How to make Lookups load faster

2 minute read time.

When you want to make lookups load faster, there is an option available that may help.  I see many environments setup that when lookup screens are loaded, all of the data is populated. While the data is populating, you can only wait until its complete or click the Stop button. After the data has populated the lookup grid, then I see data being entered as a search criteria or filter. Instead of doing that, why not suppress all the data from being loaded altogether and then enter your search criteria.  Here is how you accomplish that.

For example, if you wanted to set the Vendor Lookup screen to load faster.  Go to Accounts Payable, Maintain Vendor and click the lookup (flashlight) icon. In the bottom right hand corner, click the Search/Stop button to stop the process of loading vendor data onto the grid.  At the top of the form, click the blue diamond shaped "I" icon. This gives you the Lookup name and SQLView name associated to the Vendor lookup.  In this case its Vendor and vluVendor respectively

Next go to System Manager, Maintenance,  and launch Maintain Lookup Views.  Since we know the name of the Lookup we want to change, type it in the Lookup field and select from the Lookup View dropdown, the Standard Lookup View.

Under the Display Options section, remove the checkmark next to Load Data Immediately box by clicking the box.  Save these changes by clicking the Save icon or click the Finish icon to save and close the screen.

If you return to Maintain Vendors and click the Vendor lookup you will notice that even though you may see a momentary display of the message Loading, the grid will not be populated with any data. You can then change the search criteria accordingly.  Please note that if you do make a change to the Load Data Immediately box like this, let your Sage 500 users know. If they are used to seeing data populate every time that screen is loaded, and then one day the screen doesn't show any data, they will think something is wrong.

The Load Data Immediately option can be toggled on/off at will. It affects all users using that specific Lookup view(Standard in this case).  You would repeat this process for other lookup views.  Setting the Load Data Immediately flag off, will speed up form loading and reduce traffic across your network for all Sage 500 users.