This is the same query as found at http://helpdesk.knackhq.com/support/discussions/topics/5000047779, however I didn't understand the explanation provided by Nic, and I wonder if i provide my specific scenario, maybe someone could explain it again? :)
My client’s business is related to Facilities Management, and operates as an industry group/association which focuses on the ‘community spirit/engagement’ of the group; and it is important to retain a view of the 3 key areas below and how they inter-relate. They have asked me to build a full business software system, starting with a CRM
The business has 3 key objects;
· Buildings – Are everyone’s central client. Everything happens at a building. Many/Many for all
· Service Providers – Service providers operate at the buildings. One/many contacts.
· Contacts - Contacts are employees that work for service providers, but are also users (members), and they are the main customer for my client’s business as they are the members of the industry group and are the community
o I do not recall the issue I previously had with using the Users instead of a creating a separate contact object, but I do have this separate. When a user logs in and looks to update their personal details, it brings up the contact object and not the user objects
I have a tab for each as a master view for that object for which the main page is simply a table with search bar, so that they can quickly see and look up these records. Each table has a link to view more details. When they go to the view more details, this is where the screen shows the relationship between each of the 3 key objects. And this is where the rubber hits the road on my brief.
The screen they are looking at shows the details for the record they just selected, but then below it has tables for each of the other 2 object relationships, each with a ‘view more details’ link as well. This way, they can see all records that relate to each other at all times. So for eg, if I chose a building, then it will tell me all about the details of that building, and then under it is a table of all service providers that operate at that site, and a second table with all contacts that operate at that site. You can click on any of these service providers or contacts, to be taken to another page which has the same representation, but relevant to the record chosen. So eg again, if I then selected a contact record, it would show the details about that contact, and then under it a table of service providers that they are employed by, and then a table of sites that they operate at. Again, click on one of these and you can go around in circles for ever getting a view of the inter-relationship of these 3 key objects.
The problem is that when you try to update a record, you need to set a record rule that updates the connected record. If you do this, it does not add to the record, rather it overwrites the existing data in the chosen field(s). If it could be set that the action ADDS the new detail to the record, then this issue is resolved for me. The example is that you add a new contact. You then need to manually go into the other 2 objects to add the relationship or it won’t show up in the tables in the inter-relationship views. And as there are many contacts to each service provider, and many contacts to each building, you can’t use update record rules to achieve this.
It is quite likely that I am totally doing it all wrong, and would welcome the reframe J
But if this is being done right, can you explain how to set a record rule to update the connected records so that it adds the new info rather than overwrite.