Summary

Reference Settings is the section of the Proteus Admin Console where the numbering and reference formats used across the platform are configured.

Reference Settings is only accessible to users with Admin role permissions. Navigate to the Admin Console from the main navigation menu and select References to access these options.

Database Numbering

Database Numbering controls the reference format applied to key records created within Proteus - including Proposals, Projects, Companies, Contracts and other core record types. Proteus provides a default numbering sequence for each, which can be fully customised to suit your organisation’s referencing conventions.

WARNING: A reference sequence cannot be changed to a number that falls before the current sequence position. For example, if the last generated reference was 00045, the sequence cannot be reset back to start from 00030. This prevents duplicate references from being created within Proteus.

How to Configure Database Numbering

In the Admin Console, select References from the menu.
Ensure you are viewing the Database Numbering tab (this is typically the default view).
Scroll through the list to locate the specific Database Reference you wish to configure (e.g. Proposal, Project, Company, Contract).
Configure the desired sequence using the available elements for that reference.
This can be done through dragging the elements into the desired order and removing unwanted elements by select X.
Select Add New Element to include further customisation elements within the sequence, such as static text, the Office Key, the Company Key, or a sequential number.
Once the reference numbering is configured as required, select Save under that specific reference.

Common customisation elements include static text (e.g. “PRJ”), the Office Key (configured in the Offices section), the Company Key (configured in the Company record) and a sequential number. Combining these allows references such as PRJ-LND-COM-0001, where LND represents the Office Key and COM represents the Company Key.

Document Numbering

Document Numbering controls the reference format applied to documents generated from within Proteus using Proteus data - such as Proposal word documents. As with Database Numbering, Proteus provides a default numbering sequence which can be fully customised.

Document Numbering references are configured in the same way as Database References, by adding or removing elements and arranging them into the desired order using drag and drop.

How to Configure Document Numbering

In the Admin Console, select References from the menu.
Select the Document Numbering tab.
Locate the specific document type you wish to configure (e.g. Invoice, Outgoing Purchase Order).
Add or remove elements as required to build the desired reference format.
Drag and drop the elements into the correct order for the final reference sequence.
Once the desired document numbering has been configured, select Save.

NOTE: As with Database Numbering, a document reference sequence cannot be changed to a number that falls before the current sequence position, to prevent duplicate document references being generated.

Elements Appendix

Element	Description
Text	A free-text field that can contain any characters you choose. Typically used to identify the record type at a glance - for example, entering CON to indicate the reference belongs to a Contract, or PRJ for a Project. Multiple Text elements can be used within a single reference if needed (e.g. one for the record type and another for a department or category code).
Separator	A single dash (-) used to visually divide elements within the reference, making it easier to read. For example, separating the Office Key from the Sequential Number produces LND-0001 rather than LND0001. Separators can be added between any two elements in the sequence.
Sequential Number	The unique, auto-incrementing number that distinguishes one record from another. This element is mandatory on every reference, as it is what guarantees each reference generated by Proteus is unique. The starting number and number of digits (e.g. 0001 vs 00001) can typically be configured to suit your organisation's existing numbering conventions.
Office Key	A unique short code assigned to each Office when it is created (configured in the Offices section of the Admin Console). Including the Office Key in a reference makes it immediately clear which office a record belongs to - particularly useful for organisations with multiple legal entities or regional offices, where reporting and record-keeping need to be separated by location.
Company Key	A unique short code assigned to each Company record when it is created. Including the Company Key in a reference makes it immediately clear which client a record relates to, without needing to open the record itself. This is particularly useful on financial documents and records tied to a specific client relationship, such as Proposals, Projects and Invoices.
Project Reference	Inserts the associated Project's reference number into the current reference. This element is only relevant for references that are generated in the context of an existing project - such as Invoices and Purchase Requests - as it requires a parent Project reference to pull from. This creates a clear link between a financial document and the project it was raised against, making it easy to trace an invoice or PO back to its source project.
Revision Identifier	Automatically increments each time a new version of the same document is generated, appending a revision marker (e.g. Rev 1, Rev 2) to the reference. This element is only relevant for Document Numbering, not Database Numbering, since document types such as Invoices or Purchase Orders may need to be reissued or amended, and the revision identifier keeps each version distinguishable while preserving the base reference.

Reference settings