User Experience Insights
Add new options to a UDF dropdown WITHOUT the requirement to disconnect all connected clients
UDF Dropdown
The last time I was asked to add an option and it needed to be added NOW. Not a problem I though, but I was met with groans from my colleagues because I requested them to finish what they were doing and log out of the system so I can add this one single option.
So I added it and informed all my colleagues it was ready and they can resume.
Why is it a requirement for all clients to be disconnected to make a simple update?
Why don’t clients need to be disconnected when ad add a new Sales Order? Or update a Master Item Data?
Surely there is a better way to handle this.
So I started testing to see if this can be achieved in a different way.
I wanted to create a new Dropdown list and add this on the Item Master Data, so I can add in a department which will be used to nominate which department or person will receive these when they are delivered. Therefore the options will need to be added to when a new person is to be the receiver and the ability to overwrite this data after it is pulled on to a Purchase Order and subsequently on to the GRPO.
E.G. A specific door for a frame will, 99% of the time, be required at Department A, but sometimes ‘Kim’ will need a delivery in a different department for a different project. So to keep track, separate orders will be placed. The end result should be, on the GRPO, to show which department this particular delivery of this particular part is for.
And it can be done, here is how I did it.
New UDT – Setup
Nothing more, nothing less.
This is to contain the options that are needed.
Linked UDF data
As you can see, it is the Validation that gives this the functionality we desire.
Item Master with Dropdown
The next step is to then add the second UDF, this time on the Marketing Document Rows.
UDF on Marketing Document Rows
Then tie these up with a FMS on the new UDF on the Marketing Document;
FMS on Document to get new dropdown data
And set it to update the field with the Data from the Item Master Data when the item code is modified on the PO.
SELECT T0.[U_Allocated] FROM OITM T0 WHERE T0.[ItemCode] = $[$38.1.0]
This information will then be added to the PO relating to the item that has been added.
Then, if needed, this data can be overwritten on the PO, which will then pull through to the GRPO.
Simply then update the template used to print these, and when the goods are received, it will show who they are allocated for.
Any number of options can be added without the need to disrupt your colleagues, or, as has happened before, anyone working remotely who wasn’t notified of the disconnect resulting in the loss of their current session and any unsaved documents.
If you have ideas on how to expand on this, like and leave a comment below and start a converstion. Or join the existing community and engage with;
Related blog posts on SAP Business One can be found here
Or answers to community questions for SAP Business One here