How to Manage Departments in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. In the Payroll and HR edition, Departments is a step in the edition's Getting Started checklist.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. In the Payroll and HR edition, Departments is a step in the edition's Getting Started checklist.
Overview
Departments are the organisational units your employees belong to. In CrmLeaf departments are hierarchical, so a department can sit under a parent department, and each department shows the members assigned to it. Departments are used when you group people, target announcements, filter HR data, and select a department for a payroll run.
How It Works
You create the department structure, assign employees to departments, then use departments to group and filter work across CrmLeaf.
Create departments → Set the parent → Assign employees → Review the member list → Use for grouping and filtering
- A department with no parent is a top-level unit; a department with a parent sits below it.
- Each department lists its members, so you can confirm who belongs where without opening every employee record.
- Departments are selectable on employee records and in employee imports.
- Notice Board announcements can be targeted at a department.
- Where the Payroll add-on module is enabled, a payroll run can be scoped to a department.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Create, edit and delete departments.
- Set the parent department to build the hierarchy.
- Review the members listed against each department.
This functionality is available only to Administrators.
Prerequisites
- You have a list of the organisational units you want to record.
- You know which units sit under which, if you want a multi-level structure.
For Administrators
Step 1: Open the department master
What to do: Review the existing departments before adding new ones.
What to verify: The department list opens and shows the current units.
Step 2: Create the top-level departments
What to do: Select Add, enter the department name, and leave the parent empty. Select Save.
What to verify: The department appears in the list with no parent.
Step 3: Create sub-departments
What to do: Select Add, enter the name, and select the parent department. Select Save. Work top-down so each parent exists before its children.
What to verify: The sub-department appears under the expected parent.
Step 4: Assign employees to departments
What to do: Open each employee and select the department, or set the department during an employee import.
What to verify: The employee shows the department on their record.
Step 5: Check the member listing
What to do: Open a department and review the members listed against it. Use this to find people who are in the wrong unit or have no department at all.
What to verify: The member count and names match your expectation for that unit.
Field and Option Reference
| Field / Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Department name | The unit name as it appears on employee records and in filters. | Yes |
| Parent department | The department this unit sits under. Leave empty for a top-level unit. | No |
| Members | The employees currently assigned to this department. Maintained from the employee record. | No |
Expected Result
The department is saved and appears in Department under its parent, becomes selectable on employee records, and lists its members.
Service Organisation Context
Most service organisations use departments for their practice areas, service lines or delivery teams, which makes them the natural grouping for reading people data across engagements. Departments also carry a confirmed link to delivery: when a project template is imported from Excel, Owner Role values are mapped onto departments or teams and created where they are missing, so a firm's practice structure and its delivery methodology stay consistent. Each department lists its members, which is the quickest way to find people who sit outside any practice area. In other editions the same master carries production, site or administrative units.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Create departments before importing employees, so import rows can be matched.
- A department is an organisational unit. It is not the same as an organisation, which in CrmLeaf is a separate workspace inside your company account.
- Departments scope other features, including Notice Board targeting and, with the Payroll add-on, department-scoped payroll runs. Restructuring departments affects those.
Common Scenarios
Example: a two-level structure for a services business. Create Operations as a top-level department, then create its sub-departments with Operations as the parent. Assign employees to the sub-departments so member lists stay specific while the parent still groups the whole area.
Example: finding people with no department. Compare the total in Employees with the sum of the member counts across departments. Any difference is people whose department has not been set.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A department cannot be selected on an employee record. | The department has not been created. | Create it in Department, then set it on the employee. |
| A department shows no members. | No employee has that department set on their record. | Edit the employee records, or set the department during import. |
| A department cannot be deleted. | Employees or sub-departments are still attached. | Reassign the members and sub-departments first. |
| An announcement did not reach the intended people. | The targeted department does not contain those employees. | Check the department's member list and correct the employee records. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employee belong to more than one department?
The employee record carries a department. If you need people grouped in more than one way, use the designation hierarchy and other grouping features alongside departments.
Do sub-department members also count as members of the parent?
Employees are assigned to the department set on their record. Confirm how your account rolls up sub-department members before relying on parent-level totals.
Is a department the same as an organisation?
No. An organisation is a workspace inside your company account, such as a branch or brand. A department is an HR unit within your people structure.
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