Dynamic fields on NetSuite forms to speed/ease complex data entry

[David Geilhufe]

I just saw a very nice NetSuite implementation that has great implications for organizations that do complex data entry. To use it effectively, you would need to be familiar with custom fields, custom forms & workflows. However, no code is required & its all point and click.

The basic idea is that if a user fills out a field in a certain way, new related fields will appear on the form. For example, you might be adding information on a volunteer (could be the customer record representing a volunteer, an opportunity record representing a volunteer application, or a custom record representing a volunteer application). You might have a check box "CPR Certified." When that checkbox is checked, two new fields appear "CPR Certification Date" & "CPR Certification Agency". If the CPR Certified box is unchecked, the fields disappear.

(1) Create your custom fields & form.
(2) Plan the relationships between the fields.
(3) Create a workflow
(4) Use the "set display type" action to toggle field display based on a condition. In the example above, the condition would be whether or not the CPR certified box was checked.

This is particularly compelling when you use single page forms rather than the default NetSuite tabbed style forms.