Profiles are composed of custom fields, so the first step to building a profile is creating a field for every piece of information you want to collect from your suppliers. Use the Fields tab in Profile Administration to create and edit the fields that will be used to collect and store company information.

Field Information is Shared

A single field can be used in multiple profiles. Any information that is entered into a profile field is entered at the field level so it will automatically be available wherever that field is used. For instance if the Corporate Address field has been previously submitted in another profile, the address will be automatically filled in when you open a second profile containing that field. If you change the information in the field in one profile it's automatically changed wherever that field is used. Attachments to fields are shared in the same way. If you attach a customer reference to a Third-Party Reference field in one profile the same document will be attached and available everywhere the Third-Party Reference field is used.

»To create a custom field

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Custom Field Properties window.
2. Enter information in the following fields:

• Field Name: Enter a unique name for the field.
• Display Prompt: Enter the text that will be used as the field label for users entering data. You can use the formatting bar to control presentation.  You can also insert hyperlinks to external URLs or documents in the document library to be displayed.
• Field Type: Select the type of field (and the mode for users to enter data) from the list. Supported field types are:

• Attachment: Users enter data by attaching a file.
• Check Box: Users select or deselect a check box.
• Check List: Users can select multiple items in a list.
• Date Time: Users select a date and time from a calendar control.
• Dropdown box: Users select one item from a list.
• Long Text: Users can enter free-form text.
• Numeric: You can define the field format to show currency symbols, commas and decimal points. 
• Radio Group: Users select one item.
• Short Text: Users can enter free-form text.

• Minimum: For numeric field types, enter the lowest number that users should be allowed to enter. For short text and long text field types, enter the minimum number of characters that are allowed. (Not applicable to attachment, check box, checklist, date time, dropdown box or radio group fields types)
• Maximum: For numeric fields types, enter the highest number that users should be allowed to enter. For short and long text field types, enter the most number of characters that can be entered. (Not applicable to attachment, check box, checklist, date time, dropdown box or radio group fields types)
• Field Width: Enter the width of the text entry field as it will appear to users when entering contract data.
• Default Value: For Date Time fields, place a check mark in the check boxes in the Date and Time fields to create default date and time information for new profiles. If you do not want Date and Time fields to have default data entered, remove the check boxes from the date and time fields. For numeric, long text, short text, and check box field types, enter a value that will be used as the default data for all new profiles. For check list, dropdown box, and radio group fields, select a value from the list of options entered in the Field Options area. (You must create the list in Field Options before you can select it here.)
• This field is required by default: Enable this option if you want users to be required to enter a value before they can save the profile.

NOTE: When filling out a profile, required fields are displayed in red with an asterisk.

• Field Options: For check list, dropdown box, and radio group fields, create items that users can select by clicking on the toolbar and entering the label text for options such as "yearly", "monthly", and "weekly" in the highlighted text field in the list. Use the Edit and Delete buttons on the Field Options Area toolbar to edit or remove options. Use the up and down arrow buttons on the toolbar to reorder items.

3. Click Finish to return to the Fields tab. The new custom field appears in the Custom Fields list.

Create profile forms with these fields in the Profile Design tab.

»To edit or delete custom fields

1. Select the field you want to edit or delete in the list.
2. Click to open the Custom Field Properties window for editing the currently selected field or click to delete the selected field.

WARNING: If you delete a custom field and the field is currently used by a profile, the data in the field will still appear for those profiles but you will not be able to edit it.

»To export custom fields

1. Click on the toolbar.
2. Select "Export Field Definitions to Word" or "Export Field Definitions to Excel." The selected application launches and displays the list of custom fields and their properties.

»To preview and print custom field definitions

1. Click on the toolbar to open the Print Preview window.
2. Make any adjustments for your printout, then click on the toolbar.