Learn what custom entities are, why they matter and how to create them in Sage CRM
Expanding Sage CRM with custom entities is one of the most powerful ways to tailor the system to your organisation’s processes beyond those covered by out-of-the-box functionality.
Whether you are looking to track projects, equipment, contracts, service assets, training courses, or anything else that doesn’t fit into the Sage CRM standard screens, custom entities let you shape the system around your business, not the other way around!
In this tip of the week, we explain what custom entities are and how to create them in Sage CRM.
What are custom entities in Sage CRM?
Custom entities unlock new possibilities across your Sage CRM implementation. If you’ve ever said, “we manage that in a spreadsheet”, it could be a perfect candidate for a custom entity.
With custom entities, you’re able to:
- Capture the data that matters instead of trying to fit round pegs in square holes
- Build new relationships between customers, companies and opportunities
- Automate workflows around your own business objectives
- Report on your world with dashboards, lists and KPIs
Custom entities behave just like any built-in Sage CRM entity. You can add entities such as a dedicated main screen, tabs, mail merge, security profiles, reports and much more.
You may use these to manage tasks such as contract renewals, projects and deliverables, training courses and attendance, or compliance checks.
To see your created custom entity, go into ‘Create’ (the ‘+’ button in the top right of your Sage CRM screen) and it will show as a ‘New Project’ within the drop-down list.
How to create custom entities in Sage CRM
Creating custom entities aren’t something you typically do in isolation because a partner (like us) will work with you to build them. However, if you do need to create them in your Sage CRM system, it involves:
- Defining the data structure. (To add a new table and fields, go into Administration > Customisation).
- Generating the entity screens. (You can automatically create the entry, summary and list screens using the ‘Sage CRM Advanced Customisation Wizard’).
- Adding relationships. (This refers to linking your entity to companies, people, opportunities or other custom entities).
- Configuring tabs and menus. (Here, you decide where users will access the new entity and how it fits into their workflow).
- Applying security. (At this stage, you control who can view, edit or delete records).
- Enhancing with automation. (Finally, you can add workflow rules, notifications, or scripts to bring the entity to life).
This may sound like a sizeable job, but the ‘Sage CRM Advanced Customisation Wizard’ takes away a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Advanced Customisation Wizard gives you a helpful advantage when building new custom entities. This is because it handles the complex setup automatically and leaves you (the admin) free to focus on any business problems rather than the technical detail.
Instead of manually creating tables, metadata, screens, and tabs, the Wizard assembles everything in a clean, consistent structure that behaves just like a native CRM entity. This means faster delivery, fewer errors, and a smoother experience for both the admin and the end users who rely on the new functionality.
If you would like any further information or need help setting up a new entity in Sage CRM, please get in touch! Email our support team at sagesupport@pkfscs.co.uk or call us directly on 01332959008.
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