OTM provides the flexibility to associate custom attributes — also called refnums — to every transaction object such as Order Base, Order Release, and Shipment. Developers can use these refnums to store client-specific values like source system information, custom dates, and other custom fields. Note that newer versions of OTM also have attribute (flex field) columns for the same purpose, which are covered in a separate post.
To create a refnum, navigate to the specific business object menu. For a Shipment refnum:
Enter the following values:
- Shipment Reference Number Qualifier: Give a name to the qualifier
- Updates Allowed: Controls how inbound XML updates the refnum value. 'One, Update' replaces the existing value with the incoming value. 'One, Do not Update' preserves the existing value. 'Many' creates an additional refnum with the same qualifier when new values arrive via inbound XML.
Once the refnum qualifier is defined, you can use it to enter data just like any other attribute — select the qualifier from the dropdown, enter a value, and save:
You can also add refnum values in inbound XML. Refer to the OTM schema GlogXML.xsd for details.