A custom field is a user-defined field that stores information not otherwise provided in a contact profile. Custom fields display in tabs for contacts on the Contacts workspace.

You can add text, number, currency, convertible currency, date, and relationship custom fields. For example, you can add a custom date field that only accepts date values. Relationship custom fields only accept other contacts as values.

A custom field group enables you to group related custom fields together. A custom field group defines the following in NexJ CRM :

• The types of contacts that you can add the custom field to. For example, a custom field group can make a custom field available to only company contacts.
• The tab name that displays on a contact's profile on the Contacts workspace. For example, the custom fields in the Profile group display in the Profile tab in NexJ CRM .

System administrators, business administrators, and users can use and manage custom fields in the following ways:

System administrators
In NexJ Admin Console, system administrators can create, modify, and delete custom fields and custom field groups.

Business administrators
On the Customize workspace, business administrators can create and delete custom fields, modify custom fields properties and contact types, and manage the order of custom fields.

Users
On the Contacts workspace, users can add and remove custom fields for individual contacts, modify custom field values, and add custom fields to the system. Users can also click the Options button and select an option to sort the custom fields by name or priority.

Best practices for creating custom fields

Typically, a business administration group manages custom field types. This group usually has responsibility for:

• Collecting requests for new custom field types from users or teams
• Configuring new custom fields or leveraging existing custom fields
• Providing recommendations for use of existing custom fields

Best practices for using custom fields

Custom field data is useful because it becomes available for filtering, searching, and reporting as soon as it is added to the system.

Consider using custom fields to:

• Store optional contact data used by a limited number of contacts in the system
• Store contact-level information, for example, interests, demographics, and financial information
• Track relationships

Avoid using custom fields to:

• Store business-critical contact data that:
  • Is frequently used for the majority of contacts in the system
  • Is used by NexJ CRM business logic or that is integrated with other functionality in NexJ CRM, for example, Service Level Management (SLM) functionality
• Track aggregate account-level information, such as products and services, or restrictions. Custom fields do not aggregate at the household-level.

Some examples of custom fields include:

• Referral Source
• Favorite Sports Team
• Lawyer

Adding custom fields to contacts

You can add an existing custom field to a contact and specify a value for the field.

To add a custom field to a contact:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. In the Detail tab, in the Profile subtab, click the Add button .
   The Select Custom Fields dialog opens.
3. Select and add the desired custom fields to the list on the right.
   The Group column defines the tab in which the custom field displays.
4. In the Value column, enter or select a value for the custom field.
   For a custom date field, you can also use the drop-down calendar. For a custom relationship field, click the Select button to select the related contact from the Select Contact or Select Company dialog.
5. When you are finished adding custom field items, click OK.
   The Select Custom Fields dialog closes.

The custom field is added to the contact.

Modifying custom field values for contacts

You can modify values for custom fields that you have added to a contact.

To modify a custom field value for a contact:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact with the custom field that want to edit.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Detail tab, select the Profile subtab.
4. Click the Action button for the custom field whose value you want to edit and select Edit.
   The Edit dialog opens.

5. In the Value field, change the value for the custom field.
   For a custom date field, you can also use the drop-down calendar. For a custom relationship field, click the Select button to select the related contact from the Select Contact or Select Company dialog.

   If you want to choose a contact that does not yet exist, click Add Contact at the bottom of the Select Contact or Select Company dialog to add the contact.

6. Click OK.
   The Edit dialog closes.

The value of the custom field is updated.

Removing custom fields from contacts

Remove a custom field from a contact's record when you no longer need to track the information in the field.

To remove a custom field from a contact:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact to remove a custom field from.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Detail tab, select the Profile subtab.
4. Click the Action button for the custom field that you want to remove and select Delete.
   A confirmation dialog opens.
5. Click Delete.
   The confirmation dialog closes.

The custom field is removed from the contact.

Opening a contact's profile from a custom field

Custom fields can accept other contacts as values. You can open the profile for a contact from a custom field that contains the contact as a value.

To open the profile for a contact from a custom field:

• Click the Action button for the custom field and select Go to Contact .
  The contact's profile is displayed. The contact list and hierarchy also highlight that contact.

Adding custom fields to the system

If you have the appropriate permissions, you can create a custom field to store information that is not represented by existing custom fields. Otherwise, contact the business administration group or administrator who manages custom field types.

To add a custom field to the system:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact you want to create a custom field for.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Detail tab, select the Profile subtab.
4. Click the Add button at the top of the list.
   The Select Custom Fields dialog opens.
5. Select a custom field type to define values that the field accepts:

   • Text
     Accepts text values.

   • Number
     Accepts numerical values.

   • Currency
     Accepts and formats numerical values using the currency defined when the field is created.

   • Convertible Currency
     Accepts and formats numerical values into the currency that other users select.

     Your system must also be configured for currency conversion.

   • Date
     Accepts and formats date values.

   • Relationship
     Accepts an entity as a value and defines it as a relationship in the contact's hierarchy.

6. In the Name field, enter a display name for the custom field.
7. [Optional] In the Description field, enter a description of the custom field.
   The description displays for other users who add the custom field to a contact.

8. In the Unit field, select the currency to apply to the field.
   

   The Unit field is only available for currency and convertible currency custom fields. Users cannot change the currency in NexJ CRM .

9. Select any of the following checkboxes:

   • Unique
     Select to allow users to add only one custom field of this type to a contact.

   • Allow Quick Pick Only
     Select to only allow users to add values to a custom text field that contains quick picks by selecting from a drop-down list. Otherwise, users can also enter a text value in the custom field. An administrator defines quick pick values for a custom field.

     The Allow Quick Pick Only checkbox is only available for text custom field types.

   • Hierarchy Only
     Select to specify that custom relationship fields do not display in a contact's profile, but only as relationships in the contact's hierarchy.

     Consider naming the custom field using the title of the position that you want to represent in the relationship hierarchy. For example, for a custom field that represents a lawyer-client relationship, name the field Lawyer.

     The Hierarchy Only checkbox is only available for relationship custom field types.

10. In the Visibility field, define view security for the custom field. Select Public to make the custom field visible to all users, or select a user or group to restrict visibility to that user or group.
    

    You cannot modify view security levels for the custom field after it has been created. If you want to restrict view access to this custom field, you must set it now. The default view setting is Public.

11. In the Group field, select a custom field group to define the custom field tab in which the custom field is available.

12. In the Contact Types tab, add or remove contact types from the list on the right, which is the list of contact types in which the custom field is available.
    

    By default, all contact types that are available to the custom field are selected.

13. Click OK.
    The Add Custom Field dialog closes.

The new custom field now appears in the list, and you can add it to the contact's profile.

Modifying custom fields in the system

If you have the appropriate permissions, you can modify properties for a custom field. Otherwise, contact the business administration group or administrator who manages custom field types. Changes made to a custom field also apply to all existing custom fields used by contacts.

To modify a custom field:

1. Navigate to the Contacts workspace.
2. Select the contact with the custom field you want to edit.
   The selected contact's profile opens.
3. In the Detail tab, select the Profile subtab.
4. In the left column, click the Action button for the custom field you want to edit and select Edit.
   The Edit dialog opens.
5. Edit the custom field and click OK.
   The Edit dialog closes.

The custom field is edited.