Certifications in SmartAccess allow administrators to build structured, multi-tier credentialing programs for the workforce, including equipment certifications, safety credentials, and role-based qualifications. This article walks through how to create a certification from scratch. This article includes:

From the left navigation sidebar, clicking the Certifications icon (badge/ribbon icon) opens a list of all existing certifications, displaying their status (Published or Draft), assigned-to user, skill-builder locations, and skill-acquirer groups.

Clicking the + Create certification button in the top-right corner opens a prompt to enter a name for the new certification (e.g., Cherry Picker, Reach Truck Certification).

Once the certification is created, the configuration panel becomes available, where all core settings are defined.

Basic Details

An optional Course number can be entered as an identifier, along with a Version number for tracking purposes.

Completion & Timing

The Require completion within field sets the number of days a skill-acquirer has to complete the certification after it is assigned, with a minimum of 30 days. The Time between tiers field defines the required number of days between completing one tier and beginning the next.

Location Access

The Location access setting controls which location(s) the certification is visible and assignable at (e.g., Jackson Warehouse).

Access Controls

Assignment permissions are configured by selecting either All skill-builders or Specific user groups under the Who can assign this certification? setting. If specific groups are selected, the relevant Skill-builder groups are defined (e.g., Trainer). The same logic applies to Who can this certification be assigned to?, where all skill-acquirers or specific Skill-acquirer groups can be set (e.g., Associate).

Expiration Settings

Will the certification expire? Toggle is set to Yes or No. If set to Yes, an Expiration time is configured (e.g., 365 days) along with a Notify period to alert workers ahead of expiration (e.g., 30 days before).

Tiers represent the stages an associate must complete to earn the certification, and a certification can have one or multiple tiers. Scrolling to the Tiers section allows an existing tier to be expanded or a new one to be added.

For each tier, an optional Description, Course number, Post-incident course number, and Version number can be entered. The required completion within the field sets the deadline for completing the tier, with a minimum of 1 day. If Require recertifying during certification renewal? If set to Yes, the associate must re-complete that tier when the certification is renewed.

Adding Skill-Builds to a Tier

Each tier can include one or more skill-builds: checklists that skill-builders use to sign off on worker competencies. Within the tier, the Skill-builds section allows an existing skill-build to be added or a new one to be created. Enabling requires completion to enforce a sequential workflow across skill-builds within that tier.

The Skill-build type toggle can be set to For certification use only, which hides it from standalone skill-building flows.

Once all tiers and settings are configured, the certification will display a status of Draft at the top of the page. Clicking the status pill and selecting Published makes the certification live and assignable.

💡 Tip: You can save the certification as a Draft and return to finish configuration before publishing. Certifications in Draft status are not visible to skill-acquirers.

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