How do hierarchical fields work?

Hierarchical Fields are components designed to organize recorded information in a structured and hierarchical way. Its primary purpose is to facilitate data entry and reduce user errors.

This functionality allows building hierarchical relationships between list-type fields, which helps guide the user in entering information by means of related data and predefined conditions.

It is available in all Pirani management systems.

How to create a hierarchical structure?

Now, in our four management systems, you will find the gear icon “Parameterize” in Pirani's top bar. When you click on it, two sections will be displayed: “Transversal” and the one corresponding to the management system you are in (ORM, ISMS, AML, or Compliance).

Go to the Management System section and select the “Fields” option. From there, you can configure hierarchical structures according to your needs.

For example, you could create a hierarchy for the “Location” field with three levels:

1. Country (e.g. Colombia)
2. City (e.g. Medellín)
3. Branch (e.g. La Estrella, El Poblado, Universities)

This allows you to select a country to display only the corresponding cities and to select a city to display the branches available in that location.

Go to the Management System section and choose the “Fields” option. 

Next, a window will be displayed with the question “Are you going to make changes to the fields?”. Click the “Enter” button to continue.

How do you add a hierarchical field?

First, select the module in which you want to add the field. It can be Processes, Risks, Controls, Events, or Action Plans.

Once inside, go to the module's General Information section.

At the bottom correct, you will find the “Add” button next to three horizontal dots. Click on the three dots and then select “New hierarchical structure”.

When you click “New hierarchical structure”, the options to customize the new field will be displayed.

1.Hierarchical structure:

Assigns a name to the structure. This name will not be visible on the form, as it serves only as an internal guide for the user.

2. New field 1:
Enter the name of the field you wish to create.

3. Structure type (list):

Choose the menu type that best suits your need:

• Single selection menu: Displays individual options on the form.
• Compound single selection menu: Displays individual options with a unique code.
• Multiple selection menu: Several options can be selected simultaneously.
• Compound multiple selection menu: multiple options can be selected simultaneously with a single code.

Options:

Each option section must be assigned a name. You can create up to 20,000 options in total.

📌 Important:

If you want to make the field mandatory, click on the icon at the top left.

If you want to add more options to the hierarchical fields, click on the “New field” or “Existing field” button.

Please note that this functionality requires the support team's assistance.

To finish creating the hierarchical fields, click the “Publish” button at the top right of the screen.

What if I want to load multiple records in the hierarchical structure?

Bulk loading of options into hierarchical fields within the parameterization system saves time and reduces errors by avoiding manual data entry. 

This functionality is especially useful when handling complex structures such as lists of risk types or categories that depend on each other.

Through the use of Excel templates, users can efficiently structure and load information, making sure to maintain the correct hierarchy between parent and child fields.

Click on the date icon you see pointing upward.

Then click on “Upload file” and click on the next button.

Once you click 'Next, ' a window will appear asking if you are sure to continue with the bulk upload. Click the 'Yes, upload' button to continue.

The system will take 2 to 5 minutes to process and upload the information.

Once the system has loaded all the information, click the 'Import' button.

Finally, finish the process by clicking on the “Publish” button.

This option allows you to easily associate dependent (child) fields with their respective central (parent) fields using predesigned Excel templates. These templates streamline the process and ensure that the information linkage is correct.

To begin, go to the dependent (child) field and click the up arrow icon. By selecting it, you will be able to load the corresponding template.

Remember that if you want to load options linked to the previous field, you must map the association with an additional column called “Reference to previous field”. Example:

This will allow you to relate the options to the previous field massively

Once the template is loaded, click on the “next” button.

And, finally, click on the “yes, load” button.