TABLE access_matrix (
  module VARCHAR(255),
  module_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  layer VARCHAR(255),
  sme_tier VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
  owner_ceo VARCHAR(255),
  board VARCHAR(255),
  finance VARCHAR(255),
  tax VARCHAR(255),
  hr VARCHAR(255),
  it_admin VARCHAR(255),
  department_head VARCHAR(255),
  line_manager VARCHAR(255),
  employee VARCHAR(255),
  intern VARCHAR(255),
  client VARCHAR(255),
  confidential VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
  created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
);

{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "Access Matrix",
  "type": "object",
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "properties": {
      "Module": { "type": "string" },
      "Module ID": { "type": "integer" },
      "Layer": { "type": "string" },
      "SME Tier": { "type": "string" },
      "Owner / CEO": { "type": "string" },
      "Board": { "type": "string" },
      "Finance": { "type": "string" },
      "Tax": { "type": "string" },
      "HR": { "type": "string" },
      "IT & Admin": { "type": "string" },
      "Department Head": { "type": "string" },
      "Line Manager": { "type": "string" },
      "Employee": { "type": "string" },
      "Intern": { "type": "string" },
      "Client": { "type": "string" },
      "Confidential": { "type": "string" }
  },
  "required": [
      "SME Tier",
      "Confidential"
  ]
}

| CSV column | Notion property | Set after import |
|---|---|---|
| Module | Title | Use as the database title |
| Module ID | Text (preserve source ID) | Keep imported IDs as Text; optionally add a separate Unique ID property |
| Layer | Text | Leave as Text |
| SME Tier | Select (add options after import) | Convert to Select, add options: "Micro", "Small", "Medium", "Large", "Enterprise" |
| Owner / CEO | Text | Leave as Text |
| Board | Text | Leave as Text |
| Finance | Text | Leave as Text |
| Tax | Text | Leave as Text |
| HR | Text | Leave as Text |
| IT & Admin | Text | Leave as Text |
| Department Head | Text | Leave as Text |
| Line Manager | Text | Leave as Text |
| Employee | Text | Leave as Text |
| Intern | Text | Leave as Text |
| Client | Text | Leave as Text |
| Confidential | Select (add options after import) | Convert to Select, add options: "Public", "Internal", "Restricted", "Highly Restricted" |

The rows above are documentation examples only. Emit empty templates unless the user explicitly requests examples. Money stays currency, dates stay date, and anything pointing at another table stays relation.

Field Reference