Add new options to a UDF dropdown WITHOUT the requirement to disconnect all connected clients

One thing that I get asked as the first point of contact in our organisation, is to add another option to a dropdown UDF. Sometime this is an Item Master Data or sometimes it is some form of a Marketing Document.
The SAP B1 system I have inherited when I joined has many of these types of field which are frequently used and updated. These are set as a UDF with a valid range of options, you know the type.

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.

First, and inevitably, you will need to create a new ‘User-Defined Table’ and a ‘User-Defined Field’, which means all clients to disconnect, this can’t be escaped. But For the last time after this has been set up!

New UDT – Setup

Nothing more, nothing less.
This is to contain the options that are needed.

Then the first new UDF, added to the Item Master Data.

Linked UDF data

As you can see, it is the Validation that gives this the functionality we desire.

Add this field to the Item Master Data form using the GUI customisation tool.
Then add some options without the need to disconnect all clients!

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;
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