Error with Field Security at Contact Level not updating with Linked Company Fields [ Edited ]

[pabsmoore]

Act Pro Version 18.1.103.0
Windows 7 Professional

PC
Shared Database on Server

I have an issue whereby if I have field security set on fields which are contained within a contact and linked to company are not updated despite when updated at Company level and the fields are linked. If I unset the fields as field security the fields are shown whenever I make an update.

An example of this is with linked address fields, or VAT number fields where the main record is the company record and I want the contact fields to be linked to these.

I change the company record. Act asks "Would you like to update contacts linked to this company with the change you made?" I click yes but the contacts linked are not updated unless I change field security. I have even tried logging out and logging back in again to see if this causes the contacts to update but they don't.

How do I make field security work properly and show updated information at contact level? I do not want users to amend company information at contact level and forget to update the main company record.

[Steven_Jackson · Accepted solution]

Hi there, Gary is quite right in that the program is working as designed.

If you have applied Read Only access to Contact fields, then as you say those fields will be greyed out so they cannot be edited, but the information will still be visible.

The key here though is that the fields cannot be edited in any way when set to Read Only access. That includes updates being performed by linked Companies, they are unable to update those fields because the fields are set to Read Only access. So even though that message pops up asking if you would like to update the linked fields, because the linked fields are Read Only access for the Contacts, that update will not work.

Unfortunately there really is no way around this, as long as the fields are set to Read Only access, then that is telling the system to prevent any edits being made in any way by that user..

In terms of what you can do about this, you can set specific access to individual users so that some have Read Only access, but others have Full Access. The users that have Full Access would then be able to update the Company records and they would successfully update the linked fields. It would essentially mean that only users with Full Access should amend the linked Company fields.

I hope this makes sense, please let us know if you have any further questions.

[Gary W]

Hi pabsmoore,

This is working as designed. If a field is set to read only then the company cannot overwrite it. You would need to be logged in as somebody who has access to the field to update the data.

The following Knowledgebase article should help you understand field security in more detail: http://kb.act.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19185

[pabsmoore]

Hi Gary,

I don't want to change the field. It should be greyed out and the data visible. But it isn't. On address fields I have had entered since import the data is visible through the grey (which have field security set), but when I edit information it isn't updated

[Steven_Jackson · Accepted solution]

Hi there, Gary is quite right in that the program is working as designed.

If you have applied Read Only access to Contact fields, then as you say those fields will be greyed out so they cannot be edited, but the information will still be visible.

The key here though is that the fields cannot be edited in any way when set to Read Only access. That includes updates being performed by linked Companies, they are unable to update those fields because the fields are set to Read Only access. So even though that message pops up asking if you would like to update the linked fields, because the linked fields are Read Only access for the Contacts, that update will not work.

Unfortunately there really is no way around this, as long as the fields are set to Read Only access, then that is telling the system to prevent any edits being made in any way by that user..

In terms of what you can do about this, you can set specific access to individual users so that some have Read Only access, but others have Full Access. The users that have Full Access would then be able to update the Company records and they would successfully update the linked fields. It would essentially mean that only users with Full Access should amend the linked Company fields.

I hope this makes sense, please let us know if you have any further questions.