What are Customer Fields?

• What are Customer Fields?
• Where can I have customer fields?
• Available Field Types
• Viewing and Editing Options
• What changes can I make myself?
• What do I need to ask the Support Team to do?
• Using Customer fields
  • Entering Data
  • Using in Query and Report Filters
  • Using as a Report Field

What are Customer Fields?

Customer fields are designed to provide flexibility for your site, beyond what's been provided in the base application. For example, you may want to record additional project data against an Action, or your Feedback data collection form is more complex than the current Feedback fields.

Customer Fields can be added to almost any module of Pentana Risk and can be set to accept a variety of data types.

Where can I have customer fields?

Customer Fields can be created in many places throughout the app:

Available Field Types

Below is some information on all the Field types available. In your request to Support, please state which field type you want each field to be.

• Number Fields: Allows any number to be entered. These fields can have custom minimum and maximum values.
• Integer Fields: Allows any whole number to be entered.
• Tickbox Fields: Provides a single tickbox that can be checked or unchecked.
• Date Field: Provides a Date field, which works exactly as any other Date field in Pentana Risk.
• Short Text Field: Provides a text field with the same features as a Title field. The maximum character length is customisation.
• Formatted Text Field: Provides a free text field with the same features as a Long Description field.
• Drop-Down List View: Provides a drop-down list, the contents of which can be customised by Site Administrators. These fields provide the same functionality as the Expected Outcome field. In your request to Support, please make sure to quote the name you gave this list for inclusion in the drop-down list.

Viewing and Editing Options

In your request to the Support Team, please mention if you want the following options applied for each field.

• Use in Queries and Reports: By default, most Customer Field types except Short and Formatted Text Fields used as a filter in Queries and Reports, and be used as a Field in Report Layouts. For example, the Drop-Down field type will resemble the Status filter available for all Queries.
• Editable By: These fields can be restricted as to who can edit them, for example, if this field should only be editable for Assignees, this can be made possible. Without any of these options ticked, users with a Module or Site admin permission, such as Actions_Admin will still be able to edit the field.
• Show Empty Values: By default in the Browser version, Customer Fields are hidden from view until data has been added, however, this functionality can be reversed.
• Tooltip: A tooltip can be added to the field, which becomes visible when the User hovers their cursor over the field.
• Group/Panel: Customer fields can be added into their own Panel, similar to those for Ownership and Linked Documents. If you wish for your fields to be included in a Panel, provide a name for the Section and state which fields you want in it. By default, new fields will appear in the Additional Fields section.
• Display Order: The relative display order of multiple Customer fields is fully customisation relative to the section they're in. If this isn't set, the fields will display in alphanumeric order. Please note that custom fields cannot be added to the default Sections.

What changes can I make myself?

Users with the Site Admin permission can make changes to the lists used for the Drop-Down List field. Below are steps to adding new values to a drop-down list.

1. Log into the Browser version of Pentana Performance
2. Open the GoTo Menu and Navigate to the 'Site Admin' section
3. Select "Drop Down Lists values" from this list
4. Select an existing Drop-down list
5. Select the title of the Dropdown list and then 'Add Row' from the menu
6. Enter the list title, the Code and Icon are optional. You can change the order of appearance of these fields using the arrow icons to the left of the list option

Once created the new item can be moved up and down the list by using the Move Up and Move Down items, for example, if you want to put your list in alphabetical order.

A Drop-down list value can be deleted using the 'X' button to the right of the list value, if the button is not visible it means the list value is in use and cannot be deleted. You can produce a Report to find all of the Items using the drop-down list option and then remove it. If you are having problems identifying where the option has been used please request some help with the Support Team.

What do I need to ask the Support Team to do?

Customer Fields can only be added or edited by the Pentana Risk Support Team, and as such you will need to submit a new request. This is best done by initially contacting the Ideagen Pentana Risk Support Team, or by submitting the request directly through the support portal. In your request please ensure to include detail for the options laid out in this article.

Using Customer fields

Entering Data

Once a field has been created, Users with the appropriate Permissions and Ownership will be able to update the field.  

The following Action has an 'Additional Fields' panel in its notebook:

By clicking on the 'Additional Fields' heading we can choose to edit the information:

We can change the value of the dropdown fields, and select 'Save and Close'.

Using in Query and Report Filters

If the 'Use in Queries and Reports' setting has been enabled, customer fields will show as an available filter in Queries (except short and long text values). They will be available under the 'Values' tab in the filters selector:

Using as a Report Field

Customer fields can show in few places in Report Layout field selectors, but the most common places are:

1. The main object field panel (top option in the field dropdown). This is where fields which aren't in a specific panel are displayed.
2. The bottom of the field dropdown, under the ruled line. This is where fields contained within a panel are displayed. Click on the panel name to locate the fields. 

If a field is a drop-down list then this is further split down so you can display any of the icon, code or description information that has been configured. This is shown above with the Bespoke Drop-Down List Icon, Code and Description are available.