Adding and Managing Free Fields
In Spend Cloud, you can utilize various specifications for coding invoices, contracts, and orders. By default, we have general ledger accounts, cost centers, and cost carriers (optional). Additionally, there are three free fields that you can fill in for projects or asset methods. The support for a specific free field depends on your financial package and the free fields you already have in use. You can verify this with our support department(only for application managers).
In the menu section of the configured free field, you'll find all values added in Spend Cloud. Here, you can manually add a value or import a list of values. The overview also allows you to set up a workflow and link organizational units and books.
Adding New Values to Free Fields
If an import definition is available for importing values, it's best to process changes through an import. For more information, refer to the next paragraph in this article.
When adding a new value, the entered number must match the number in the financial package. By selecting 'Use as empty value' as yes, this value will not be included in an export to the financial package. The value will also not be overwritten during an import.
Click on 'Save' at the top to add the new value.
Importing free fields
If you use an import definition for extra fields, it's recommended to process changes through the import functionality.
At the top of the overview, you'll find the 'Import Free Field' button. Clicking on this button allows you to upload a file with all values, adjusting all values within the free field in Spend Cloud. If a web service link is used with a financial package, you can fetch values directly instead of using a CSV file. Additionally, you can automate the retrieval/synchronization of values via the 'Import Planning' menu daily.
Linking Organizational Units
If your organization uses modules like Invoice Processing, Procurement, Commitments, or Expense Claims, you can link various organizational units to one value from the free field overview.
- Click on the three dots at the end of a line in the menu section of the free field and click on 'Link Organizational Units'.
- Select the organizational units you want to link, or select all units by checking the top box in the gray bar.
- Confirm the linkage with 'Save' or cancel via the 'Back' button.
You can also link an organizational unit to multiple values in the Structure menu. In the case of a new value, it's easier to link it here with multiple organizational units. It's not possible to make links with passive organizational units.
Setting Up Workflow
If your organization uses the Invoice Processing module, you can set up a specific workflow for a single free field directly from the dimension's overview. This allows you to automatically populate an organizational unit, action, and employee or group for each free field. Does your Spend Cloud environment work with multiple administrations? Then you can set up a workflow per administration for each free field.
- Click the three dots next to a line in the free fields menu section and click on 'Set up workflow'.
- Then choose the Organizational Unit, the desired action, and, if a group action is not chosen, an employee. The employee field can also be left blank if it is desired that a fixed organizational unit is entered for a free field, but no specific employee.
- Finally, confirm the link with 'Save'.
If you want to set up multiple workflows, it is also possible to import multiple free field workflows using a file. If no import definition is available, you can set it up yourself. More information on how to set up an import definition for a CSV file can be found in the following article: Import Definitions
Workflows can be set up based on various input fields. There is a fixed hierarchy here, which can result in the data automatically filled by the workflow being overwritten by the filling of another field. The hierarchy is as follows, from high to low: cost center -> general ledger account -> cost unit-> free field one, two, and three. In practice, this means the following: If you first enter a cost object with a workflow, and then a general ledger account with a workflow, the cost object workflow will be overwritten by the one from the general ledger account. The automatically filled fields of the general ledger account will ultimately be applied. The reverse does not happen; if you enter a general ledger account with a workflow, and then a cost object, the cost object's workflow will not be applied if a general ledger account workflow has already been applied.
Linking Books
If your organization uses the Cash & Card module, you can link books to one value from the free field overview.
- Click on the three dots at the end of a line in the menu section of the free field and select 'Link Books'.
- Choose the books you want to link, or select all books by checking the top box in the gray bar.
- Confirm the linkage with 'Save' or cancel via the 'Back' button.
Take into account that you can fully disable or enable free fields for all books within the administration settings. When you do this, the field will not be available in Cash & Card.
Deleting or Deactivating a Value
By clicking on the cross/pencil icon, you can delete or edit the value. It's recommended to deactivate rather than delete to preserve data.
To deactivate, click on the pencil icon and change the status to 'inactive'.
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