Custom Fields

Fatima is a validation specialist setting up a deviation tracking board for a sterile manufacturing line. She needs columns for batch number, equipment ID, GMP classification (Critical/Major/Minor), root cause category, and CAPA due date — none of which exist on a generic project board. Custom fields let her build exactly the schema her SOPs require, without writing a single line of code.

ProBeya supports over 25 field types. They are defined at the board level, and every item on that board shares the same field schema — just like columns in a spreadsheet.

Adding a Field in 60 Seconds

There are two paths:

1. In Table view — click the + icon at the end of the column headers to open the Add Column dialog.
2. In any view — open an item's detail panel and click + Add Field in the property grid.

In the Add Column dialog:

• Choose a field type from the categorized picker
• Enter a column name (e.g., "Batch Number")
• Configure type-specific options (e.g., dropdown choices, currency symbol, min/max values)
• Click Add

The new column appears immediately in all views. A "Column added" toast confirms.

Building a Pharma Deviation Board

Here is what Fatima adds to her board, field by field:

Column name	Field type	Configuration	Why
Batch Number	Short Text	Required	Links the deviation to the affected batch for traceability
Equipment ID	Short Text	—	Identifies which machine is involved (e.g., FLL-004)
GMP Classification	Single Select	Options: Critical, Major, Minor	Determines investigation depth and timeline per SOP-DEV-003
Root Cause Category	Single Select	Options: Human Error, Equipment Failure, Material, Method, Environment	Feeds Pareto analysis and trend reporting
Investigation Due	Date	Default: +5 days from creation	SOP-mandated deadline for completing the investigation
CAPA Owner	Person	—	Who is responsible for the corrective action
Effectiveness Verified	Checkbox	—	One-click confirmation that the CAPA worked
Deviation Photos	File	—	Evidence from the shop floor, stored in S3
Impact Score	Rating	1-5 stars	Quick severity assessment for triage meetings

After setup, every new deviation item on this board will have these fields available, and Fatima can filter, sort, and report on any of them.

All Field Types

Text Fields

Type	Description	Pharma example
Short Text	Single-line text, up to 255 characters	Batch number, equipment ID, SOP reference
Long Text	Multi-line with rich formatting (Tiptap editor)	Root cause narrative, investigation notes
Email	Validated email with mailto link	Supplier contact, RA contact
URL	Clickable link, opens in new tab	Link to DMS document, link to ERP record
Phone	Phone number with formatting	Emergency contact, vendor hotline

Number Fields

Type	Description	Pharma example
Number	Integer or decimal	Fill weight (mg), particle count, temperature reading
Currency	Number with currency symbol	Scrap cost, CAPA implementation cost
Percentage	Number with % suffix	OEE, Right First Time, yield
Rating	Star rating (1-5 or custom range)	Impact score, audit compliance score

Selection Fields

Type	Description	Pharma example
Status	Color-coded with done/active/stuck semantics	Deviation status: Open, Under Investigation, CAPA Assigned, Closed
Single Select	Dropdown with one selectable option	GMP Classification: Critical, Major, Minor
Multi Select	Multiple selectable options (rendered as tags)	Affected systems: HVAC, WFI, Compressed Air
Priority	Pre-defined levels: Critical, High, Medium, Low	Action priority for triage meetings

Status vs. Single Select

Use Status when the field drives workflow semantics — the board needs to know which items are "done" vs. "stuck." Use Single Select for arbitrary categorization (like root cause category) where there is no workflow meaning.

Date and Time Fields

Type	Description	Pharma example
Date	Date picker, no time component	Investigation due date, training completion date
Date & Time	Date and time picker	Exact timestamp of deviation occurrence
Timeline	Date range with start and end	Qualification window, validation campaign period
Duration	Hours and minutes	Time spent on investigation, equipment downtime

People Fields

Type	Description	Pharma example
Person	Single team member selector	CAPA owner, investigation lead
People	Multiple team members	Cross-functional investigation team

System and Computed Fields

Type	Description
Checkbox	Boolean toggle — saves immediately on click
File	File attachment stored in S3 (photos, batch records, certificates)
Label	Color-coded label chips for categorization
Formula	Computed value based on other fields
Dependency	Link to other items (predecessor/successor)
Mirror	Display a field value from a linked item
Auto-number	Auto-incrementing unique identifier (read-only)
Created At	Timestamp when item was created (read-only)
Updated At	Timestamp of last change (read-only)

Configuring Fields

Click a column header or open the Column Manager to access configuration options:

• Required — mark a field as mandatory. Items cannot be saved without a value. Use this for batch numbers and GMP classifications.
• Default value — pre-fill for new items. Set "Priority" to default to "Medium" so nothing gets triaged as blank.
• Description — helper text shown on hover. Add SOP references: "Per SOP-DEV-003, must be completed within 5 business days."
• Column width — set a default width for Table view.

Select Field Options

For Status, Single Select, Multi Select, and Priority fields:

• Add, rename, and remove options
• Assign colors to each option (use red for Critical, amber for Major, green for Minor)
• Set the default option for new items
• Reorder options by dragging

Inline Editing Behavior

Field type	Edit trigger	Saves when...
Text, Number, Currency	Click to enter edit mode	You blur away or press Enter
Select, Status, Priority	Click opens dropdown	You make a selection
Date	Click opens date picker	You pick a date
Person	Click opens member selector	You select a member
Checkbox	Click toggles value	Immediately
Rating	Click a star	Immediately

Press Escape in any editor to cancel without saving.

Reordering and Hiding Fields

• Drag column headers in Table view to reorder
• Right-click a column header and select Hide to remove it from the current view without deleting data
• Column Manager (Columns button in toolbar) to see all columns and toggle visibility

Hidden fields retain their data and can be shown again at any time.

Deleting a field is permanent

Deleting a column permanently removes all stored values for that column across all items. This cannot be undone. Hide fields instead of deleting them if you might need the data later.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Column not appearing	It may be hidden. Open the Column Manager and toggle visibility.
Failed to create column	Verify the name is not empty and does not duplicate an existing column name.
Formula field showing errors	Check that the referenced column names are correct and the formula syntax is valid.
Field values not saving	Make sure you have Member or Admin permissions. Viewers cannot edit field values.

Next Steps

• Creating Items — add items and fill in your custom field values
• Filters and Sorting — filter and sort by any custom field
• Forms — map form fields to board columns for automated data entry