Data fields

Data fields are your own fields on TrakIT’s records: a licence number on an entity, an insurance expiry date on an asset, a cost centre on an invoice. The Data Field Definitions page is where you set them up, one tab per kind of record. Users then fill them in on each record’s page.

To open it, select Admin > Masters > Data Fields. The page is for system administrators only.

The events and data fields of jobs and work orders are not set up here: they belong to each workflow. See Event and data definitions.

How data fields work

• Each tab is one kind of record: Assets, Bills, Companies, Employees, Entities, Internal Posting, Invoices, Items, Leads, Locations, Payments, Quotations, Receipts, Users and Yard Moves.
• On some tabs you first choose a type of record, for example an entity type, and set up the fields of that type. See The tabs.
• A field appears on the record’s page, usually on a Data tab, where users enter its value and remarks. With Display, it is also a column of the record’s list.
• A field can be limited to some companies: a record then shows only the fields of its company.
• The order of the fields on this page is their order on the records and in the lists.

The field list

Select a tab, and the type if the tab asks for one, to list its fields. An inactive field is shown in red, and a star marks a required field.

Column	Shows
Arrows icon (Re-Order)	Drag a row by it to change the field’s place in the order.
ID	TrakIT’s number for the field.
Field Name, Code	The field’s name and code.
Data Type	The kind of value: see Data types.
Computed	Yes if TrakIT works out the value.
Companies	The companies the field is limited to. On the Assets tab, [ All ] if it is not limited. Not on the Items and Locations tabs.
WO Data Update, WO Data Codes	On the Assets, Entities and Yard Moves tabs: whether the value is copied to work orders, and to which codes. See Copy values to work orders.
Display	Yes if the field is a column of the record’s list.
Reminder	On the Assets and Entities tabs: an alarm icon if the field has reminders.
Unique, Validation Rule	Not on the Assets tab. Unique is Yes if two records cannot have the same value. Validation Rule is Yes if TrakIT Support has added a check on the values.
Added By, Updated By	Who added the field and who last changed it, and how long ago. The Assets tab shows only who added it.

Point to the menu icon at the end of a row for Modify, Delete and, for a date field on the Assets and Entities tabs, Reminder.

Create a data field

1. Select the tab and, if it asks for one, the type.
2. Under the list, select Create.
3. In Create New Data Field (Create New Asset Field on the Assets tab), choose the Data Type first: the other options depend on it.
4. Fill in the fields below.
5. Select Create.

Field	What to enter
Code	A code of 2 to 10 characters: letters, digits and hyphens. TrakIT uses capitals. No other data field can have the same code; asset fields have their own codes.
Name	The name users see, up to 50 characters. Two fields of the same tab and type cannot have the same name.
Data Type	The kind of value. See Data types. It cannot be changed later.
Entity Type	For an Entity field: the type of entity users choose from, for example customers.
Company	The companies the field is for. Leave it empty for all companies. Not on the Items and Locations tabs.
Multi-Select	For a Text field with an item list: how many items users can choose, from Single Item Only to Max 10 Items or No Limit.
Decimal Precision	For a Number field: the number of decimals, from 0 to 6. TrakIT rounds values to it.
Item List	For a Text or Number field: the values users choose from, separated by semicolons or on separate lines. Leave it empty to let users type any value.
WO Data Update, WO Data Codes	On the Assets, Entities and Yard Moves tabs: see Copy values to work orders.
Width	The width of the field’s column when a list that includes it is exported to Excel.
Display	Tick it to show the field as a column of the record’s list. See The tabs for the lists.
Mandatory	Tick it to mark the field as required. Not on the Users tab.
Unique	Tick it to refuse a value that another record already has in this field: TrakIT says Value already exists. It is not checked for asset fields.
Active	Ticked for a new field. Clear it to stop using the field: see Change, reorder or delete a field.

An item list can have up to 2,500 characters, with no value twice. A Number field’s list must hold only numbers. A Text field that allows more than one item needs an item list.

Mandatory puts a star next to the field on the record. On some records, TrakIT also refuses a step until the field is filled in, for example validating a bill or approving an invoice, with Mandatory data field ‘…’ is missing. Each record’s page says when.

Computed fields, whose value TrakIT works out from other data, and checks of the values beyond those above, are set up by TrakIT Support. So are item lists built from your data: such a list is not shown on the form. Ask TrakIT Support if you need one.

Data types

Data type	Users enter
Number	A number, rounded to the field’s Decimal Precision.
Date	A date and time, in their time zone.
Text	Any text, or one or more values from the field’s item list.
Hyperlink	A web address. TrakIT adds http:// if it is missing, and shows the value as a link.
Google Place	A place found on Google Maps.
Phone	A phone number of up to 15 characters: digits, an optional leading +, and an area code in brackets if needed.
Entity	An entity of the field’s Entity Type, found by typing part of its name.

Copy values to work orders

On the Assets, Entities and Yard Moves tabs, a field can fill in the events and data fields of the work orders its record is linked to:

• an entity, when it is set on a work order or its job, for example as the customer, shipper, receiver, transporter, operator, agent or clearing agent;
• an asset, when it is assigned to a work order;
• a yard move, when it is linked to a work order.

Only active and abandoned work orders are updated, not closed or cancelled ones.

WO Data Update	What happens
No Update	Nothing is copied.
One-Time if blank	When the record is linked to a work order, the value fills the work order’s field if it is empty.
One-Time with Overwrite	When the record is linked to a work order, the value replaces the work order’s value.
Re-Update if blank	As One-Time if blank, and again each time the value changes on the record.
Re-Update with Overwrite	As One-Time with Overwrite, and again each time the value changes on the record.

With Re-Update if blank or Re-Update with Overwrite, a change made through the integration API’s SaveDataField is not copied.

In WO Data Codes, enter the codes of the work order events and data fields to fill in, separated by commas. Leave it empty to use the field’s own code: the box shows that code as a hint. Only active fields are copied.

Change, reorder or delete a field

• Change: point to the menu icon at the end of the row and select Modify. Change the fields and select Save. The Data Type cannot be changed.
• Reorder: drag a row by its arrows icon (Re-Order) to its new place. TrakIT saves the new order when you drop it.
• Stop using a field: modify it and clear Active. An inactive field is shown in red. Records that have a value keep showing it, in red, but new values cannot be entered, and it is no longer a list column. Except on the Assets tab, a field cannot be both inactive and mandatory: Cannot make disabled field mandatory.
• Delete: point to the menu icon and select Delete. There is no confirmation. A field that has values on any record cannot be deleted: TrakIT says Cannot delete field in use (Cannot delete Asset Field in use on the Assets tab). Clear Active instead.

The tabs

Assets

Choose an asset type first, or [Common Fields] for fields that every asset has. The fields appear on the asset’s Asset Data tab, for the asset’s type and its primary company. With Display, they are columns of the asset list for that type, on Asset management. An asset whose required field is empty cannot be added to a work order.

Asset fields can copy their values to work orders, and date fields can have reminders.

Bills

The fields appear on the bill’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Bills list.

Companies

The fields appear on the Company Data tab of the company, and with Display, as columns of the Companies list.

Employees

The fields appear on the employee’s Data tab.

Entities

Choose an entity type first, or [Common Fields] for fields that every entity has, whatever its type. The fields appear on the entity’s Entity Data tab. With Display, they are columns of the list of that type on Entity management.

Entity fields can copy their values to work orders, and date fields can have reminders.

Internal Posting

The fields appear on the posting’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Internal postings list.

Invoices

The fields appear on the invoice’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Invoices list.

Items

The fields appear on the item’s Item Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Item master. Item fields are for all companies.

Leads

The fields appear on the lead’s Data tab, and in the export of the Leads list.

Locations

The fields appear on the location’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Location list. Location fields are for all companies.

Payments

The fields appear on the payment’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the payments on Receipts & payments.

Quotations

The fields appear on the quotation’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the Quotations list.

Receipts

The fields appear on the receipt’s Data tab, and with Display, as columns of the receipts on Receipts & payments.

Users

Choose Internal Users or External Users first. The fields appear on the User Data tab of the user, and with Display, as columns of the list of those users on User management. User fields have no Mandatory option.

Yard Moves

Choose a move type, or [ All Move Types ] for fields that every move has. The fields appear on the move’s Data tab. With Display, the fields for all move types are columns of the lists of moves, for example on Yard moves and Yard planning.

Yard move fields can copy their values to work orders.

Reminders

A reminder warns people before the date in a date field comes up: for example, a month before an asset’s insurance expires. Reminders can be set on the date fields of the Assets and Entities tabs. They apply to every asset or entity that has a date in the field.

To see or add the reminders of a field:

1. Point to the menu icon at the end of the field’s row and select Reminder.
2. Reminders lists the field’s reminders. Select Add Reminder, or the pencil icon of a reminder to change it.
3. Fill in the fields below.
4. Select Add, or Save for an existing reminder.

Field	What to enter
Reminder Name	A name, not used by another reminder of the field.
Advance Notice	How long before the date to send it: 0 to 30 Hours, Days or Months before date.
Repeat Reminder Every	No Repeat, or a period. See below.
Notify Assets Responsible or Notify Entity Responsible	Send it to the responsible user of the asset or entity.
Notify Entity (Owner) or Notify Entity	Send it by email to the asset’s owner entity, or to the entity itself, at its General, Finance or Management addresses. If those are empty, its general addresses are used.
Additional Recipients	Other users and user groups to send it to.
Reminder Message	The message to include.
Notification Method	Email, Chat and App: at least one. The entity’s addresses get only the email.
Reminder Active	Clear it to stop the reminder without deleting it.

To delete a reminder, open it and select the cross (Delete Reminder) at the bottom left.

When reminders are sent

Every 30 minutes, TrakIT looks for dates that are within their advance notice and not yet passed. For each one, it sends the reminder once: an email titled Reminder - followed by the field’s name, a chat message or an app notification. It gives the asset or entity, with a link, its code or serial, the field, the date, the reminder’s name and its message.

• If the date changes, the reminder is sent again before the new date. On the record, an alarm icon next to the field warns that changing the value sets its reminders off again.
• With Repeat Reminder Every, the date comes round again every period after it, for example every year, and the reminder is sent before each one. Without it, nothing more is sent once the date has passed. The repeat period cannot be shorter than the advance notice.
• Entity reminders are sent only for active entities. A locked responsible user gets nothing.

Messages

Message	What to do
Field Name is required, Code is required	Fill in the name and code.
Code must be at least 2 characters, Field Code must be at least 2 characters, Code contains invalid characters	Use 2 to 10 letters, digits or hyphens.
Field Name contains invalid characters	Remove characters such as <, >, # and @.
The Field Name has already been added, Field Name already exists with this Asset Type	Another field of the tab and type has this name.
The Code is already in use., Field Code already exists	Another field uses this code.
Item List must have items for multi-select	Add an item list, or choose Single Item Only.
Item List contains duplicate values, Item List contains non-numeric characters	Remove the duplicates, or the values that are not numbers.
Item List is … characters. It cannot exceed 2500 characters.	Shorten the list.
Cannot make disabled field mandatory	Tick Active, or clear Mandatory.
Cannot delete field in use, Cannot delete Asset Field in use	Clear Active instead.
Reminder Name must be specified, Reminder Message must be specified	Fill in the name and message.
Reminder Name already exists	Choose another name.
At least one method of notification must be selected	Tick Email, Chat or App.
Reminder Repeat cannot be less than advance notification	Make the repeat period longer than the advance notice.

Who can use this page

The page is for system administrators only: TrakIT checks this when it opens, whatever the role’s permissions. Other users see Authorization Failed.

Entering values in the fields is done on each record’s page, with the permissions of that page.