Configuring Custom Data Fields

This article describes the process of creating & maintaining Custom Data Fields within Gatekeeper.

 Restore Visibility

Estimated Read Time: 11 Minutes

Introduction

Custom data allows you to collect and organise unique data that is specific to your business.  Whether you're tracking materiality assessments, information security, or any other critical metrics, custom data gives you the flexibility and control to manage your data in a way that works best for you.

 

This article will cover:

1. What is Custom Data?
2. Where to configure Custom Data
3. The structure of Custom Data
4. Examples of Custom Data
5. Creating a Custom Data Group
6. Creating Custom Data Fields within a Custom Data Group
7. Depends Upon Dropdown Custom Data Option
8. Editing existing Custom Data Fields
9. Deleting Custom Data Fields
10. Deleting Custom Data Groups
11. Troubleshooting when deleting fields
12. Create Custom Tabs
    

1. What is Custom Data?

Custom data refers to any type of data that is specific and unique to your business. In Gatekeeper terminology, this is any data requirement that does not fall under our Core Data Model, but still requires additional fields.

Custom data can take many forms, such as materiality assessments, due diligence, commercial information, information security requirements, and much more. 

Because custom data is unique to each organisation or individual, it is highly valuable and can provide a significant competitive advantage when used effectively.

What Records can I create Custom Data against?

There are 4 main records that we can create custom data for:

• Contract Data
• Supplier Data
• User Data
• Project Data

In addition to these 4 options, we can also create custom data within our Spend and Risk Modules:

• Spend Data
• Risk Data

2. Where to configure Custom Data

First, select Settings > Configuration

Then select Custom Data

3. The structure of Custom Data

Before adding custom data, we first must understand how custom data is structured in Gatekeeper. There are 2 key concepts within Custom Data, Groups and Fields.

The Group is a top-level header for the Fields to then sit underneath.

The Fields then make up the field requirements underneath the Group.

So, in the below example, 'GDPR & Infosec' is the Custom Data Group, while 'Has access to Personal Identifiable Information?' is a field within that group.

When creating Custom Data, the Group is created first, and then the Fields are added to the Group.

4. Examples of Custom Data

Below are some examples of how custom data can be used within Gatekeeper:

Contract Custom Data

Vendor Custom Data

5. Creating a Custom Data Group

1. Select Configuration > Custom Data
2. We then create a Custom Data Group by selecting Add > Add Custom Group
3. Once you’ve filled out the Custom Data Group Fields with your required information, select ✅ Save.

Option Descriptions

** If "Collapsed by Default" is selected, users will need to click to expand the custom group to make the fields visible when browsing records in the Gatekeeper repository (see below contract example):

6. Creating Custom Data Fields

Once your custom data group has been created, you can create fields within that group.

Available field types:

Steps

1. From within your custom data group simply select Add > Add New Custom Field

Option Descriptions

2. You can now begin creating your Fields. See our examples here.

3. Once you are happy with the field parameters, select ✅ Save.

7. Depends Upon

Within a custom data section, when you have created a field with a type of 'Dropdown List' or 'Yes/No', all subsequent fields will have the option to use 'Depends Upon - Selected Value'.

This feature allows you to create fields of any type that depend upon (can only be viewed/edited) a selected value from a separate Dropdown Field or a Yes/No Field.

• Depends Upon - Provides a list of Dropdown Options within the current Custom Data Section
• Selected Value - When a Field Type of Dropdown has been selected as the Depends Upon, the selected value will provide all dropdown values associated with that field.

In the below example, the newly created field of 'Sensitive Personal Identifiable Information (SPII)' can only display when the answer to 'Process or have access to Personal Identifiable Information = Yes'

8. Editing existing Custom Data Fields

From the Custom Data Groups page, select the group that contains the field you would like to edit.

To edit an existing custom data field, including editing labels, or descriptions,

First, open the Custom Data Group, then select the Edit Icon for any custom data value. This will take you to a new screen allowing you to change the Label or Description associated with that field.

 

To add new values to an existing Dropdown or Multi-select Dropdown option:

If you want to add an additional value to an existing field of the type 'Dropdown' or 'Multi-Pick Dropdown' there is an additional step. Once you have selected Edit on the field, you then click on the Blue values next to Options

Select the Custom Data Group > Select the Custom Data Field > Select Options > Add > Add Dropdown Option

 

9. Deleting Custom Data

Deleting a Custom Field

Step 1) Head to Settings > Configuration > Custom Data

Step 2) Hover over the menu icon alongside the field

Step 3) Hit the Delete icon, then select Ok to confirm when you have read the warning

10. Deleting a Custom Group

Step 1) Head to Settings > Configuration > Custom Data
Step 2) Hover over the menu icon alongside the group
Step 3) Hit the Delete icon, then select Ok to confirm you have read the warning

 

You cannot delete the below Pre-Existing "Custom Groups"*

Contract Data

Contract Dates

Vendor Data

Vendor Dates

 

11. Deleting Fields: Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting: If the field has been populated 🤚

If the field has some data values populated in your repository, Gatekeeper will warn you before confirming that the field should be deleted

 

Troubleshooting: If the field is "in-use" 🤚

Unlike with the above warning, these issues will prevent you from performing the delete action

The is because the act of removing the field from your data model could break key aspects of a process you may not have considered - generally this applies to the field being used in various configuration areas of a Workflow or other Form settings

 

 

11. Creating Custom Tabs

Restore visibility of your Contract and Vendor records like never before. With Custom Tabs, you have the power to build and customize your own tabs to be displayed at the top of your Contract or Vendor records.  Seamlessly organize and access vital information specific to your contracts and vendors, tailored to your unique needs. 

In the below example, we can see an ESG Tab has been created:

Then, within that tab, we can see that we have organised our ESG Questionnaire:

To get started with creating Custom Tabs

Step 1) Select Settings > Configuration > Custom Data

Step 2) Select Add > Custom Tab

Step 3) Provide a Title for your Custom Tab and allocate it to either a Contract or Vendor then select Save

Step 4) Follow the steps outlined here to create your Custom Data Fields