Custom fields: train a network of sites
Custom fields describe your people, your sites and your training. Store site data once on each site group, and target training by job and site type automatically.
Custom fields
What custom fields do
Custom fields let you store the information your organisation needs on the platform — beyond the standard profile. Once filled, they decide who joins which smart group and, through those groups, who receives which training.
Describe
Add your own information to a record. Each field is linked to one or more entities: User, Course, Group, Course registrations or Session.
Structure
Choose a type for each field: Short text, Drop-down list, List of values or Date. Created in Settings > General > Custom fields.
Use
Field values feed smart groups, e-mails, certificates and documents, list filters, exports, imports, SSO, SCIM and webhooks.
Use case 3 · Network of sites
Is this use case for you?
In this use case, custom fields describe three things: the person, their site and the training record. Retail chains, distribution networks and branch-based companies use them to train staff spread across many stores, branches, depots or agencies.
How it works
Person fields stay on the user; site fields move to one group per site. Smart groups built on person fields — and on site groups — reach the right staff in the right sites.
- The person: job in the site, status — linked to User.
- The site: code, format, region, opening date — linked to Group.
- The training: code, price, funding eligibility — linked to Course.
What you need
- The list of your sites and their attributes.
- A way to fill person data: import, HR feed or manual entry.
- One group per site — or the plan to create them.
- Administrator access to create custom fields, groups and smart rules.
Example
Novastore: training across 240 stores
Novastore is a retail chain with 18,000 employees in 240 stores of three formats: hypermarkets, supermarkets and city stores. Each store is a group carrying its own data; each employee carries their job. Region groups sit above the stores for reporting.
The fields
| Field | Type | Linked entities | Example values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job in the store | Drop-down list | User | Store manager, Department manager, Sales associate, Cashier, Logistics operator |
| Store format | Drop-down list | User and Group | Hypermarket, Supermarket, City store |
| Store code | Short text | Group | ST-0412 |
| Region | Drop-down list | Group | South-West, North, Île-de-France… |
| Opening date | Date | Group | 14/05/2019 |
| Funding eligibility | Drop-down list | Course | Eligible, Not eligible |
Site data lives on the group
Each store is a group. Its code, format and region are filled once, in the group’s Edit group configuration page, under Custom fields — not on every employee.
Region groups sit above the stores through the Hierarchy section: members of a child group become indirect members of the parent group.
Store code
Store format
Region
Illustration · Edit group > Custom fields for the “Bordeaux Lac” store.
The smart groups
| Smart group | Smart rule | Linked training |
|---|---|---|
| All cashiers | Job in the store Equals Cashier | New checkout system |
| Managers – hypermarkets | Job in the store Equals Store manager AND Store format Equals Hypermarket | Running a hypermarket |
| All managers | Job in the store Contains manager | Leading a store team |
| Customer-facing staff | Job in the store Is not equal Logistics operator | Customer experience |
Novastore, its names and figures are a fictional example.
Set-up
From sites to targeted training in 5 steps
Split
Sort your data
Person → User · site → Group · training → Course · one enrolment → Course registrations.
Create
Create the fields
In Settings > General > Custom fields: person fields linked to User, site fields linked to Group.
Sites
One group per site
Fill the site fields in Edit group configuration > Custom fields, then Save.
Target
Build smart groups
Smart groups on job, parent groups per region or format. Link the training to each group.
Protect
Review sensitive data
Turn on Internal for fields learners should not see; leave Use as filter off for sensitive fields.
Expected result
Site data is maintained in one place, and each employee receives the training of their job and site.
In the platform
Create the person and site fields
Novastore creates person fields linked to User and store fields linked to Group. Store format is linked to both, so it can also be used in smart rules.
- Go to Settings > General > Custom fields and click + Add custom field.
- Enter the Name and select a Type (required).
- For list types, enter each value under Dropdown options; click + Add an option to add another.
- Under Linked entities, tick the records the field describes — User, Group or both.
- Click Validate. The field appears in the list.
| Name | Type | Linked entities | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job in the store | Drop-down list | User | |
| Store format | Drop-down list | User - Group | |
| Store code | Short text | Group | |
| Region | Drop-down list | Group | |
| Opening date | Date | Group | |
| Funding eligibility | Drop-down list | Course |
+ Add custom field
Illustration · Novastore’s custom fields once created.
Name
Type *
Dropdown options
+ Add an option
Linked entities
Illustration · the Store format field, linked to User and Group.
In the platform
Build a smart group by job and store format
Novastore builds the Managers – hypermarkets group: two conditions in one condition group, combined with AND.
- Open the group and click Manage smart rules.
- Under Group members, choose Automatically remove group members who don’t follow the smart rules so the group follows job changes.
- Click + Add condition group.
- In the first list, choose the field — user fields carry the suffix (Custom field). In the second, choose the operator. Type the value, then confirm with the check button.
- Click + Add condition for the second condition and keep the Group rule on AND.
- Click Show concerned users to check who matches, then Save.
Main rule
ANDOR#1 - Condition group
Group rule
ANDORIllustration · the “Managers – hypermarkets” smart group with its two conditions.
Choosing the operator
Illustration · the four operators offered for a custom field.
| Operator | Matches users whose value… | Novastore example |
|---|---|---|
| Equals | is exactly the value typed | Job in the store Equals Cashier — cashiers only |
| Is not equal | is anything except the value typed | Job in the store Is not equal Logistics operator — all customer-facing staff |
| Contains | includes the text typed | Job in the store Contains manager — Store and Department managers |
| Does not contain | does not include the text typed | Job in the store Does not contain manager — all non-managers |
Troubleshooting
Common pitfalls and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A store’s data is updated but some employees show the old value | The value is stored on each user | Move site data to a field linked to Group |
| Site fields are not offered in the condition | Fields linked only to Group describe the site, not the user | Target with the site group, a parent group, or link the field to User as well |
| A group catches both store and department managers | The rule uses Contains | Switch the condition to Equals |
| Trainers can filter learners by a sensitive field | Use as filter is on for that field | Review the field’s options; turn on Internal if learners should not see it |
| A new employee is in no group | Their job or store was not filled | Complete the field by import or manually; check with Show concerned users |
| A drop-down option cannot be edited or deleted | The field is used in a smart rule | Delete the rules that use it, edit the options, then rebuild the rules |
Start from an outcome, not a setting.
Want help setting up this use case on your platform? Our team can review your custom fields with you.
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