Audience: Admins


Purpose

Fields give you the ability to customize your expense line coding fields, and build out your spend reporting, to include various details like account code, department, client ID etc. (as appropriate). 


By default, each account contains 20 fields that can be configured to support your business needs. You can configure as many fields as you need, but for simplicity, limiting your fields to 3 or 4 is ideal. The first field you want to establish is your Chart of Accounts/Account codes. If you have connected your finance system to the platform, this field will automatically be added.

If you have a manual integration then click here to add your chart of accounts/accounting codes. 


When creating fields, you have the ability to assign field values within a closed list, or leave the entry flexible as free text. You can also define a field code approver so that an identified team member will be responsible for approving expense submissions that include that specific code. 

You can also define code relationships across fields so that, when implemented, selecting one field code will limit the available codes within another field (i.e. for Customer 123 only use project codes XYZ).


Overview



Creating Fields

The first accounting field should be your chart of accounts. Connect your finance system (Xero, Quickbooks Online or Sage Accounting online). This will automatically create the field.

For other finance systems, use the manual integration guide to add your chart of accounts.


Step 1 As a user with the Admin role, click Settings and select Expense 

Step 2: Select Fields



Step 4: You will note that there are already a few commonly used fields configured. Update an existing accounting field or create a new one by selecting Add field. You can change the following:

  • Value type: Choose Closed list from the dropdown and add field values or choose Free text
  • Field behavior: Use the toggle to make this field optional or mandatory
  • Visible/editable by all users: do you want this field to be visible and editable by users when submitting an expense
  • Rename: Update an existing name. For example: Chart of accounts, Department, Client ID etc.
  • Edit default automation rules


 



Adding field values (closed list only)  

Once you have created your field, you are now ready to provide values/codes for those fields that include a closed list. This step is not applicable for free text fields.


Step 1: Click Create field value 



Step 2: Complete the fields:

            Field value name: Add the value name (we recommend to use the same name as your chart of account from your finance system)

            Code: add the accounting code (this code needs to match your chart of accounts from your finance system)

            Code approver (optional): When a code approver is assigned, any submissions with that code will trigger an approval request, routed to that code approver. This is the link for more information.

            Parent field values (optional): Selecting a parent value allows you to pull from the parent field values to determine field code relationships. An established relationship will mean that when you select a certain value for one field - "Field A", only certain values will populate for another field - "Field B". This is the link for more information.



Step 3: Once you are ready then click on Confirm and your value will be added to the list

Step 4: Repeat these steps until you have added all the relevant values to the platform


Step 5: Be sure to add values for all fields that require a closed list to complete this step in your spend management setup




Next Steps: Mapping Expense categories