Data Management - Column Sets

Column sets let you control exactly what data appears in a list view or report — which fields show, in what order, and who can see them. Think of a column set as a customizable list view or report layout for a specific module.

Which Modules Support Column Sets

Custom column sets are available on seven eight modules:

• Companies and Contacts (Address Book)
• Invoices
• Phases
• Projects
• Proposals
• Time Reports (individual time slips — a time sheet is a group of time slips, but Time Reports works with the individual slips themselves)
• Staff Directory our latest addition

Every module with a list view ships with a system default column set. Other modules in the system have list views too, but with far fewer available data fields — those simply let you hide and show columns directly, without needing a custom column set.

Creating a Column Set

You can build a new column set from scratch, or duplicate an existing one and modify it. When creating one, you'll need to:

1. Give the column set a name.
2. Choose which user access level(s) can use it: Financial Users Only or Financial & Production Users. If production users are included, financial data such as fees or billings, can not be included.
3. Add columns, arrange their order, and set custom labels.

Access Levels and Financial Data

The access level you choose determines what fields are even available to add to the column set:

• All Users means Limited, Production, and Financial level users can all access the column set. At this level, financial fields (such as labor reports and rate/billing information) can't be added, since Limited and Production users aren't permitted to see financial data.
• Production and Financial Users excludes Limited users from access.
• Financial Users unlocks financial fields for the column set — but only Financial-level users will be able to use it.

This mirrors how access levels work throughout BaseBuilders generally: Limited users see the least, Production users sit in the middle with broader access, and Financial users have the highest level of access.

Narrowing by Access Group

Even within the Financial level, you can restrict a column set further by selecting specific financial access groups — for example, limiting a column set to only Principals and Project Managers, even though other financial-level users exist in the system. This lets you tailor exactly which information is available to exactly which roles in your firm, rather than an all-or-nothing approach at each access level.

Editing Columns

Once a column set exists, you can:

• Reorder columns by dragging and dropping them into the sequence you want.
• Relabel columns — the field name inside the system doesn't have to match what's displayed. For example, an "Adjusted Hours" field could be relabeled simply as "Hours," or a "Billing Rate Value" field relabeled as "Rate."
• Add more fields using the plus sign, scrolling through available fields and selecting the ones you want.

Example: Invoice Backup Report

A practical example is a column set built specifically to accompany an hourly invoice, showing clients how billed hours add up. A report like this might include: Phase, Activity, Date, Hours, Billing Rate Value, and Billing Value (rate × hours) — giving the client a clear breakdown of the work behind the invoice total.

Best Practice

Build column sets around specific use cases rather than trying to create one all-purpose view. A column set meant for client-facing invoice backup should look very different from one meant for internal financial review — and restricting access appropriately (by user level and access group) keeps sensitive financial data visible only to the people who should see it.

Summary

Column sets customize list views and reports across eight modules: Companies, Contacts, Invoices, Phases, Projects, Proposals, Time Reports, and Staff Directory. When creating one, choose which access level(s) can use it — All Users, Production and Financial, or Financial only — which determines whether financial fields can be included, and optionally narrow access further to specific financial access groups. Columns can be added, reordered by drag and drop, and relabeled to display exactly the information and terminology you want, for exactly the audience you choose.