Opening a Branch & Office Structure
The Branch Creation Flow (/people/branch/new or /branches/:hex/edit) establishes new regional offices, sets reporting structures, and appoints branch leadership.
1. Governance & Prerequisites
- Required Privilege:
branches: create(strictly limited to System Administrators and Executive Directors). - Physical Hierarchy: Every branch belongs to an organizational tree (Head Office $\to$ Regional Hub $\to$ Field Branch / Satellite Office).
- Instant Searchability: New branches immediately index into the live Typesense directory upon creation, allowing staff hiring and client registrations to select the branch with zero delay.
2. The 3-Step Branch Opening Rail
[ Step 1: The Office ] ──► [ Step 2: Structure & Manager ] ──► [ Step 3: Review & Open ]
Step 1: The Office (#office)
Establish the physical and legal details of the branch:
| Field | Format / Validation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Code | 3–6 Uppercase Alphanumeric (e.g., NBI01, KSM02) | Short operational code embedded in loan numbers and receipt vouchers. |
| Branch Name | Text (e.g., “Nairobi West Branch”) | Official name displayed on client agreements, stamps, and dashboard headers. |
| Physical Location | Town, street, building, floor (e.g., “Westlands Commercial Centre, 2nd Floor”) | Verification address for regulatory filings and customer correspondence. |
| Official Phone | Landline or mobile contact | Customer service line printed on borrower receipts and notices. |
| Opening Date | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) | Contractual inception date of the office. |
| Operating Status | active / pending / closed | Controls whether the branch can disburse funds or onboard clients. |
Step 2: Structure & Leadership (#structure)
Configure the branch hierarchy and management:
- Reporting Structure (Parent Office):
- Search the branch directory for the supervising office (e.g., “Head Office” or “Central Region Hub”).
- Allows executive consolidation of general ledger accounts and portfolio reporting.
- Appoint Branch Manager:
- Live search across verified employees (
STF...). - The appointed individual must hold the
managerrole. - The system automatically links the manager’s security scope to this branch’s
BRX...identifier.
- Live search across verified employees (
Step 3: Review & Open (#review)
- Validation Summary: Review code, location, reporting office, and designated manager.
- Commit: Click Open Branch Office.
3. Post-Creation System Configuration
Once opened, the administrator must configure the branch’s operational limits:
- Cash Drawer Ceiling: Maximum physical currency the branch teller vault may hold overnight.
- Disbursement Fund Account: Linking the branch to its designated local bank account or M-Pesa B2C float sub-account in the General Ledger.
- Staff Assignment: Onboarding loan officers and cashiers via
/people/hire.