In this article:
1. What Is a Data Field?
2. Permissions
3. Types of Data Fields
4. How to Create a Data Field
5. Applying Data Fields
6. Using Data Fields
7. Best Practices
8. Summary
1. What Is a Data Field?
Data Fields in Businessmap let you add custom fields to workspaces and boards. These fields provide a flexible way to tag, classify, and organize your workspaces and boards so you can filter, report, and analyze information more effectively.
Unlike card attributes, Data Fields do not belong to work items. Instead, they are metadata applied at the workspace or board level.
Key Benefits
Classification – Add meaningful labels or values to workspaces and boards.
Filtering – Use Data Fields to quickly find and filter workspaces or boards in the dashboard.
Visibility – Display custom data directly on workspace views.
Reporting – Build advanced reports (e.g., in Power BI) using Data Fields as additional dimensions.
2. Permissions
Managing Data Fields at Account Level:
Account Owners and users with the “Manage Data Fields” admin privilege can access, create, delete, and modify (edit name and description) data fields at the account level.
(Navigation: Account Administration → Workspaces & Board → Data Fields)Users with the “Manage Data Fields” admin privilege can view and filter data fields for all workspaces where they are assigned to at least one board.
Managing Data Fields at Workspace Level:
-
Workspace Managers (WSM) can see and manage data fields in all workspaces they manage. This includes:
Adding or removing data fields from a workspace
Changing values and baselines
Applying data fields to all boards within the workspace
Locking board values
Managing Data Fields at Board Level:
Users with the “Manage Data Fields” board-role permission (available in board role settings) can view data fields and modify their values, provided the board values are not locked.
Users must be assigned to the boards with this role.
3. Types of Data Fields
When creating a new Data Field, you can choose from the following types:
Single-line text – For free-form labels, codes, or references.
Number – For numeric identifiers, budgets, or targets.
Date – For launch dates, deadlines, or milestones.
Dropdown – For standardized values such as categories, regions, or departments.
Contributor – To associate a workspace or board with a specific user.
-
Calculated number (special type) – A numeric field entered manually at the board level, which is automatically aggregated at the workspace level.
Supported functions: Sum, Average, Min, Max.
Example: Add a “Budget” field to each board. At the workspace level, Businessmap can automatically consolidate budgets from all boards.
4. How to Create a Data Field
Go to Administration Settings → Data Fields.
Click “Add Data Field.”
Select the field type (see list above).
Enter a name for the field (e.g., “Region,” “Budget,” or “Owner”).
(Optional) Configure dropdown values, defaults, or calculation method (for calculated numbers).
Choose application options:
Save the field.
5. Applying Data Fields
After creation, a Data Field can be applied to workspaces or boards.
Each workspace or board can then be assigned values for the field.
These values are available for filtering, display, and reporting.
6. Using Data Fields
On the Dashboard
Use Data Fields as filters to narrow down your view to specific workspaces or boards.
Example: Show only boards where the “Region” field = “Europe.”
On Workspaces
Configure your view to display Data Fields directly on the workspace for instant context.
Example: Show “Business Unit,” “Owner,” or “Budget” in the workspace pane directly.
In Reports
Export Data Fields to Power BI for advanced reporting.
Use them as dimensions or filters to build insights across all your boards and workspaces.
Calculated Number fields are especially powerful here, since they automatically aggregate values across boards.
7. Best Practices
Use Calculated Number fields for budgeting, resource allocation, or performance metrics that need consolidation.
Use Contributor fields to quickly identify responsible people.
Define standardized dropdowns for consistent classification.
Keep field names short and intuitive.
Use Apply to all boards for global consistency across a workspace. If a field is marked as such, it will be automatically added to all new boards in the workspace too.
Use Lock values for fields controlled centrally (e.g., “Cost Center” or “Business Unit”).
Regularly review and remove unused fields to keep data clean.
8. Summary
Data Fields bring structure and flexibility to your Businessmap workspaces and boards. With support for text, numbers, dates, dropdowns, contributors, and calculated numbers, they help you classify, filter, and report on your workspaces at scale.
By tagging boards with meaningful values and leveraging roll-ups, you can filter dashboards, surface important details directly in the interface, and create rich, consolidated reports in Power BI.