The System Template Columns in System Settings allows you to use either the DSI "System" columns or your own custom "User Defined" columns across modules to customize views, edit data settings, and provide validation rules.
Overview
Preset "System" template columns are available within Supplyframe by default. Those columns can then flow from your BOMs or Demands into your RFQs within Quoting. System columns may have preconfigured default settings or rules, and will appear as disabled since those cannot be changed.
When a column exists in the System Template Columns, it can be utilized specifically within Part Categories templates as you're working within BOM Insight or in Demand Templates for Demand Management.
However, when a column is not shown as one of the available default "System" template columns, then you’ll need to create it as a “User Defined“ custom column in your System Settings.
There’s two ways for admins to access the system template columns in order to create user-defined custom system template columns:
- The first navigational option is from within a specific Part Category or Demand Template that you've created. You can click on + Add New Column and then the System Template hyperlink to access them.
- The second option is by hovering over your profile icon dropdown in the top right. You’ll click on System Settings and then on the System Template tab in the left navigation bar.
This will navigate you to the System Template page of System Settings where you can view your Template Columns. You can view your existing "System" and "User Defined" (custom) columns, as well as add any new custom columns when needed.
View & Manage Template Columns
On your Template Columns page, you can view all of your existing "System" and "User Defined" system template columns with their Names on the far left vertically. Stretching horizontally to the right you can then see their different areas of permissions and rules.
The Type column header delineates if it's a System or a User Defined custom created column. Use the arrows to the right of the headers to sort by ascending or descending for that specific value.
You can clear the column sort by clicking on the X to the right of the column name that is being used to sort your results.
When needing to edit an existing column, click on the pencil icon to the far right. For User Defined columns only, you can click on the trash can to delete the column. System columns can't be deleted.
Create User Defined Custom System Template Columns
To create new custom "User Defined" system template columns, click on +Add New Column in the Template Columns of your System Settings. This will open a side modal of Create New Column. There are two tabs in the modal: General and Validation.
General Column Settings
Within the General tab of the Create New Column modal, add a Column Name for your custom system template column and set its permissions for your internal groups and suppliers.
Column Rules
You can specify the following parameters for your "User Defined" template columns:
Field Type (Standard or Cost): If Cost is selected as the type of field and the option of Editable by your suppliers is checked, then it’ll be converted to the default currency when used in formulas if the currency field in the RFQ is different. This allows for different cost and price columns in formulas to be added together by using a single currency.
Part Master Rule: Allows the column to be available in Part Master and BOM Insight.
Internal Rule in Forecast: Allows the column to be available and editable when users upload their demand lists specifying a template containing this column.
Internal Rule in RFQ: Allows the column to be available and editable by users in an RFQ when either a Part Category or Demand Template has this column. You can choose if desired to make the column Available in Scenarios and if it will need to Multiply based on Qty Breaks. To use a custom column for the Responses "Set Criteria" functionality within the Spend & Savings, you will need to have Available in Scenarios checked.
Supplier Rule in RFQ: Allows the column to be available and editable to your suppliers in their portal.
Default Value: When this column/field is editable by a supplier in their portal, but it was not populated by the supplier for the RFQ, then it will assign the Default Value of "0" to the field. You can change the Default Value to "1" using the dropdown. Therefore, when calculating formulas if no input was provided from the supplier, then it will assign the default “0” or “1” value so that formulas will calculate correctly.
Validation Column Settings
Click on the Validation tab to modify any of these additional settings for your new column.
Validation ensures that erroneous data is not uploaded or manually entered when that specific system template column is utilized. There are different options for you to use to validate data entered.
Required: You can choose to make a system template column’s field required for a demands in Demand Management. It will then require that particular column in your file when uploading and that column is within the selected demand's template. It will also trigger validation errors if the field is missing data for this particular column.
Selecting a column to be required in the Supplier Portal means that the field must be filled in by your suppliers when they’re responding to your RFQs. This is only when that specific column is included.
Data Type This can be either a string, integer or numeric. For the integer and numeric types, you can set a minimum and maximum acceptable value.
Data Source: These parameters allow you to validate this particular system template column’s data against the data found in Lookup Tables (as available), from an Acceptable list of values, or none.
You can choose from the following table sources as available for a system template column: Part Master, Contract Pricing, Purchase Orders, AML, AVL, and Mapping Table. Depending on the options chosen for the Data Source will determine what selections need to be specified.
When a system/user defined column from system/demand templates is in an RFQ (sourced from BOM or forecast), has list values and is set as editable in RFQ, then those fields will be displayed with a dropdown box listing the allowed values for that field.
When you have completed all the parameters, click on Save Column to finish creating your new custom User Defined column.
Visual for Rule Editing
When working on your system template columns, there are edit capabilities depending on the column. This visual helps you to see what can be edited within an existing system template column, or if you may need to create your own user defined custom column instead.
You can also open and download a PDF copy here.