Custom Fields

Management and Security Officer level BuildingLink users can add an unlimited number of custom fields and edit the information within those fields.  

Some Common Custom Fields are:
Resident Requires Assistance in Case of an Emergency
Number of shares (Coop)
Gym Membership Expiration Date
Square Footage

Balcony/Terrace (Y/N)
Birthday

To Add a New Custom Field, click on the Settings tab and select Custom Field Definitions.

Next, decide whether the Custom Field data should be tied to the Physical Unit, the Unit Profile/Occupancy, or the Occupant.

• Physical Unit Custom Field info will stay constant no matter who moves in/out of the apartment, and is designed to store information like Square Footage, Last Dishwasher Install Date, or Refrigerator Model Number.
• Unit Profile/Occupancy Custom Field info will stay tied to the entire occupancy of the unit, and is designed to store information like  Renter's Insurance (Y/N) or # of Pets.
• Occupant Custom Field info will stay tied to a specific occupant, and is designed to store information like Birthday, Gym Membership Expiration Date, or Employer.

 Click on the appropriate tab at the top of the screen.

Next, click the green Add Custom Field button in the top right corner.  

You’ll be taken to a form where you can enter the Custom Field Name (Ex. “Requires Assistance in an Emergency”), group the custom field with other relative fields (optional), enter the Data Type (Date format, numeric, text, or logical) and select the appropriate permissions, based on who should be able to view/edit the custom field information.

See the screenshots below for some Data Type examples:

You can also decide if the field should show on Front Desk Screens and/or on Printed Work Orders. (It could be very useful to show pet information on printed maintenance requests, for example.) When you are done setting up your Custom Field, make sure to hit the green Save button.

Editing/Deleting Custom Fields:

To change or remove an existing custom field, click on the Settings tab and select Custom Field Definitions.

Next, select the category the Custom Field is saved to: Physical Unit, Unit Profile/Occupancy or Occupant. Clicking on any of the categories will allow you to see all active Custom Fields for that category. To view inactive Custom Fields, be sure to check the Show Inactive Fields box.

Click the Edit button next to the Custom Field you’d like to change or remove.

In the Custom Field edit screen, you’ll  be able to change the name or settings for the Custom Field. This includes who can view/edit the field, and where it will be displayed (See Adding a New Custom Field to see all of your options)

To delete the Custom Field, set it to Inactive. Make sure to save your changes by clicking on the green Save button.

Inputting/Editing Custom Field Data:

Management or Security Officer BuildingLink users (or residents, if you give them permission) can input and edit Custom Field data. Your residents will be able to edit their Custom Field information in their own "Edit Profile" tab if you've given them permission. To edit or input Custom Field data as a Management or Security Officer BuildingLink user,  find the unit for which you would like to input or edit Custom Field data in the Quick Search box.

The type of Custom Field (Unit Profile/Occupancy, Physical Unit, or Occupant) will dictate where you’ll go to input or edit its data. To input or edit Occupancy Custom Field data, click the Occupants tab. Next, click the Edit Occupant button next to the specific occupant's name.  Next, enter all relevant information into the Occupant Custom Fields section at the bottom  left of the screen and click Save Changes.

To input or edit Physical Unit or Unit Profile/Occupancy Custom Field data, click on the Unit Details tab and then click on the light blue Edit Unit Details button. You will see all Unit and Physical Unit Custom fields on the right hand side of the Edit Unit Details screen. Enter in all relevant information, and click Save Changes.

To input custom field data in list form (e.g. for multiple units/occupants at a time), click on the Manage tab and select Custom Fields. Select the custom fields you'd like to populate. Next, change the settings so that "Omit rows with no data" reads "No." Click Search. You can then click on each blank field, input and save the appropriate information, and move on to the next unit on the list. 

Viewing Custom Field Data and Pulling Reports:

Information saved to Custom Fields can be viewed and sorted by Custom Field (if you want to pull a list of all pet information for all units, for example) or by Unit (if you simply need to see all Custom Field data for one unit).

To pull reports by Custom Field, click on the Manage tab and select Custom Fields. Next,  select all Custom Fields whose data you’d like to view and enter any other information (specific text, etc.) for which you’d like to search. Click the Search button.

This will pull up a full spreadsheet of all the Custom Field information that fits your search parameters. (NOTE: If you’ve added and populated a Custom Field like “Requires Assistance in Case of an Emergency,” this is a great way to pull up a full spreadsheet of all emergency information and print it for any emergency services!) You can also export the data by clicking Export to Excel, or sort the data by clicking on the column you’d like to sort by.

 

To look up Custom Field data by unit,  bring up any unit by using the Quick Search field in the upper left corner. You’ll be taken directly to the Unit Overview screen, where you’ll be able to view all Custom Field data for that unit. Keep in mind that you will only see Occupant Custom Fields (which will display alongside the contact information for each occupant) if you’ve already populated the Occupant Custom Fields for that unit.