Unlocking the Veeva Vault: Day 3 || Field Dependencies in Veeva Vault

This video provides an in-depth exploration of field dependencies within Veeva Vault, a critical feature for system and business administrators managing data and document workflows. The speaker, Anirban Saha from Anitech Talk, aims to guide viewers through the essential concepts, configuration steps, and practical applications of field dependencies, emphasizing their role in simplifying data management and meeting specific client requirements in Veeva environments. The session, part of a broader Veeva Platform series, focuses on day-to-day administrative tasks, establishing the importance of controlling field behavior based on other field values, document types, or life cycle states.

The presentation systematically breaks down the concept of field dependencies, explaining how certain fields can be controlled by others to ensure data integrity and user-specific experiences. It details the three primary types of field dependencies available in Veeva Vault: those controlled by a document's life cycle state, those controlled by its document type, and those controlled by another document field. For each type, the video outlines the configuration process, starting from the admin section of Veeva Vault, and provides clear, illustrative examples to demonstrate their real-world application. The speaker highlights that such configurations are frequently requested by clients to tailor the platform to their unique operational needs.

Throughout the video, the speaker provides practical examples and use cases, such as making specific fields visible or required only under certain conditions. For instance, he demonstrates how approval-related comment fields can be made visible and editable exclusively for approvers when a document reaches an "Approved" life cycle state. Another example illustrates how a "Comments" field can be made mandatory solely for documents of a "Follow-up Request" type. The discussion also covers how a "Field Readiness Date" field might only appear when a "Field Use" field is set to "Yes," showcasing the dynamic control over field visibility. These examples underscore the flexibility and power of field dependencies in streamlining workflows and ensuring compliance within regulated industries.

The session concludes by reinforcing the value of mastering field dependencies for Veeva administrators, positioning it as a fundamental skill for implementing client-specific requirements and optimizing the user experience. The speaker emphasizes that understanding these functionalities allows admins to easily address complex client needs, such as restricting editing access to specific fields or making fields conditionally required. This capability is crucial for maintaining efficient operations and adherence to regulatory standards, which are paramount in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.

Key Takeaways:

• Core Purpose of Field Dependencies: Field dependencies in Veeva Vault are essential for controlling the behavior (visibility, requiredness) of fields based on other field values, document types, or document life cycle states, simplifying data management and meeting specific client requirements.
• Three Types of Field Dependencies: Veeva Vault supports three main types of field dependencies: those controlled by a document's life cycle, those controlled by its document type, and those controlled by another document field.
• Configuration Path: Administrators can configure field dependencies by navigating to the Admin section, then Configuration, and finally Field Dependencies within Veeva Vault.
• Important Constraint: It is crucial to remember that field dependencies cannot be set up for fields that are already marked as required. This limitation impacts design choices for data capture.
• Document Life Cycle Control Example: Fields like "Document Approval Comment" and "Budget Approval Comment" can be configured to be visible and editable only when a document is in an "Approved" life cycle state and for users with an "Approver" role.
• Document Field Control Example: A field such as "Field Readiness Date" can be made visible to users only when another controlling field, "Field Use," has a specific value, for instance, "Yes."
• Document Type Control Example: The "Comments" field can be made a required field specifically for documents categorized under the "Follow-up Request" document type, ensuring critical information is captured for certain document workflows.
• Offline Review Capability: Veeva Vault provides an export option for field dependency rules, allowing administrators to review these rules offline in an Excel format for easier auditing and analysis.
• Meeting Client Requirements: Field dependencies are frequently used to address common client requirements, such as locking all fields for documents in an approved state except for a few editable by specific roles, or making fields conditionally required based on other data.
• Enhancing Data Integrity and User Experience: By dynamically controlling field visibility and requiredness, field dependencies help ensure data integrity, reduce user error, and streamline the user experience by presenting only relevant fields at appropriate times.
• Strategic Administrative Skill: Mastering field dependencies is a vital skill for Veeva administrators, enabling them to implement complex business logic, optimize workflows, and ensure the platform adheres to specific operational and regulatory needs.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Veeva Vault Platform: The core platform where field dependencies are configured and utilized.
• Veeva Vault Admin Section: The specific interface within Veeva Vault used for configuration, including field dependencies.
• Excel: Used for exporting and reviewing field dependency rules offline.
• Veeva Platform Help Documentation: A link (platform.veevavault.help) is provided for further assistance and guidance on platform topics.

Key Concepts:

• Field Dependency: A configuration that controls the behavior (visibility, requiredness, editability) of one field based on the value or state of another field, document type, or document life cycle.
• Document Life Cycle: The predefined stages a document progresses through (e.g., Draft, Approved, Obsolete), which can be used as a controlling factor for field behavior.
• Document Type: A classification of documents (e.g., Follow-up Request, Protocol, SOP) that can dictate field behavior.
• Controlling Field: The field whose value or state determines the behavior of another field.
• Dependent Field: The field whose behavior is altered based on the controlling field, document type, or life cycle.