Setting Up Optional Fields for Inventory Control Records and Transactions

Note: You must install Transaction Analysis and Optional Field Creator to use optional fields.

Optional fields are custom fields that you can use to store additional information with Inventory Control records and transactions. You can define an unlimited number of optional fields for transaction entries and details lines, and other Inventory Control records.

Once you have added optional fields, you can enter data in the optional fields when you add new I/C items and enter inventory transactions.

  • Determine which optional fields you need in Inventory Control.
  • Decide which optional field information you want to pass to other ledgers with item records and with G/L transactions to the General Ledger.
  • If the optional fields you need have not been added to Sage 300, use the Optional Fields screen in Common Services to add them.

Important! Make sure that no one else is using the Inventory Control data and that no other Inventory Control screens are open for the company before you try to save changes to optional fields.

To set up optional fields for use in I/C item records and transactions:

  1. Open Inventory Control > I/C Setup > Optional Fields.

  2. In the Optional Fields For list, select the type of record or transaction for which you are setting up optional fields.
  3. Click in the table, and then press the Insert key to start a new line.

  4. Enter information for each optional field you are adding to the record, transaction, or transaction detail, as follows:

    1. In the Optional Field column, click the Finder (or press F5), and then select an optional field from the Finder.
    2. Double-click in the Value Set column to change it to Yes. More...

      The Value Set field alerts the data entry clerk that a seemingly blank optional field actually has an entry. By looking at the Value field, you cannot tell whether it has a “blank” default value or no value at all.

    3. To set a default value for the selected optional field, in the Default Value column, click the Finder, and then type or select the value to appear as the default for each optional field. More...

      If the optional field you selected requires validation, you must select a value that is defined for the optional field in Common Services. If the optional field allows blanks, you can leave the default value field blank.

      If the optional field does not use validation, you can select a value that is defined for the optional field in Common Services or leave the field blank.

      Note: The entry must be consistent with the type of field (text, number, date, amount, and so on) and must not exceed the number of characters specified for the optional field. In a Yes/No field, you can enter only Yes or No.

    4. To make the optional field mandatory, double-click in the Required column. More...

      During data entry, if an optional field is required, but does not have a default value, you must fill in the field before you can proceed. If the optional field has a default value, you can accept the value that appears, or assign a different one.

    5. If you want the optional field and its default value to appear automatically in new records and transactions, in the Auto Insert column, double-click to select Yes.
    6. If the Settings button is available (for example, for certain transaction detail optional fields):
      1. Click Settings to open a separate screen where you specify whether to include this optional field with transactions sent to General Ledger and other subledgers.

      2. Specify which optional fields to include in transactions sent to General Ledger or other subledgers.

        Note: Consider carefully the purpose of each optional field that you add. For example, send to General Ledger only optional fields that are used for financial analysis, and only to the accounts where they are required.

      3. Click Close to close the Settings screen.
  5. Click Add on the I/C Optional Fields screen, and then click Close.
  • You can now open the screen to which you added optional fields and enter data. For example, if you defined an optional field for shipments, you would see the optional field when you clicked the Zoom Zoom button button beside Optional Fields check box in the Shipments screen.
  • Use the Optional Fields screen in General Ledger to add optional fields to G/L transaction details, if you are passing optional fields from Inventory Control transaction details to General Ledger.
  • Use the Optional Fields screen in Order Entry and Purchase Orders if you want to add optional fields associated with inventory items to O/E and P/O transaction details.