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Managing custom views

Custom views are configurable data grids that allow displaying documents according to specific criteria. They are essential for quickly accessing relevant information and standardizing team work methods.

User interface - View

What is a view?​

Definition​

A view is a table (grid) that displays a list of documents according to a specific configuration. It consists of three elements:

  1. The scope (What?): What types of documents to display
  2. The columns (How?): What information to show
  3. The filters (Who?): What restriction criteria to apply

Standard views vs custom views​

Standard views: Provided by default with the application

  • "All documents"
  • "My tasks"
  • "My documents"
  • "Recent documents"

Custom views: Created to meet specific business needs

  • "Contracts expiring in 3 months"
  • "Overdue NCs from my department"
  • "Priority actions"
  • "Procedures to review"

Creating and configuring a view​

Accessing configuration​

Access is from any existing list:

Procedure:

  1. Open a document list (e.g., Documents > All documents)
  2. Click on the Actions menu
  3. Select Customization window

The configuration interface opens, showing:

  • Left: Available columns
  • Right: Selected columns
  • Bottom: Filtering options

Actions Menu

Selecting columns​

Available business fields:

  • Title
  • Reference
  • Description
  • Owner
  • Department
  • Due date
  • Status
  • Priority
  • Custom fields

System fields:

  • Author
  • Creation date
  • Modification date
  • Current step
  • Version
  • Attachments

Procedure:

  1. In the left panel, locate the desired field
  2. Drag and drop to the right to add it
  3. Reorganize column order (Drag & Drop)
  4. Remove unnecessary columns (trash icon)

Tip: Consider system columns like "Current step" to quickly identify where a file is in its workflow.

Setting filters​

Filters allow restricting displayed documents according to specific criteria.

Access: Click on the Funnel icon (filter) in the configuration

Filter types:

Simple filters​

Available operators:

  • Equal to: Exact value
  • Different from: Exclusion
  • Contains: Partial search
  • Starts with: Prefix
  • Greater than / Less than: Comparison (dates, numbers)
  • Between: Value range

Examples:

  • Status = "Validated"
  • Department = "Quality"
  • Creation date > "01/01/2024"
  • Priority = "High"

Date filters​

Special values:

  • Today: Current date
  • Today + X days: In X days
  • Today - X days: X days ago
  • Beginning of month: 1st day of current month
  • End of month: Last day of current month

Examples:

  • Expiration date < "Today + 90 days"
  • Creation date >= "Beginning of month"
  • Due date < "Today" (overdue documents)

Combined filters​

Logical operators:

  • AND: All conditions must be true
  • OR: At least one condition must be true

Examples:

  • Status = "In progress" AND Department = "Purchasing"
  • Priority = "High" OR Overdue = "Yes"
  • Department = "Quality" AND Due date < "Today + 30 days"

Applying sorting​

Sort configuration:

  1. Select the sort column (e.g., Creation date)
  2. Choose order (Ascending/Descending)
  3. Add secondary sort if necessary

Examples:

  • Primary sort: Priority (High → Low)
  • Secondary sort: Due date (Closest → Furthest)

Saving the view​

Once the configuration is satisfactory:

Procedure:

  1. Test the view to verify the result
  2. Click Actions > Save view as...
  3. Give an explicit name (e.g., "Contracts to renew Q3", "Overdue Quality NCs")
  4. Check Shared / Public view if you want to share it with all users
  5. Validate

Private views vs public views​

Private views​

Characteristics:

  • Created by a user for personal use
  • Visible only to their creator
  • Appear in the "My views" menu
  • Can be modified freely

Usage: User-specific needs

Public views​

Characteristics:

  • Created by an administrator
  • Visible to all concerned users
  • Appear in the main views menu
  • Standardize work methods

Required rights: Only administrators can create public views

Usage: Standardizing practices, common team needs

Managing existing views​

Modify a view:

  1. Select the view in the menu
  2. Actions > Customization window
  3. Modify the configuration
  4. Actions > Save (overwrites the view) or Save as (creates a copy)

Delete a view:

  1. Select the view in the menu
  2. Actions > Delete this view
  3. Confirm

Reset a view:

  • Actions > Reset view: Returns to default configuration

Use cases​

Case 1: Contracts to renew​

Need: Identify contracts expiring in less than 3 months

Configuration:

Scope: "Contract" form

Columns:

  • Reference
  • Title
  • Supplier
  • Expiration date
  • Owner
  • Department

Filters:

  • Expiration date < "Today + 90 days"
  • Status = "In progress"

Sort: Expiration date (Ascending - closest to furthest)

View name: "Contracts to renew (Q3)"

Type: Public view (for Purchasing department)

Case 2: Overdue non-conformities​

Need: List all NCs whose due date has passed

Configuration:

Scope: "Non-Conformity" form

Columns:

  • Reference
  • Title
  • Due date
  • Owner
  • Department
  • Current step
  • Days overdue

Filters:

  • Due date < "Today"
  • Status != "Closed"

Sort: Due date (Ascending - oldest first)

View name: "Overdue NCs"

Type: Public view

Case 3: My priority actions​

Need: Personal view of actions assigned to me, high priority only

Configuration:

Scope: "Action" form

Columns:

  • Reference
  • Title
  • Due date
  • Priority
  • Origin (NC, Audit, etc.)

Filters:

  • Owner = "Me" (logged-in user)
  • Priority = "High"
  • Status != "Closed"

Sort: Due date (Ascending)

View name: "My priority actions"

Type: Private view

Case 4: Documents created this month​

Need: All documents created since the beginning of current month

Configuration:

Scope: All forms

Columns:

  • Document type
  • Reference
  • Title
  • Author
  • Creation date
  • Department

Filters:

  • Creation date >= "Beginning of month"

Sort: Creation date (Descending - newest first)

View name: "This month's documents"

Type: Public view

Case 5: Procedures to review​

Need: Procedures whose review date is approaching (30 days)

Configuration:

Scope: "Procedure" form

Columns:

  • Reference
  • Title
  • Review date
  • Owner
  • Department
  • Days until review

Filters:

  • Review date < "Today + 30 days"
  • Status = "In effect"

Sort: Review date (Ascending)

View name: "Procedures to review (30d)"

Type: Public view (for Quality department)

Advanced features​

Custom SQL filters​

For very specific needs, you can directly enter an SQL clause.

Access: In the filtering window, SQL Filter section

Example:

WHERE D.status = 2 AND D.priority = 1

Usage: Reserved for administrators with SQL skills

Caution: Always test on a small sample before applying

Calculated columns​

Some columns can display calculated values:

  • Days overdue: Difference between today and due date
  • Document age: Difference between today and creation date
  • Progress: Progress percentage

Configuration: These columns are typically pre-configured in forms

Aggregations​

For certain views, you can display totals:

  • Sum: Total of a numeric column
  • Average: Column average
  • Count: Row counter

Usage: Useful for reports (e.g., total invoice amount)

Best practices​

Design​

Naming:

  • Use explicit and descriptive names
  • Indicate scope in the name (e.g., "Quality NCs overdue")
  • Avoid generic names ("View 1", "New view")

Columns:

  • Don't overload (6-10 columns maximum)
  • Place important columns on the left
  • Use clear labels

Filters:

  • Favor simple and understandable filters
  • Document complex filters
  • Test with real data

Performance​

Optimization:

  • Limit the number of displayed columns
  • Use filters to restrict data volume
  • Avoid resource-intensive queries on large volumes

Pagination:

  • Views display 20-50 lines per page by default
  • Use pagination to navigate through results

Maintenance​

Regular review:

  • Delete unused views
  • Update obsolete views
  • Adapt filters to business evolution

Documentation:

  • Document the usage of each public view
  • Train users on standard views
  • Create a catalog of available views

Sharing​

Public views:

  • Create public views for common needs
  • Communicate their existence to users
  • Train teams on their usage

Private views:

  • Encourage users to create their own views
  • Share best practices
  • Transform useful private views into public ones

Quality use case: View kit for quality management​

Context: The Quality department wants to standardize its work methods

Views created:

  1. "Open NCs"

    • All ongoing NCs, sorted by priority
    • Columns: Ref, Title, Department, Owner, Due date, Priority

  2. "Overdue NCs"

    • NCs whose due date has passed
    • Columns: Ref, Title, Owner, Days overdue, Step

  3. "My department actions"

    • Quality department actions, status != Closed
    • Columns: Ref, Title, Owner, Due date, Status

  4. "Procedures to review (30d)"

    • Procedures to review in the next 30 days
    • Columns: Ref, Title, Review date, Owner

  5. "Ongoing audits"

    • Audits with status "In progress" or "Planned"
    • Columns: Ref, Title, Audit date, Auditor, Audited department

  6. "Documents validated this month"

    • All documents validated since beginning of month
    • Columns: Type, Ref, Title, Validation date, Department

Result: The Quality team has a standardized set of views facilitating daily management. All views are public and appear in the menu for all department members.

Integration with widgets​

Custom views can be used in portal widgets:

News Widget:

  • Select a view as data source
  • Display the first X documents

Chart Widget:

  • Charts are based on views
  • Filter through views before creating the chart

Consistency: By creating relevant views, you automatically enrich portal possibilities

Troubleshooting​

View displays no documents​

Possible causes:

  • Filters too restrictive
  • No documents match the criteria
  • Error in SQL clause (if used)

Solutions:

  • Simplify filters progressively
  • Check field values
  • Test without filters then add them one by one

View is too slow​

Possible causes:

  • Too many displayed columns
  • Data volume too large
  • Complex SQL query

Solutions:

  • Reduce number of columns
  • Add filters to restrict volume
  • Optimize SQL query

My changes are not saved​

Solutions:

  • Check that you clicked "Save"
  • Clear browser cache (Ctrl+F5)
  • Check your rights (only admins create public views)

A column is missing​

Solution:

  • Check that the field exists in the form
  • Check field access rights
  • Re-create the view from the customization window

Resources​

Training​

  • Train administrators on view creation
  • Create tutorials for users
  • Organize practical workshops

Documentation​

  • List all available public views
  • Document their usage and target
  • Maintain an up-to-date catalog

Support​

For complex needs (advanced SQL queries, custom calculated columns), contact Avanteam support.