A freight management company uses a custom object named Maintenance_Log__c to record vehicle maintenance events. The Organization-Wide Default (OWD) for Maintenance_Log__c is set to Private. Regional maintenance managers need to view and edit all maintenance logs created by technicians who are assigned to roles below them in the Role Hierarchy. However, managers report that they are unable to see records owned by technicians below them.
Which configuration setting should the Salesforce Administrator check first to resolve this issue?
- Verify that the 'Grant Access Using Hierarchies' checkbox is enabled for the Maintenance_Log__c custom object.Answer
- BCreate an owner-based sharing rule, because custom objects do not support automatic record access propagation via the Role Hierarchy.
- CCreate a custom profile for regional managers with 'View All Data' enabled to grant visibility into subordinate records.
- DChange the Organization-Wide Default (OWD) setting of Maintenance_Log__c to Public Read-Only for the manager role.
Answer
Verify that the 'Grant Access Using Hierarchies' checkbox is enabled for the Maintenance_Log__c custom object.
For custom objects, Salesforce provides the 'Grant Access Using Hierarchies' checkbox in Object Manager. While enabled by default, an administrator can uncheck it. When unchecked, users in higher roles do not gain implicit access to records owned by users in lower roles. Verifying and re-enabling this setting directly addresses the issue without requiring unnecessary sharing rules or over-privileged system permissions.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Grant Access Using Hierarchies for Custom Objects