How do I add a new branch and a custom field?

Two general settings that come up often: opening a new branch, and adding a field that the standard form does not have.

Adding a branch

1. Open General settings → Branches — Figure 1 — then Add branch.
2. Enter the code (three letters that identify it), the name, the city, and the phone, then Save.
3. Then open Users and tie the branch’s staff to it, so they see only its data.
4. If the branch holds stock, create a warehouse for it on the warehouses screen; if it has a till, add a cash account for it.

After that every report can be filtered by branch, and the branch report shows a comparison between them.

Adding a custom field

If you need a field the form does not have — a contract number, an inspection date, an agent’s name — no programming change is required:

1. Open General settings → Custom fields — Figure 2 — then Add.
2. Choose the entity — Figure 3 — the screen the field will appear on (contact, employee, item, and so on).
3. Set the field type: text, number, date, select list, checkbox. With a select list, enter its options.
4. Set whether it is required, then Save. The field appears immediately on that entity’s form.

Notes

• Do not delete a branch that has documents; deactivate it, so its old reports stay intact.
• Do not make a custom field required until you have filled it in the existing records; otherwise editing any old record becomes impossible.
• Keep custom fields to a minimum; every extra field is time wasted on every entry.