Attribute Types

Introduction

Attribute types define the data fields that appear on positions, employees, job codes, departments, approval requests, and requisitions throughout FTE Tree. Each attribute type specifies a label, a data type, and a set of options that control how the field behaves on forms, lists, and reports.

FTE Tree includes a set of built-in system attributes for each entity type, such as position name, department, FTE, and wage rate. In addition, you can create custom attribute types to capture any additional data your organization needs.

System Attributes vs. Custom Attributes

System attributes are the built-in fields that ship with FTE Tree. They provide the core data fields for each entity type, such as:

• Position: Name, Status, Incumbent, Department, Job Code, FTE, Wage Rate, Reports To, Adjustments
• Employee: Name, Status, FTE, Job Code, Reports To, Wage Rate
• Job Code: Wage Rate, Adjustments, Parent Job Code, Pay Grade
• Approval Request: Justification
• Department: Parent Department

System attributes cannot be deleted and cannot be deactivated. Their settings can still be adjusted, such as whether they are required or displayed on list tables.

Custom attributes are fields you create to extend the data captured for each entity type. Custom attributes can be created, edited, reordered, deactivated, and deleted.

Navigating to Attribute Settings

Attribute settings are found under Settings in the navigation bar, organized by entity type. Select the row for the entity you want to configure (Position, Employee, Job Code, Approval, Requisition, or Department) and click on the Attribute Settings link.

The attribute settings page displays a table of all attribute types for that entity, showing the label, display order, active status, list display status, and approval level (for position attributes). From this page you can create new custom attributes, edit settings, reorder attributes, and delete custom attributes.

Creating a Custom Attribute

To create a custom attribute, navigate to the attribute settings page for the desired entity type and click Create Custom Attribute. The following fields are available:

• Attribute Label: The name displayed on forms and in list tables. Must be unique per entity type within your organization.

• Field Type: The data type for the attribute. The following types are available for custom attributes:

• Help Text: Optional contextual help displayed below the field on forms. Use this to provide guidance to users on what to enter.

• Is Required: When enabled, the field must be filled in when creating or updating the entity. When disabled, the field is optional.

• Display on List Tables: When enabled, the attribute appears as a column on the entity's list table view. This is useful for attributes you want to see at a glance without opening the detail page.

• Choice Group: For Choice and Choice (Multiple) field types, you must associate the attribute with a choice group. You can select an existing choice group from the dropdown, or leave it blank to automatically create a new choice group named after the attribute. See the Choice Groups section below for details on managing choice values.

The field type cannot be changed after the attribute is created. If you need a different data type, create a new attribute and deactivate or delete the old one.

Attribute Settings

After an attribute type is created, you can edit its settings by clicking on the attribute label in the settings list. The settings page provides the following options:

• Field Type: Displayed for reference but cannot be changed.

• Approval Level (Position attributes only): Assign an approval level to require that changes to this attribute go through the approval workflow before taking effect. Select "No Approval Required" to allow changes without approval. Approval levels are configured under the approval settings for your organization.

• Choice Group (Choice, Choice Multiple, and Funding Source attributes only): Change which choice group provides the list of selectable values.

• Is Required: Toggle whether the field is mandatory.

• Use Last Approved: When enabled, the system displays the most recently approved value for this attribute, even when viewing historical effective dates. This is useful for attributes where you always want to see the current state rather than the point-in-time value.

• Is Currency: When enabled, the attribute value is displayed with your organization's currency symbol. This is useful for decimal or integer attributes that represent monetary amounts.

• Active: Toggle to enable or disable the attribute. Deactivating an attribute hides it from forms for new entries, but all existing data is preserved. System attributes cannot be deactivated.

• Display on List Tables: Toggle to show or hide the attribute as a column in list table views.

Reordering Attributes

The display order controls the sequence in which attributes appear on forms and detail pages. From the attribute settings list, use the up and down arrow buttons in the display order column to change the position of an attribute. Attributes are displayed in ascending order, with lower numbers appearing first.

Deleting a Custom Attribute

Custom attributes can be deleted from the attribute detail page using the delete option in the actions menu. An attribute can only be deleted if it has no existing values recorded against any entity. If the attribute has been used, you must first remove all values or consider deactivating the attribute instead.

System attributes cannot be deleted.

Effective Dating and Approval Status

Attribute values on entities are effective-dated. Each value has an effective start date that determines when it takes effect. Multiple values can exist for the same attribute on the same entity, each with a different effective date, allowing you to track changes over time.

Each attribute value also has an approval status:

• Draft: The value has been entered but has not been approved. Draft values are indicated with an edit icon on the entity detail page.
• Approved: The value has been approved (either automatically or through the approval workflow) and is the official record as of its effective date.

When an attribute has an approval level assigned, new values and changes must go through the approval workflow before they take effect. See Working with Approval Requests for details on the approval process.

Choice Groups

Choice groups define the list of selectable values for Choice, Choice (Multiple), and Funding Source attribute types. Choice groups are managed separately from attribute types and can be shared across multiple attributes of the same entity type.

Managing Choice Groups

Choice groups are accessible from the Choice Groups link under each entity type's settings row. From the choice group list, you can create new groups, edit existing groups, and view which attributes and other features use each group.

Each choice group displays a usage summary showing how many attributes, audit events, and workflows reference it. A choice group cannot be deleted if it is in use.

Choice Values

Each choice group contains one or more choice values. To manage values, open the choice group and use the choice values table. The following settings are available for each value:

• Name: The label displayed to users when selecting from the list. Must be unique within the group.

• Display Order: Controls the order values appear in the dropdown.

• Is Default: Marks this value as the default selection when creating new entries. Only one value per group can be the default.

• Available: When enabled, the value appears in dropdowns for new selections. Deactivating a value hides it from future use while preserving it in existing records. This is the recommended approach for retiring a value rather than deleting it.

Calculation Values

Choice groups can optionally include a calculation value on each choice value. The calculation value type is set at the group level and applies to all values in the group. The available types are:

• Decimal: A numeric value used in calculations, such as a rate or multiplier.
• Boolean: A true/false value, commonly used for status attributes where certain choices represent an active state and others represent an inactive state.
• Character: A text value for additional coding or categorization.

Calculation values are used internally by FTE Tree for features like position cost calculations, where a choice value's boolean state determines whether a position is counted as active.

Audit History

All changes to attribute type settings are tracked in the audit history. From the attribute detail page, select the History tab to view a chronological log of changes, including who made each change and when.

Need Help?

If you have questions about configuring attribute types, please contact us or email us at support@ftetree.com.