About Fields

A Field is a basic unit of information (ex: ID, last name, address, etc.) that is specific to a Business Object (ex: Incident, Problem, Service, Customer, etc.). Each Field holds a single piece of data and has a unique name and properties to define the types of values it can contain and how it behaves. Fields can be stored in the database along with the Business Object, or calculated on the fly. Use Fields to store and/or display information that is relevant to a Business Object. Fields can be exposed in CSM using Field Controls on a Form to display relevant information (ex: Status), or to allow Users to provide or select data (ex: Description, Priority, Category, Sub-category, etc.).

Each Field can hold one of the following types of information:

• Text: Letters, numbers, and/or special characters. Text Fields are the most versatile type of Field, and are usually the main Fields displayed in a Form (ex: Name, Description, Status, etc.). They can be either plain text (no special formatting) or Rich Text (special formatting and embedded images).
• Number: Digits, including whole numbers and decimals, negative numbers, and currency. Number Fields can be used to record statistics (ex: How many times an Incident has been escalated), calculate numbers (ex: Total Tasks associated with an Incident), and track time (ex: How long it takes to complete a Task) and costs (ex: Actual cost of an emergency change).
• Date/Time: Dates and/or times. Date/time Fields can be used to track deadlines (ex: SLA Respond By Deadline, Review By Deadline), when records are created, modified, or change status, and when certain events are scheduled (ex: Service blackouts, CI downtimes, etc.).
• Logical: True or false. Logical fields can be used to track activities (ex: Responded to the Customer) and items of interest to management (ex: Resolved on First Call), and to flag important records (ex: VIP Customer, has an SLA, etc.).

Fields can have any of the following properties:

• Required: Must contain a value before a Business Object can be saved, or before it enters the next lifecycle state.
• Read-Only: Value cannot be edited or updated.
• Calculated: Value is calculated by evaluating an Expression.
• Validated: Must contain a value from a defined set of values (ex: Validation table, list, range, etc.).
• Auto-populated: Automatically filled in based on defined conditions (ex: When another Field's value changes, using a Group Map, etc.).

You can also define when certain properties apply (ex: Always, never, based on lifecycle states or on another Field, System Function, Stored Value, Expression, etc.).

CSM provides many Fields for its OOTB Business Objects. Use these as-is, edit them, or create your own using the Business Object Editor (accessed from within a Blueprint in CSM Administrator).