Defining Custom Lookups

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to edit a Custom Lookup in SAP Fieldglass.

Custom Lookup

Custom Lookups allow organizations to retrieve data from a table based on set criteria and are used to determine what value to apply for a given situation. They are built as matrix tables that works by locating rows that contain criteria in the Key columns and then retrieving a value from the defined Value columns.

Custom Lookup tables are defined by a number of Segments, or table headers. There are two types of segments, and a certain number of each are required per custom lookup created.

Custom Lookups can be populated manually or via data upload.

Navigating the Custom Lookup Admin Object

screenshot of Configuration section of the Admin Menu, the Custom Lookup link is highlighted

1	To view a list of Custom Lookups associated to the tenant, select Custom Lookup from the configuration section of the admin menu.

Custom Lookup List Page

Custom Lookup tables are defined by a number of Segments, or table headers. There are two types of segments, and a certain number of each are required per custom lookup created.

There are currently about 15 different custom lookup types that organizations can leverage to drive behavior in their SAP Fieldglass solution.

2	Type indicates which of the 15 custom lookups is being used. Values in this field are dependent on your company configurations. For some types, only one lookup is allowed per company.
3	Number of Segments indicates the number of attributes required for the lookup. This number corresponds to the number of headers that can be defined. In this example, the Number of Segments is 8, which means the grid for this custom lookup will include a total of 8 data points.
4	To view the details of a custom lookup, select an appropriate link in the Name column.

Custom Lookup Details Page

Custom lookups are quite flexible. The details and headers available in a custom lookup are dependent upon the type of lookup selected. The Keys and Values listed here are defaulted based on the Lookup Type. Different lookup types will present different keys and headers.

Once the custom lookup shell has been created with applicable keys and values (the upper section illustrated here), you’ll then need to populate the table with the related data (the lower section with Pick List section). Custom Lookups can be populated manually or via data upload.

Supplier Rate Changes Custom Lookup Details page. In addition to the Details section, two other sections are displayed: the custom lookup table and the associated pick list table. The custom lookup table displays two keys and six values with details about their Type, Additional Details, and the Lookup Headers. The listed Keys correspond to the first two columns of the pick list, while the six values correspond to the remaining columns of the pick list. The rows of the pick list contains the specific values that will appear in the pick list when it is used to create a transaction. The Delimiter row in the Details section, the Header Type and Lookup Headers columns in the values list, and the Edit Pick List link are highlighted.

The custom lookup illustrated here was created to determine when and how a supplier’s rates should change based upon the defined segments. Once the custom lookup shell has been created with applicable keys and values (the upper section illustrated here), you’ll then need to populate the table with the related data (the lower section with Pick List section).

5	The character used in the upload file to separate the values in each column is called a Delimiter. A delimiter can be changed to whatever an organization prefers to indicate data separation.
6	The data listed in Header Type is read in the order presented in the numbered column. The keys and values are the data elements that drive the lookup and vary based on the lookup type. They correspond to information on a document or record in SAP Fieldglass or to associated documents or records. For example, a Job Code (Key) associates to a Site Code (Value).
7	The Lookup Headers associate the keys and values to corresponding columns in the Pick List.
8	Keys define the criteria of the lookup. They correspond to the specific information on a document or record in SAP Fieldglass, or to associated documents or records. For example, if rates differ for a Job Posting based on Supplier and Site, the most logical Keys to use for a Rates custom lookup would be Supplier and Site.
9	Values are the retrievable results or outputs of the lookup based on the criteria (Keys). So in this example, think of the values as an equation: Key 1 (Supplier) + Key 2 (Site) = Value (the specific Rate amount).
10	The Pick List section displays the pick list items entered for this custom lookup. The columns correspond to the Keys and Values defined in the Custom Lookup.

Edit a Custom Lookup

WorkingNet Networking, Inc., a global manufacturer of data networking equipment, requires an additional custom lookup element so that a tenure policy can be set for Australia. The policy is 75 days in duration and has a 60 day gap in assignments before tenure count can be reset.

There is already a Global Tenure Policy in the WorkingNet tenant, so this Custom Lookup need to be edited to include the tenure policy for Australia. As the SAP Fieldglass administrator for WorkingNet, you will need to edit that new custom lookup.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Custom Lookup Upload

Like the individual entry you just created, it’s possible to manually populate the entire matrix of data required to define the Custom Lookup, however, it’s much easier to upload the data using the standard connector template file from the Upload Data section of the Admin Menu. This allows you to manage multiple data elements, keys, and values, all within a single action, versus the tedious manual entry required to manage a larger scope of data.

Summary

Custom Lookups retrieve data from a table based on set criteria. They are used for rate changes, distribution lists, SOW fees, and personally identifiable information.

Key Points:

Custom Lookup Types: There are 15 different custom lookup types that organizations can use to drive behavior in their SAP Fieldglass solution.
Detail Page Configuration: Custom lookups are flexible matrices of databases that use keys and values, which vary by lookup type.
Data Upload: Data can be manually populated or uploaded using a standard connector template file for efficiency.

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