Sometimes you want to track information on a transaction that currently does not exist in the stock apps or in QuickBooks.
Method:CRM allows you to do this through the use of custom fields. This will require customization of the stock Method:CRM Apps. Having a good understanding of Tables and Fields will be beneficial while you go through these steps.
There are two types of custom fields you can create and use for your transactions:
A QuickBooks custom field
A Method:CRM custom field
Using QuickBooks Custom Fields
QuickBooks allows you to create custom fields and these fields will sync to Method:CRM. However, there are some limitations to QuickBooks custom fields with renaming, so please see our articles on custom fields in QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online.
Furthermore, QuickBooks custom fields are limited to only one type of field: the text field. You will be unable to use a dropdown, or a date field, for example.
If you are using QuickBooks custom fields and wish to add it to your transactions, please skip to Customizing the Transaction below.
Using Method:CRM Custom Fields
In order to use a custom field in Method:CRM, you would first need to add the field to the transaction table.
Note: if you create a custom field in Method:CRM, this custom field does NOT sync over to QuickBooks. Any data you capture in this field stays in Method:CRM. If you need to have this data stored in QuickBooks, it would be better for you to use a custom field in QuickBooks.
Creating a custom field is similar to creating any custom field in Method:CRM. Fortunately, we have an article for this: Add custom field to existing table.
Customizing the Transaction
Customizing a transaction will be similar for any transaction you wish to customize. In the following example, we are going to add one field, a tracking number, to the invoices app. This can be either a QuickBooks custom field, or a Method:CRM custom field. Either way, adding it to the invoices app will be the same.
Planning Where to Put the Custom Field
Before you start customizing, you probably should decide where the custom field will go on your transaction screen. In our example, we will add the Tracking # field right below the Invoice #.
Customizing the Invoice Screen
In this section, we will add the custom field to the screen. In this example, we will be customizing the Invoice screen, and the field we are adding is TrackingNumber.
1. Click ⊕ New on the Invoices App.
2. Select the ∨ symbol beside the Invoices title and click Customize Screen.
3. When prompted View as Read-Only or Create a copy, choose the latter: Create a copy.
4. Now we have to find the Invoice #, because underneath it will go our custom field. Scroll down and you should find a field called RefNumber within an embedded section called secInvoiceDetail. This is the Invoice #.
5. Now you need to insert a row below RefNumber:
Right-click in the cell of the row of RefNumber.
Click Row in the contextual menu.
Click ⊕ Insert Below in the submenu.
6. On the right menu, click the + sign to find controls to insert.
7. Scroll down and find your custom field. Ours is called TrackingNumber. Click and drag this field into the new row created in step 5 above.
8. Select the new field, in our case TrackingNumber, so its properties appear on the right.
9. Change the caption to a more appropriate name. In our case, it will be renamed to "Tracking #".
10. With the custom field still selected, scroll down until you get to the Style section. Change the Caption Font Weight to Bold.
11. Click Save to save the screen, and then click Close to exit Design Mode.
And that's it! You have successfully added a custom field to be displayed and edited in the Invoices App!