Utilizing Group Screen Customizations in Sage 100

Would you like to be able to set up custom screens for your users?

Maybe you have a two-step process for order approval, and you only want specific users to be able to access/change specific fields.

Maybe you simply have extra-detail fields that specific employees just don’t need to have access to.

One option would be to create custom screens for every individual user, but this in itself has clear problems with upkeep as time goes by. The better solution in this scenario is to begin using Group Customizations.

View this Sage 100 step by step software tip in a video format (6:08)

View this Sage 100 step by step software tip with individual screen shots below.

In the scenario below, we will show an example based on an approval process, where we only want a specific user group to be able to perform the authorization for a SO. This would normally be tied to separate Sage scripting, which prevents users from removing the order from hold until the approval is filled in.

Step 1. Setting up your Groups

• Under Library Master > Security > User Maintenance
• All you need to do is go through your users that you wish to be a part of a customization group and fill in a value for Customization Group.
• Any user assigned to the same value, will be part of the same group. There is no separate initiation of group values, simply having the value assigned here against a user, makes the group exist for later use.

• Navigate to the associated task in that module.

• Choose the screen you wish to have adjusted.
  • You will notice that the various tabs of sales order entry list &# corresponding to the tab in question.

• You may also notice that each of those “Panels” has a version with a W at the end. This refers to the widescreen version of the panel, which is a different layout compared to the standard version of the panel. Customizations must be done on both versions of the panel if you want it to be active in standard or wide mode. Note that not all screens have a “wide” version.
• Users swap between the two versions by clicking the button shown below, which is located in the top right of the screen.

• In our example today, we will be adjusting the PTOTALS panel. (and PTOTALSW if users make use of wide mode) So simply right-click on PTOTALS under SalesOrderEntry and click “Edit Panel”.
• Choose the grouping you want to edit (if it already exists) or create a new grouping.
• In our scenario the custom panel for our group doesn’t already exist so select the user drop-down, and swap it to the group in question.
  • User will list their individual logons, where any setup groups with list GROUP “GroupCode”

• You will also notice a drop-down for the company, this determines in what company codes the customization should be active in.
  • You can limit to either single company codes or all
  • If you need it active in multiple company codes, but not all, you need to make it for each company it should be active individually.
• After you have selected your group and company settings, click okay. It will navigate you to the screen in question.

Step 4. Modify the screen in question

• In addition to bringing up the panel that is to be modified, it will bring up a menu for the customizer.

• Under add an item click the top right box to add a field.
• Then drag on the panel where you want the field. It will create an outline box of roughly where the field will be/how big the field will be.

• If you pay attention to the bottom left of the screen during this process you can see how big/tall the field will be in numeric units. Note most fields should be 1 row tall.
• While dragging it should read “Add UDF Cols XX Rows XX” (width/height)
• After you release it will list the coordinate position followed by the same cols / rows values

• Once you released your drag it will pop up the following screen.

• Select the field you want to add to the screen. (Note these are previously created UDFs)
• The field will then appear on the screen where you placed it.
• If you don’t like the size/position you can right, click the field and on the options tab adjust the …
  • column/row (this handles position)
  • Width
  • Height

• In this scenario our approval user/approval date is going to be handled by a separate script that triggers when the user selects the approval checkbox.
• Approval user/approval date is going to be set to disabled for all users, regardless of customization group.
• Which contrasts the approval checkbox, which will be disabled for any users not in this customization group.

Repeat step 5 for other groupings/non-grouped users depending on what the screens should look like for the other groups/users

• In this scenario, we created an ALL Users PMZ Company screen definition which simply has the 3 fields disabled from user entry. Meaning that the only users that can check the approval checkbox, are users in the group we made.

End Result

• This leaves us with the following screen, which for users in the customization group have rights to click the checkbox to approve the SO.

• Compared to non-approval group users, who can only see the fields.

In Summary

Customizations in Sage can be performed for all users, or specific users, but when you have something that should apply to an entire group of users, it can be highly beneficial to see if it is possible to assign users to a customization group based on their role.

This will help in both the setup, preventing you from needing to setup the customization for each individual user it applies to, and in the future, all you need for new users is to set the user to the appropriate customization group.

For more information or assistance with group screen customizations in Sage 100, contact our Sage 100 support team at 800.232.8913.

Register for our Sage 100 newsletter today!