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Aim – i need to have a lookup field on the user object which looks @ the contact object and only returns values where the email address is @domain.com

Now i am under the impression that no lookups can be used on the user object

Currently we have a field called manager on the user object. Manager is a picklist, and we add the managers on the picklist as we sit fit. (However this hasn’t been maintained in a long while)

Now my idea is to have a look up from the user object to the contact. Every internal person is a contact in our SF and this is maintained on a regular basis

Is there anyway that this can be done ? Currently we use a picklist, but we have over 600 internal users and its not idea to have multiple picklists to choose internal users.

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Unfortunately only Hierarchical Relationship (from user to user) and neither Lookup- nor MasterDetail-Relations are available on the user object.

This is a current platform limitation and you are not the only one who would like it: https://success.salesforce.com/ideaview?id=087300000007WKpAAM

So my first question is why you don't use the Hierachical Relationship and look up the Manager as user - not as contact. But probably you have Managers which has no Salesforce license, right? Possibly you could provide all of your managers a license. You could try cheaper licenses like Chatter or Force.com light.

An other workaround could be to create a text-field and store the contact id. But to access related data, you would either need a trigger to sync some fields or apex and visualforce pages which pulls the data on the fly together. Both not perfect.

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  • Yes that's correct not every manager needs to have a sf license , therefore majority are not in the system, and setting up more licenses is not viable . Ideally contact is the best for our business needs. Could I create a new object and pull the values from the user object into that object ?
    – Masond3
    Commented Jul 9, 2014 at 18:05
  • Theoretically yes, but again you'll end up with Triggers, Classes and Pages. If you can handle that effort or someone else comes up with a better approach then mine: OK, go for it! But if you look at the price for a Force.com light, I would start the math. It was about 8,- € (discountable) the last time I checked. Actually this is the license type I like most for very simple use-cases. It's cheap and very powerful.
    – Uwe Heim
    Commented Jul 9, 2014 at 18:22
  • Force.com licenses will be not an option if you have only Professional Edition or less. But with PE (or less) approaches with classes and triggers won't work either... so EE or more could be necessary.
    – Uwe Heim
    Commented Jul 9, 2014 at 18:28
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    Hi Uwe Heim I created a new object with two looksup, from to the contact, and one to the user. i then build several formula fields which pulls the values from the user object into my new object :P the technically term is called "junction custom object "
    – user8746
    Commented Jul 10, 2014 at 12:37

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