Qmarkets provides different ways to separate users, content, and processes within the platform. Two of the main options are Tenants and Subsystems.
While both help organizations manage multiple activities in the same environment, they serve different purposes.
- Subsystems are used when different activities require separate workflows, configurations, and management.
- Tenants are mainly used to separate audiences and experiences while keeping the same process.
This article explains the differences between them and provides guidance on when each option should be used.
What is a Subsystem?
A Subsystem is designed for organizations that manage different usecases and/or different entities (ideas, companies, projects, need) along different processes.
Each subsystem may contain independent:
- Workflows, roles and automated Business rules
- E-Mail notifications
- Submission forms, categories, and info fields that are added along the process
- Dashboards, Reports and KPIs
- Branding and homepage layout
Subsystems are often used for completely different business activities.
Common use cases for Subsystems: Idea management, Startup scouting, Project portfolios, Continuous Improvement and more.
What is a Tenant?
A Tenant creates separation between audiences while keeping the same core process.
Each tenant can:
- Have a different branding and homepage experience
- Manage its own content: Campaigns, entities (ideas, projects etc), and news.
- Run Reports and KPIs on its activities, ROI, engagement etc.
Users may automatically be routed to their default tenant based on their profile or assignment.
Common reasons for having Tenants:
- Different countries / Business units requesting different zones/governance
- Internal vs. external users
- Separate content visibility
| Capability | Single Tenant + Single Subsystem (Multiple Campaigns) | Adding a Tenant | Adding a Subsystem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminology | Single terminology for entities (ideas, startups, projects, trends) and containers (campaigns, challenges, folders, mega trends) | N/A | Different terminology per subsystem |
| Homepage | Single homepage. Users only see content they are allowed to access | Tenant-specific content, welcome strip, random ideas text/background | Different layout, widgets and contents |
| News | News shared across all users | Create and manage news per tenant | Disable news from subsystem homepage/menu |
| Branding | Single branding | Different branding, colors and logo per tenant. Tenant branding overrides subsystem branding | Different branding per subsystem |
| Submission Form | Single submission form baseline. Different fields may be enabled per campaign | No added value | Separate submission form baseline |
| Categorizations | Single campaign category structure. Names can differ per campaign | Single multi-hierarchy category tree. Values may differ per tenant | Multiple category trees with additional conditions |
| Audience | Random Idea Box shared. Campaign audience can differ | Default tenant by profile field. Tenant open/close. Shared or dedicated Random Idea Box | Audience by multiple profile criteria. Random Idea Box per subsystem |
| Workflow | Disable specific states per campaign | Disable states at tenant level (affects all campaigns in tenant) | Independent workflow, stakeholders, emails and notifications |
| Business Rules | Add / disable business rules per campaign | No added value | Independent business rules |
| Roles/Admins * see also next section | Campaign managers manage campaigns and ideas | Tenant managers manage ideas, campaigns and news | Subsystem managers manage campaigns, ideas, backend and workflow roles |
| Automatic Assignments | Category manager per campaign category | Category manager per tenant category | Multiple automations based on department, category and hierarchy |
| Reporting | Reports available at system or campaign level | Existing reporting with tenant-limited KPIs | Independent reports, KPIs and dashboards |
| Dedicated From Email Address | Single From Email Address | Supported | Not supported |
Roles/Administration Differences
The subsystem admins and tenant admins have similar permissions to sysadmin but only in their zone".
Subsystem admins are selected per subsystem.
Tenant administrators are selected per tenant.
Read this article to understand what are the permissions granted for each role.
Having an External Tenant
Having an External Tenants is a specific use case to have tenants within your system.
separate internal and external audiences, while providing external users with a dedicated experience.
Typical examples include supplier portals, startup programs, partner ecosystems, and customer collaboration initiatives.
Some of capabilities that become crucial are
- Having a dedicated Welcome strip for external users
- Separate branding, colors, logo, and a dedicated “From” email address
- Separate news management for the external audience
- Control over employee access to the external tenant and for sure vice versa
- Dedicated reporting and KPIs limited to external tenant activities
- Ability to assign a dedicated tenant manager responsible only for the external tenant
Summary
Choose a Tenant when you need different experiences for different users while keeping the same process.
Choose a Subsystem when different teams require separate workflows, configurations, and business logic.
For many organizations, combining both options provides the best balance between flexibility and governance.