Managing a User Defined Field (UDF)

What is a User Defined Field (UDF)?

Customized User-defined fields can be added for an Area, a Group, an Occupation, a Shift Type, and a Reason. n addition, there are Built-in UDFs available in FLOW for the Employees and for Timecards, which need to be added like other UDFs.  Please note that UDFs cannot be added to a Shift Pattern. 

• Employee Profile built-in UDFs include:
  • Classifications
  • Classified Job
  • Hire Date
  • Qualifications
  • Seniority Date
  • Skills
  • Termination Date
  • Vacation Seniority Date
• Timecard built-in UDFs include:
  • Comment
  • Work Order

There are two ways to create a UDF: from the Settings Screen, and from PAY>Timecard>Daily Timecard Details.

The article covers the following topics to add or manage a User Defined Field:

• To add a UDF
• UDF Dialog Box Fields
• To Remove a User Defined Field

To add a UDF

As the user defined fields are added they appear on the employee profile or on the Timecard. The user can then add values to the fields.

 The following steps define how to add a UDF to Employees (People).
e.g., you may wish to add Date of Hire, Qualifications or Skills as a UDF field for the Employee.

1. Click on the profile photo icon, click "Settings"

2. In the Sidebar, select for example, “People” (i.e., the option where you wish to add the UDF)
   The Main Pane will now show a list of ‘contact cards’ for all Employees

3. Click the pencil (edit) icon  in the bottom left corner of any of the Employee cards
   The Right Pane will now display the Employee details

4. In the top right corner of the component details, click the More Options Menu (…) and choose User Defined Fields. The User Defined Fields dialog will open

5. In the top right corner of the UDF dialog, click (Add UDF button)

   The menu items allow you to create a New UDF or choose a built-in UDF from the list shown.

6. If you click on New UDF, the Add New User Defined Fields dialog will appear.
   Fill in the fields for the UDF:  See UDF dialog box field list below.

7. If you click on a Built-in UDF, most of the Fields will be defined for you.: See UDF field list below.
   
8. Click Save
   Your new User Defined Field is located at the bottom of the Employee Details for each employee and will also appear in each employee’s profile in Alpha order by UDF Name.

UDF Dialog Box Fields

Built-in UDFs have been pre-configured to reflect the data which may have been uploaded to the system e.g. hire date, seniority dates, qualifications. If the UDF requires a new list of values to be entered, e.g. skills, please do so.

Display Name: enter a name for your new UDF, if applicable

Type: Choose one of the following

1. Text – text free-field

2. Reference – a reference to any stored data within your instance of FLOW (i.e. areas, occupations, reasons, users, etc.)

3. Date – calendar selection

4. True or False – checkbox on/off

5. Decimal – a fractional numerical value

6. Integer – a whole numerical value

Is this a list of Values? Checkbox. Choose whether your new UDF will consist of a list of values for the user to select

Do the Values Expire? Checkbox. Note This feature is only displayed if the 'Type' chosen is Reference.
This UDF  will create a table on the profile with a Name (drop-down list) associated with a reference field such as Occupation, or  a User Defined Type (UDT), a Start Date, and an End date. 

Allowable Values: Depending on the ‘Type’ selected, you can define a list of values available for selection in your new UDF. Values are separated by a comma.

To Remove a User Defined Field

The following steps define how to remove a UDF from Employee Records (People).
e.g., you may wish to add Date of Hire, Qualifications or Skills as a UDF field for the Employee.

1. Click on the profile photo icon, and click "Settings"

2. In the Sidebar, select “People”
   The Main Pane will now show a list of ‘contact cards’ for all Employees

3. In the top right corner of the component details, click the More Options Menu (…) and choose User Defined Fields. The User Defined Fields dialog will open.

   

4. Choose the UDF field you wish to remove in the left-hand column in the dialog

5. Click on the red Trashcan Icon (Delete). A confirmation message appears

   

6. Click Yes.
   A toast message appears that the User Defined Field has been successfully deleted.
   The User Defined field just deleted is no longer available in the list in the dialog.
   The User Defined field is no longer available in the right-hand details pane.