The purpose of user fields are to give you the option of entering and tracking customized information for each job and/or operation. You can define any number of user fields and apply them to the job or operation level.

Before defining and using user fields, it is strongly recommended that you and your team give a lot of thought to what user fields will be required and how you want to use them.  It is best to define the user fields up front rather than adding user fields at a later date.  Although you can add user fields (and make them unavailable) at any time, adding and/or removing user fields will mean that some jobs and operations will have user field information while other older jobs and operations will not have the user field information unless you add the missing information to the older jobs and operations. 

A user field can be one of the following types:

1. Text which can be:
1. Free format text input up to 40 alphanumeric characters
2. Free format upper case text input up to 40 alphanumeric characters
3. Currency
4. Integer (whole number) where you can allow or disallow negative numbers
5. Fraction (floating decimal) where you can allow or disallow negative numbers
2. Notes input (long text up to several paragraph in length)
3. Date, time, or date and time
4. Lookup table where you define what information can be selected as input
5. Button that will execute a Windows command for a given file.  For example, you may wish to attach a CAD file or a Word document file to a job and have users pull the information for a given job.  Note that the file that is being opened by the button command must already exit and be accessible for all users using DMS.

Once you have defined a user field, you cannot delete the user field if it is used by a job or operation.  You can, however, make a user field unavailable for use by unselecting the Available prompt for a user field.

There are four modules where you define a user field and its attributes.  They are:

1. User Field Lookup Names  This is where you define the names of the tables that will have lookup fields.  For example, you may choose to define a lookup name called "Color", another look up name called "Customers", another lookup name called "Diameter" , etc.
2. User Field Lookup Items  The user field lookup items is where you define the items for each lookup name defined.  For example, if you defined a lookup name called "Color", you would define the colors (Red, Black, Blue, Green, etc.) for the "Color" lookup name using the user field lookup items.  You would continue to define all the lookup items for each lookup name you have setup.  Using the example in 1 above, you would define lookup items for Colors, Customers and Diameter.

Job User fields Lookup Items can have default colors.  Lookup items can also be set up with conditions to be displayed or printed in color if the condition is met.  For example, if a lookup item called “Material available” has a “No” setting for a job and the job is to start within 7 days, display the lookup value “No” in red.

3. User Field Definitions  User Field Definitions is where you define each user field.  You define the name of the user field and it attributes, such as the type of user field (Text, Notes, Date/time, etc.).
4. User Fields Required  User Fields Required is where you take the user field you have defined in step 3 and decide where you want to use them.  That is, for each user field you decide where it will appear on the screen and whether it will be used at the job or operation level.