In the context of Multi-location management, the network Parent can create a set of activities (and their related programs) that Child locations can import to sell in their local SmartRec store. This is useful when the network Parent wants to streamline the activities they offer, simplify deployment through centralized management, and enforce brand unity across their network.
Network programs and activities are created at the Parent level. The network Parent can selectively lock fields in programs and activities that Child locations cannot edit. That means the Parent can decide whether Child locations can edit some, all, or none of the fields in their respective configuration forms.
When the network Parent allows Child locations to edit specific fields within programs and activities (names, categories, subcategories, etc.), the original values are retained and displayed alongside the new values in all relevant reports. History is maintained, and changes are tracked to provide organizations with clear, actionable data on activity performance across their network.
⚠️ Even when using network activity templates, certain fields, such as Registration periods, Forms, Ledger codes, and Tax rates, among others, must still be populated at the Child-level as they are not managed at the Parent-level. See the Notes section for a full list.
1. How to create a network program at the Parent level
Only Parent-level admins with the proper permissions can create Network Programs in the Activities > Programs subtab.
Click + New Program in the Activities > Programs subtab.
Fill in the required fields as you would for a local Program.
At the bottom of the page, there is a Permissions section with a checkbox labelled, Allow child organizations to edit program fields, that you can tick if you wish to give Child locations the ability to edit certain fields themselves.
When enabled, a list of editable fields is displayed, allowing granular control over which fields Child locations can edit.
Once you’ve populated the required fields for the network Program and assigned any editing permissions to Child locations, click Save at the bottom of the page to create your network Program. It is then displayed on the Activities > Programs subtab.
⚠️ When the network Parent enters values in the network Program fields that Child locations can edit, and a Child location updates those fields, all relevant reports display both the original values and the updated values side by side.
2. How to create a network activity template at the Parent level
A network activity template is an activity, created at the Parent level, that Child locations can import.
Once a network program is created, Parent-level admins with the proper permissions can create its associated network activity template from Activities > Templates.
Click New Template in Activities > Templates.
Fill in the required fields as you would for a local activity, keeping in mind that certain fields will remain editable by Child locations (Forms, Ledger codes, Tax rates, and Session cancellation policies, etc.).
At the bottom of the page, the Permissions section gives you the ability to Allow child locations to rename activity fields. Tick this box if you wish to give the Child location the ability to rename certain fields in the activity’s configuration.
If this option is enabled, a list of editable activity fields is displayed, allowing granular control over which fields Child locations can edit.
Select the editing permissions you wish to grant to Child locations.
Note: Changing the above permissions once the network activity template has been shared will trigger a prompt informing the admin that the changes will impact all activities using the network activity template.
Below the Permissions section, you’ll find a Template settings section with a checkbox labelled Share template with child organizations, which you can tick to share the network activity template across all Child locations in the network. Unless you enable this option, the network activity template will not be visible to Child locations.
Once you’ve populated the required fields for the network activity template and assigned any editing permissions to Child locations, click Save at the bottom of the page to create your network activity template. It is then displayed on the Activities > Templates subtab.
Notes
If a network Parent populates fields in the network activity template that Child locations are allowed to edit, and those fields are later changed by a Child location, the original values are still displayed alongside the new values in all relevant reports.
Fields that have not been marked as editable for Child locations by the network Parent’s permissions are greyed out.
The following fields must always be populated at the Child-level even when using network activity templates. They are not managed at the Parent-level:
Billing label
Ledger code
Registration period
Forms
Schedule & Resources
Session
Taxes
Payments
Restrictions
Wait list
Mandatory/Suggested Programs
Mandatory/Suggested Activities
3. Network activity templates’ visibility
Once a network activity template is created and shared at the Parent-level, it is immediately visible to all Child locations. However, Parent-level admins with the proper permissions can hide network activity templates from Child locations from the Activities > Activities subtab. This can be useful if the activity is no longer offered. This is a global parameter, meaning the network activity template is visible to or hidden from all Child locations in its network.
3.1 How to hide a network activity template from Child locations
Click the … to the right of the network activity template you want to hide and select Hide from child orgs. The network activity template is hidden from all Child locations. It remains visible to the network Parent.
3.2 How to make a network activity template visible to Child locations
If a network activity template is hidden, you can make it visible again.
Click the … to the right of the network activity template you want to make visible and select Make visible to child orgs. The network activity template is visible to all Child locations in the network.
4. How to edit/duplicate/archive a network activity template
Network activity templates can only be edited, duplicated, or archived by a Parent-level admin with the proper permissions. Imported activities can be edited, duplicated, or archived at the Child-level.
4.1 Edit a network activity template
There are two ways to edit a network activity template in the Activities > Templates subtab:
Click the network activity template’s name to edit it.
Click the … to the right of the network activity template you want to edit and select Edit.
4.2 Duplicate a network activity template
Duplicating a network activity template can be useful if you need to create multiple activities that share many of the same attributes. You’ll only need to change the values that need to be different.
Click the … to the right of the activity template you want to duplicate and select Duplicate.
Duplicate network activity templates are prepended with ‘Copy of’ to distinguish them from the original.
Duplicate network activity templates cannot be duplicated or archived; they can only be deleted.
4.3 Archive a network activity template
Click the … to the right of the activity template you want to duplicate and select Archive.
Archived Network Activity Templates are removed from the list.
4.4 Unarchive an archived network activity template
Click the Filters button to display the Filters menu.
From the Status drop-down menu, select Archived. The archived network activity templates are displayed.
Click the … to the right of the archived network activity template and select Unarchive.
The unarchived network activity template becomes visible in the network activity Templates list.
4.5 How to Batch Duplicate / Delete / Archive / Unarchive Network Activity Templates
If you have multiple network activity templates, you can Batch Duplicate, Delete, Archive or Unarchive them.
Select the network activity templates you want to duplicate, delete, archive or unarchive.
Click the … above the network activity templates list and select the operation you wish to perform. The selected templates are duplicated, deleted, archived, or unarchived.
Duplicate network activity templates are prepended with ‘Copy of’. Archived network activity templates are removed from the list.
5. How to import activities as a Child location
Once the network Parent has created and shared a network activity template, it (along with its associated Program) is immediately available for import by all Child locations in the network. Because activities live inside programs, importing a network activity template also imports its program.
Click New Activity in the Activities > Edit subtab. The list of available activities is displayed.
Select the Activity you want to import, click the … to the right of the activity, and select Import.
Note: If multiple network activity templates are available for import, you can batch import many at once by selecting the network activity templates to import, clicking the … above the activity templates list, and selecting Import.
Once your network activity templates are imported, they are displayed in the Activities list in the Activities > Registration subtab. You can use the Program drop-down menu to switch between the imported network programs/activities.