Articles · 2026-08-25
How to set up a lookup table
Most workshops keep a sheet of numbers everyone has to look up. Torque figures. Cable ratings. Coating systems. Acceptance limits by size. A lookup table puts that sheet inside Stratum Track, so your technician picks one value on the job and the rest of the row fills itself in.
This guide builds one from scratch. It takes about ten minutes. The example is a bolt torque sheet: the technician picks the bolt size, and the specified torque and the lubrication fill in on their own.
What you need
- A manager login. Lookup tables live in Settings, which only managers can open.
- A job template with a step you want to add the fields to. If you do not have one yet, we build it with you first.
How it works
A lookup table is a grid, the same as a spreadsheet. Each column holds one kind of value. Each row is one set of matching values.
One column is the key. That is the column your technician picks from. Every other column can be linked to a field on the step, and those fields fill in from the row that matches the pick.
| Bolt size (key) | Torque (Nm) | Lubrication |
|---|---|---|
| M16 | 214 | Dry |
| M20 | 418 | Dry |
| M24 | 720 | Anti-seize |
| M30 | 1450 | Anti-seize |
The technician picks M20. The torque field fills in 418 and the lubrication field fills in Dry.
Step 1: Open Lookup Tables
Go to Settings, then find the Reference Data section, then press Manage lookup tables.
Step 2: Create the table
Give the table a name and a short description, then press Create table. The name is what you will pick from later, so name it after the sheet it replaces.
Stratum Track takes you straight to the columns screen.
Step 3: Add the columns
Add one column for every column on your sheet. Type the name, choose what it holds, then press Add column.
Holds is what kind of value goes in the column: text, a number, a decimal, a date, a time, or yes and no. Text is right for most reference data, including part codes and sizes. Add all your columns before you move on.
Step 4: Choose the key column
Tick Key beside the column your technician picks from, then press Save key columns. Leave the other columns unticked. Those are the ones that fill themselves in.
This step is the one people miss. A table with no key column is not offered when you go to link a field, because there is nothing for a technician to pick.
Step 5: Add the rows
Go back to the table and type your first row into the boxes at the bottom, then press Add row.
Keep going until the sheet is in. Each row has to be different in its key column, so you cannot have two rows for M20.
If the sheet is long, press Upload instead and give Stratum Track the spreadsheet. It reads the headings and builds the columns for you.
Step 6: Add the picker to your form
Now put the picker on the step. Go to Manage Templates, open your template with Actions, then Review, then switch to the Preview tab.
Find the step you want, press Add row, give the field a label, and set What goes in it to Lookup. Press Add row.
Step 7: Point the picker at your table
Click the new field on the form. Its settings open on the right. Under Where this answer comes from, press Link to a lookup table.
Choose your table. Leave Set of pickers on Start a new set of pickers. Choose the key column. Press Save link.
The field now reads "Picks from Bolt Torque Specifications, Bolt Size". That is your selector.
Step 8: Set a field to fill itself in
Add a second field the same way. Give it a label, choose what it holds, and press Add row. This one is an ordinary field, not a lookup field.
Click it, press Link to a lookup table again, and this time choose the column you want it filled from. The set of pickers is already selected, because there is only one on this step.
Press Save link. Repeat for every field you want filled from the same row. Nothing else to do: the form saves as you go.
Step 9: Check it on a job
Open a job that uses the template and go to the step. The picker offers the values in your key column.
Pick one, and the linked fields fill in from the matching row. Stratum Track says where each value came from, so the technician can see it was not typed by hand.
That is the whole thing. Change the sheet once, in Settings, and every job that runs after it picks up the new numbers.
Worth knowing
- Your technician can still type over a filled value. Stratum Track shows what it was changed from, and offers to put the table's value back.
- Answers already recorded on a job stay as they are. Updating the table changes what fills in from then on, not what your crew has already signed off.
- A table can have more than one key column. Tick two, and the technician is asked for both, in the order you set. The fields fill from the row that matches both answers.
- A step can carry more than one set of pickers. Each set has its own table and fills its own fields, so one step can read from two different sheets.
- Renaming a column is safe. The link is held on a fixed reference, not on the name, so a rename changes what you see and nothing else.
Common questions
Why is my table not offered when I try to link a field?
The table has no key column yet. Open it in Settings, press Columns, tick Key beside the column your technician picks from, then press Save key columns.
Can a technician change a value that filled in automatically?
Yes. They type over it like any other field. Stratum Track notes what it was changed from and offers a one press reset back to the table's value.
What happens to old jobs when I update the table?
Nothing. Values already recorded on a job stay exactly as recorded. The new numbers apply to picks made from then on.
Can I load a table from a spreadsheet?
Yes. Open the table and press Upload. Stratum Track reads the headings and builds the columns, so a sheet you already keep in Excel goes in as it is.
Who can create and change lookup tables?
Managers. The tables live in Settings, and only a manager seat can open it. Your technicians pick from the tables on the job but cannot change them.