Overview of Purchasing Rule Functionality

Purchasing rules automatically perform actions when specified conditions based on Purchase Request record fields or events are met. This functionality can be used to:

Change values in the Customer and Rep Bill To, Customer and Rep Recipient, Customer and Rep Requested By, and Status fields, as well as any custom fields; a template can also be set
Send notifications via email, Desktop, and SMS
Initiate an approval cycle
Execute a webhook for posting purchasing data to a web application

In order for a rule to be evaluated, it must be included in a rule group; rule groups are applied to purchases through customers, companies, and purchase templates. (A default rule group will apply if none are applicable.)

When a purchase request/order is saved, the matching rule group is first determined. Then, all rules in that matching rule group are evaluated. If a rule’s conditions are met, its actions are performed.

Rule Groups

A default purchasing rule group will be included in iSupport on installation or upgrade.

Any rule group associated with a purchase request template will take precedence for a purchase request. If a customer profile does not have an associated rule group, the rule group associated with the customer’s company will be used for the customer. Note that rules in the associated rule group will not execute while a purchase request is pending approval.

Rule Types

On Purchase Save rules do not incorporate time frames; when a purchase request/order is saved, rules in the associated rule group are evaluated, and if true, their actions are performed.

Time-Based and time-based cumulative rules incorporate time frames with conditions; when conditions are true upon purchase request save, the date and time that the interval time frame would be reached is recorded and monitored by the Time-Based Rule agent. If the conditions required to meet the rule do not change before the interval time frame is reached, the agent performs the actions specified. If conditions change prior to the recorded date and time:

Time-Based rules will clear all pending actions and if conditions are met again the time frame will restart.
Time-Based: Cumulative rules will suspend all pending actions and if conditions are met again the time frame will include previous amounts of time in which conditions were met.

If a rule contains conditions with the Customer Work History Added or Work History Added to Purchase events, the rule will be triggered immediately when the event occurs (even if the request hasn't been saved). Conditions for all of the rules in the rule group will be evaluated and actions will be performed if conditions are met. Any other changes in the purchase request will not be saved until you save the request.

If a date or date/time custom field is created for purchases, Time-Based: Important Dates rules enable you to specify a number of days before or after the value in a specified date field. This type of rule will be evaluated when the defined number of days before or after the value in the specified date field occurs. Actions will be performed if the rule's conditions are met at the time the Time-Based Rule agent runs.