Custom Fields

This procedure should be used when creating user defined information or custom fields. Custom fields can be connected to items, supplier, purchase agreement headers and lines. The custom fields can be used to attach information to the different objects, but they can also be used in the purchase costing model and in formulas. In equipment, custom fields are called Technical Datasheet (TDS) fields. See process for information on how custom fields are used in processes related to equipment.

Before you start

  • The item that will be connected to the custom fields is defined in 'Item. Open' (MMS001).
  • The supplier that will be connected to the custom fields is defined in 'Supplier. Define Purchase & Financial' (CRS624).

Follow these steps

Follow the steps below to set up custom fields:

  1. Create the fields that will be used to hold the user defined information. The information fields can be alphanumeric, numeric or a date. The type of content is left to the user to decide. The fields are defined in 'Custom Field. Open' (CMS470).

    1. In panel B or A enter the code for the custom field (Seed type, starch content etc).

    2. Select option 'Create' and 'Custom Field. Open' (CMS470/E) will be displayed.

    3. The description of the custom field must be entered.

    4. The name will automatically be defaulted from the description (and truncated if necessary). Note, rather than the user entering data manually the system can display data based on an existing M3 field. In this case enter the field name with a forward slash followed by the file name. For example, MMITNO/MITMAS00 will display the item number of the record in question, this field is stored in the table MITMAS00 (00 must always be at the end of the file name). If used the heading should manually be changed.

    5. The heading will automatically be defaulted from the description. Dot leaders will be automatically inserted at the end of the heading if space permits. The heading is used in many panels as the field title.

    6. The Field Type must be selected. The valid options are A (alphanumeric), N (Numeric) and D (Date).

    7. Enter the Field Length. This is not required for date fields. The maximum length for an alphanumeric field is 40 and 15 for numeric.

    8. The No. Decimal Places field should be filled in only for numeric fields. The default value is 0, and the maximum value is 6.

    9. Enter the meter. This is the unit that the field is being measured in (if required). Meters are defined in 'Meter. Open' (MMS051). Meters are primarily used for Technical Datasheets. Press Enter to save.

  2. Create user defined field groups, used to create named groups of information fields that can later be connected to objects. The groups are defined in 'Custom Field Group. Open' (CMS471).

    1. In panel B or A enter the code of the custom field group (Grain information, Nutrition etc).

    2. Select option 'Create' and the E screen will be displayed.

    3. The description of the custom field group must be entered.

    4. The name will automatically be defaulted from the description (and truncated if necessary). Press Enter to save.

  3. Link custom fields to a field group. This involves linking, for example, nutrition information into a group that can be used for a number of similar food products. These are defined in 'Field Group. Connect Field' (CMS472).

    1. In 'Custom Field Group. Open' (CMS471) highlight the custom field group that you want to connect custom fields to and select option 11 'Custom fields' from the Related Options to go to CMS472.

    2. In panel B or A enter a sequence number for the sequence that the custom fields in this group should be displayed.

    3. Select option 'Create' to go to panel E where the custom fields can be connected to the group.

  4. Link custom field groups to items. The custom field groups are linked to an item via its' item group. Use option 11 in 'Item Group. Open' (CRS025) to enter program 'Connect Custom Field Group. Open' (CMS473). Enter the sequence number that the fields in the group should appear in when maintained or displayed. Select option create to go to CMS473/E where you can enter the details of the custom field group to connect to the item group.

  5. Link custom field groups to suppliers. The custom field groups are linked to a supplier via its supplier group. Use option 11 in 'Supplier Group. Open' (CRS150) to enter program 'Connect Custom Field Group. Open' (CMS473). Enter the sequence number that the fields in the group should appear in when maintained. Select option create to go to CMS473/E where you can enter the custom field group to connect to the supplier group.

  6. Link custom fields to supplier agreement header. The custom fields cannot be directly connected to agreement header. When an agreement is created for a supplier containing custom fields, the fields are copied to the agreement header and can be maintained for the agreement header using option 16 in 'Purchase Agreement. Open' (PPS100).

  7. Link custom fields to supplier agreement lines. The custom fields cannot be directly connected to agreement lines. When an agreement line is created for an item containing custom fields, the fields are copied to the agreement line and can be maintained for the agreement line using option 13 in 'Purchase Agreement. Open Lines' (PPS101).

  8. Link custom fields to supplier address. Custom fields can be linked to the supplier address where the address type is 04 (origin address). From supplier listing on 'Supplier. Open' (CRS620), select related option 11 addresses. Supplier. Connect Address (CRS622) is then displayed. Select related option 11, custom fields against the required address. Custom Field. Update (CMS474) is then displayed. Enter the required user defined information.

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