Hexagon EAM fields, the availability of both types of fields is great in EAM and there are some significant differences – which is why you need to know the difference before you choose which one to use.
What you need to know about User-Defined Fields:
- You can have user defined character, number, or date fields. There are also user defined checkboxes and buttons.
- You can define a default value or create a list of values for a lookup.
- You can make the user defined fields available on mobile devices.
- You can select if the field prints on work orders.
- You can create them specific to one or multiple user groups of your choosing.
- You can search based on the values in a user defined field.
- User defined fields will only show on the screen it is created for. For example, if you create a UDF on the asset record view, you will not see that same UDF on a system, position, or location field.
What you need to know about Custom Fields:
- You must create them for a specific entity (Equipment, Events (work orders, work requests), etc.)
- You can create them for a specific class within that entity. For example, you can create a custom field that will only show up when someone looks up or creates an asset record for an asset with the class of motor or pump.
- You can specify if the field is character, numeric, date, date/time, code+description, or entity. Furthermore, you can require a specific minimum/maximum length and have it included on the grids (or list view).
- You can define the lookup type and list of values of the lookup.
- You can select if you print the custom field.
- You can choose if users can update the field.
I hope this quick list helps you understand and decide which field is best to use. However, if you still have questions, please feel free to reach out and email. I would be more than happy to answer your questions.