Understanding purchase order rule holds and directed to functionality.
PO Rule Holds
Some purchase order rules have the ability to stop and direct a Nimbello user to handle an issue on an invoice where the system cannot make a determination on its own. These are called rule holds.
Directed To
When a rule does hold, it is sent to a specified user to handle the issue – we call this the Directed To User. There are always two Directed To Users that can be set for each rule condition: a primary and a backup. Should these options fail, AP Admins are the Directed To User of last resort.
Setting Up Direct To Users for a PO Rule Hold
When a purchase order rule hold is set up, primary and backup users must be selected to address the issue. It’s important to note that all PO rules have separate Directed To Users for received (3-way) and non-received (2-way) purchase order invoices.
Note: The set up and configuration of these directed to rules are generally held by Nimbello staff as they affect critical workflow of the portal.
Types of Directed To User Groups
Below is a list of potential Directed To User groups that can be assigned as the primary or backup Directed To user for each PO hold run condition.
1. Buyer, Ship To, or Requestor
This group of users is commonly listed on each purchase order. Nimbello can associate the buyer code, ship to code, or requestor code on the purchase order import file to a user in Nimbello. This requires that an association is made between the code coming in and a user in Nimbello. This is done by entering the code into the Buyer Table on the Client Info page.
See our article on How do I modify the Buyers/Shipto/Requestors table?
2. Alpha UserID
Alpha UserID is a method of dividing the work of clearing a hold. There is a tab on the Client Info page called Alpha Directed To that allows users to be assigned to a specific letter of the alphabet or numbers 0-9. When a hold goes to Alpha UserID, Nimbello will check the first letter or number of the vendor’s name to determine who will be directed the invoice to correct.
See our article on How do I modify the Alpha Directed To Table?
3. Selected UserID
When there is a specific user that always handles an invoicing issue, it is best to use the Selected UserID option. Note that this user must be assigned the Buyer security from their user profile.
4. AP Admin
AP Admins can be directly routed to an invoice to clear certain holds. Note that they are automatically the user of last resort if the selected primary or backup directed to users are not otherwise available.
5. Override Function
This type of directed to requires Nimbello to scope what is needed to appropriately send an invoice to the correct user. Typically, this is custom development work and can be unique only to itself. Contact Nimbello support if this is something that needs to be explored.
Example
A sample price variance rule configuration.
Note: AP Default is synonymous with AP Admin.
