Fact Sheet Fields

Introduction

Fact sheet fields are individual data points or elements within a fact sheet that provide specific information about the item or subject. You can modify predefined fields as well as add custom ones to adjust the fact sheet configuration to your needs.

Fields are the key element for collecting, managing, and analyzing data. You can adjust the visibility of fields on fact sheets, in inventory filters, and in report and diagram views. By efficiently configuring fields, you can enhance data quality, enrichment, and usability.

Configuring Fields

To configure a field, select it and adjust the parameters as needed in the right-side panel. Configuration parameters vary based on the field type.

• On the Configuration tab on the right-side panel, you can view and configure the following attributes:
  • Key: This is a unique identifier for each field. Once set, the key cannot be changed. Keys are crucial when setting up integrations and working with data through APIs. When creating custom fields, use meaningful key names.
  • Field type: This parameter determines the data type of the field. Once set, the field type cannot be changed. For detailed information, see Field Types.
  • Displayed as: This parameter defines how the field is displayed on a fact sheet. The available display options are determined by the field type.
  • Field width: Field width, ranging from XS to XXL, helps align fields on the fact sheet page. For additional information, see Field Width.
  • Other fields based on the field type.
• Translations: On the Translations tab, you can add and modify translations for the field label and help text. To streamline the process, you can use AI-supported translation. For more information, see AI-Supported Translation.
• Position and order: On the Change position tab, you can change the order in which the field appears in a subsection as well as move it to a different subsection.
• Options: On the Options tab, you can configure other parameters based on the field type.

Field Types

The following table lists the field types supported in the meta model.

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Note

Some fields may be of a custom type that is not listed in the table, such as Project Status or Lifecycle. You can’t configure these fields.

Field Width

Field width, ranging from XS to XXL, helps align fields on the fact sheet page. This T-shirt sizing analogy is used for easy understanding and comparison. The number indicated in brackets corresponds to the column width occupied by the field.

The following images show how fields of the String type with different display options appear on a fact sheet:

• Field of the String type displayed as Text area

  

• Field of the String type displayed as Text

  

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Note

There's no character limit associated with the field width. However, fields containing more than 32,766 characters may lead to incorrect behavior in your workspace, so it's important to monitor content length for optimal performance.

Managing Fields

Adding a Custom Field

By adding custom fields, you can capture more specific or unique data that is not provided by predefined fields. This enables you to enrich the data set, allowing for a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of your IT landscape.

To add a custom field, follow these steps:

1. On the fact sheet configuration page, select a subsection where you want to place the field, then click Add field.

2. On the right-side panel, configure field parameters.

   

3. Review and save the changes.

Deleting Fields and Field Values

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Caution

Exercise caution when deleting fields or field values, as this action can result in data loss.

Deleting fields or field values will temporarily set your workspace to read-only mode. During this period, it’s impossible to make any changes to fact sheets. Typically, the read-only mode lasts no longer than 15 minutes.

To delete a field, select it, click Delete on the right-side panel, then review and save the changes.

To delete a field value for a Multiple Select or Single Select field, click the trash bin icon on this field, then review and save the changes.

Common Configuration Use Cases

In this section, you can find common use cases for configuring fact sheet fields.

Showing Fields in Views

For fields of the Double, Integer, and Single Select type, you can configure their visibility in report and diagram views. To do that, on the right-side panel, navigate to the Options tab indicated by a gear icon, turn the Include in views toggle on or off as needed, then save the changes.

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Note

For custom fields, the Include in views toggle is turned off by default to avoid overwhelming users with too many view attributes. Once you’ve completed the configuration, you can display a custom field in views by enabling the toggle.

The following image shows how a custom field Maintenance Cost appears in report views.

Showing Fields in Filters

For fields of the Multiple Select and Single Select type, you can configure their visibility on the Filter pane in the inventory. To do that, on the right-side panel, navigate to the Options tab indicated by a gear icon, turn the Show in filters toggle on or off as needed, then save the changes.

For custom fields, the Show in filters toggle is enabled by default. To show a custom field on the Filter pane in the inventory, select a fact sheet type, click Manage Filters, then click the eye icon for the custom field that you want to display.

The following image shows how a custom fact sheet field Development Status appears on the Filter pane.

Enabling Search for Custom String Fields

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Caution

Exercise caution when including new fields in filters. Including too many fields can significantly reduce search performance and usability. For example, if 20 fields are in scope of the full-text search, it can be more difficult to get a precise match for a specific attribute compared to when only two fields are in scope.

Custom fields of the String type are not searchable by default. You can enable search for these fields when creating them. To do that, on the right-side configuration panel, navigate to the Options tab indicated by a gear icon, enable the Include in full text search and Include in quick search toggles as needed, then review and save the changes.

For existing fields of the String type, the only method to enable search is to delete the existing data, recreate the field, and enable the toggles before applying the changes. It's crucial to export your data prior to deleting and recreating the field to prevent data loss.

Internal Fields

Fields that start with the lx prefix, such as lxProductCategory, are internal fields that are primarily used for integrations and various other features. When creating custom fields, do not add the lx prefix to field keys.

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Caution

Modifying internal fields, including deleting, changing, adding, or removing field values, may lead to unexpected behavior. We don’t recommend deleting or modifying internal fields. If necessary, you can make these fields invisible on the fact sheet by moving them to the Unused Fields and Relations section.

External ID Field

External ID (externalId) is a standard field that applies to multiple fact sheet types and is not linked to any specific fact sheet type. When you change labels and help texts (translations) for the externalId field, they apply to all fact sheet types where this field is present. Avoid references to a specific fact sheet type in labels and help texts.

If needed, you can create a custom field for external IDs on a specific fact sheet type. To do that, please contact support from the SAP LeanIX Support portal or, if you're an SAP customer, SAP for Me portal.

Unused Fields

If a field becomes irrelevant, you can hide it instead of deleting. Hidden fields appear in the Unused Fields and Relations section on the Fields tab. Despite being hidden, these fields are still accessible through APIs. For additional information, see Unused Fields and Relations.