Custom fields for specific Item Types

[Former Member]

Hi all.

Running PPM 5.0.

Is it possible to add custom fields only to specific Item Types instead of for all Item Types in a given Portfolio.

I know I can make the custom fields portfolio dependent, but is it possible to make them Item type dependent?

Hope you can help?

Morten

[former_member209919 · Accepted solution]

Hi Morten,

It is suppose that the fields can be configured by portfolio type and item type :

SPRO --> PPM --> Portfolio Management --> Global Customizing --> Portfolio Dependent settings --> Define Portfolio Types --> Portfolio Item Override.

But if you check this setting the only value that you can override is if the field is Required or not.

you can check this functionality, but not sure if this cover your requirement.

Regards,

Clara

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Clara.

You're right that fields can be configured by portfolio type and Item type, but unfortunately you were also right in the fact, that the only thing we can override is the "Required" or not.

Thanks for your reply, though. Do you have any other suggestions or does anyone else?

Br

Morten

[former_member209919 · Accepted solution]

Hi Morten,

It is strange this setting, you configure the fields( required, enabled, read only...) but when you need to configure by item type SAP has only developed the option "required". You can try to raise to SAPit is possible they are thinking include this functionality.

I had to develop a similar requirement ( in my case the field was editable or not depending on the status,  that it was  clear a custom requimerent) we developed in the item user interface but we had problem with this enhacement with the mass change functionality ( the enhacement worked fine but fields that couldn't be changed at screen were editable using mass change functionality), then be careful if you develop it and have mass change.

regards,

Clara

[Former Member]

I know this is a stretch, but there may be a rather "jury rigged" workaround to achieve what you're trying to do, all standard... but this depends on how you answer my next questions

Will you have specific ACL roles to access these specific Item Types?  Also, do you ever have distinct usages of "Admin" versus "Write" ACL auths? (That is, do you ever need to restrict non-admin User access to the Authorizations data)

Just some food for thought - you can define visibility to certain fields based on authorization context --- meaning, UI field behavior can be set based on your ACL auths.  This can be found under the same customizing activity under "Portfolio-Dependent Settings".  

So, imagine this --- if you, via the linked Project Management templates, set specific roles with a specific ACTVT authorization (Admin, Read, Write, Owner) --- and here's my caveat --- if you can somehow figure out how to use Admin and Read... and even Owner...  carefully, then perhaps you can use the Context-specific UI configuration to your advantage.

It may be far-fetched, but I'm just thinking of a way by which you may be able to be creative, while "cheating" the system's limitations. 

By the way, please don't take this in any way as proper consulting input   I was just trying to think outside the box, and maybe this might be of some help to you.

Note that if you decide to do this, you may have to consider the implications of "stacked" authorizations. I.e. a User may have both "Admin" and "Write" auths by Security design.  In this case you would need to apply the following modification note:

Note 1927972 - Portfolio-Depdt field ACTVT auths not taking highest ACL.

(Don't ask me why this isn't already standard!  Boggles my mind too.)

Good luck!

[Former Member]

Hello Morton

I have had a similar requirement and we ended up doing a custom enhancement for this. Basically we created a custom table with leading column for Item type, and then had a column for field and then had indicators for required, enabled, read-only, etc (same as per standard). In this way we can have certain fields visible for certain Item types and not for other for example.

This is therefore not standard functionality and can only be achieved through custom development

Regards

Chatsworth

[Former Member]

Hi Chatsworth

I guess this will have to be custom enhancement.

Thanks for your reply - The same to you, Clara!

Br,

Morten