This session gives you an overview of Notifications and Fulfillment in iVendNext.

Each unit in this chapter is designed for focused learning and should be reviewed carefully. Topics Covered in this session:

• Notifications Setup

• Fulfillment Plan Setup
  

To maintain a structured learning path, participants must complete all units within the session before advancing to the next chapter.

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Notifications Setup

The article below provides an introduction to Notifications Setup in iVendNext.

Overview

You can configure various notifications in your system to remind you of important activities.

1. The completion date of a Task.

2. Expected Delivery Date of a Sales Order.

3. Expected Payment Date.

4. A reminder of follow up.

5. If an Order greater than a particular value is received or sent.

6. Expiry notification for a Contract.

7. Completion/Status change of a Task.

Access Notifications

To access notification setup, go to: Home > Settings > Notification

1. Setting Up An Alert 

To set up a Notification:

Select the Document Type you want to watch changes on.

Define what events you want to watch under Send Alert On. Events are:

• New: When a new document of the selected type is made.

• Save/Submit/Cancel: When a document of the selected type is saved, submitted, or canceled.

• Days Before/Days After: Trigger this alert a few days before or after the Reference Date. To set the days, set Days Before or After. This can be useful in reminding you of upcoming due dates or reminding you to follow up on certain leads of quotations.

• Value Change: When a particular value in the selected type changes.

• Method: Sends notification when a specific method is triggered. Eg: before_insert.

• Custom: Send a notification to an Email Account selected.

Set additional Conditions if required.

Set the recipients of this alert. The recipient could either be a field of the document or a list of fixed Email Addresses.

Compose the message.

Save.

Setting a Subject 

You can retrieve the data for a particular field by using doc.[field_name]. To use it in your subject/message, you have to surround it with {% raw %}{{ }}{% endraw %}. These are called Jinja tags. For example, to get the name of a document, you use {% raw %}{{ doc.name }}{% endraw %}. The following example sends an email on saving a Task with the Subject, "TASK#### has been created"

Setting Conditions 

Notifications allow you to set conditions according to the field data in your documents. For example, if you want to receive an Email if a Lead has been saved as "Interested" as its status, you put doc.status == "Interested" in the conditions textbox. You can also set more complex conditions by combining them with the operator and or or.

The above example will send a Notification when a Task is saved with the status "Open" and the "Expected End Date" for the Task is the date on or before the date on which it was saved.

Setting a Message 

You can use both Jinja Tags ({% raw %}{{ doc.[field_name] }}{% endraw %}) and HTML tags in the message textbox.

{% raw %}Order Overdue

Transaction {{ doc.name }} has exceeded Due Date. Please take necessary action.

{% if comments %} Last comment: {{ comments[-1].comment }} by {{ comments[-1].by }} {% endif %}

Details

• Customer: {{ doc.customer }}

• Amount: {{ doc.total_amount }}

{% endraw %}

Setting a Value after the Alert is Set 

Sometimes to make sure that the Notification is not sent multiple times, you can define a custom property (via Customize Form) like "Notification Sent" and then set this property after the alert is sent by setting the Set Property After Alert field.

Then you can use that as a condition in the Condition rules to ensure emails are not sent multiple times

Example 

Define the Criteria and then set the Recipients and Message

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2. Slack Notifications 

If you prefer to have your notifications sent to a dedicated Slack channel, you can also choose the option "Slack" in the channel options and select the appropriate Slack Webhook URL.

Slack Webhook URL 

A Slack webhook URL is a URL pointing directly to a Slack channel.

To generate webhook URLs, you need to create a new Slack App:

1. Go to https://api.slack.com/slack-apps.

2. Click on "Create a Slack App".

3. Give your App a name and choose the right workspace. Once your app is created, go to the "Incoming Webhooks" section and add a new Webhook to Workspace.

4. Copy the created link, go back to iVendNext and use it to create a new Slack Webhook URL in Integrations > Slack Webhook URL.

5. Select Slack and your Slack channel in the channel and Slack channel fields within your notification

Message Format 

Unlike Email messages, Slack doesn't allow HTML formatting.

Instead, you can use markdown formatting: Slack Documentation

Example: {% raw %} Order Overdue

Transaction {{ doc.name }} has exceeded Due Date. Please take the necessary action.

{% if comments %}

Last comment: {{ comments[-1].comment }} by {{ comments[-1].by }}

{% endif %}

*Details*

• Customer: {{ doc.customer }}

• Amount: {{ doc.grand_total }}

{% endraw %}

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3. System Notifications 

Notifications are also available for Assignments, mentions, documents shared, and Energy Points. These notifications show up in the notifications dropdown on the navigation bar's top right corner.

An additional channel to send alerts - System Notifications was also introduced

Choosing this channel will send a system notification when a notification is triggered, instead of an Email or a Slack notification. Clicking on the notification routes to the Notification Log document which contains the configured subject, message as well as the attached file, if Attach Print is set.

If Email/Slack alerts and System Notifications both are required, the main channel can be set as Email or Slack.

4. WhatsApp 

WhatsApp can also be configured as an additional channel to send alerts.

If you prefer to have your notifications sent to a WhatsApp number, you can also choose the option "WhatsApp" in the channel options and select the appropriate Twilio Number. Twilio Numbers can be added to Twilio settings. WhatsApp messages can only be sent to numbers which have country codes in them.

Twilio Settings 

In order to configure Twilio settings, you need to first obtain Twilio credentials from your Twilio Account's account settings. You can only add those phone numbers that have been activated in your Twilio Account with WhatsApp access.

Message Format 

WhatsApp allows their users to only send those message templates that are pre-approved by them to your customers. Failure to do so might result in restrictions on your Twilio account.

5. SMS 

Alerts can also be sent via simple SMS by configuring it as an additional channel to send alerts

In order to use this channel, you would need to complete the configuration of SMS Settings.

6. One-Off Reminders 

Note: This feature is only available in the nightly version as of now.

Since setting up notifications is quite an involved process, iVendFramework also provides a way to set up one-off reminders on documents. Example of such notification would be "Remind me to follow up about this lead in 4 hour"

To set up one-off reminder on document:

1. Open the document on which you want to set a reminder

2. Click on menu (three dots) > "Remind Me"

3. Select time and add a description for yourself and click "Create"

4. The system will send you a system notification around the time you've configured with reminder description as subject.

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Additional Learning Resources

For deeper insights and ongoing support, participants are encouraged to explore the following:

• 📘 iVendNext Wiki Documentation: Access the official user manual for detailed guidance on system features and workflows.
  Visit the Wiki Docs

• 🛠️ iVendNext Help Portal: Browse categorized knowledge articles covering Accounting, Buying, Selling, Stock, and more.
  Explore the Help Portal

These resources complement your training journey and serve as valuable references throughout the certification process.

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Once you've completed the article, continue to the next topic in the training module to build on your understanding.

Fulfillment Plan Setup

The article below provides an introduction to Fulfillment Plan Setup in iVendNext.

Overview  

Fulfillment plans are attached to sale, special order and layaway transactions at POS. Fulfillment plans are created (and attached to sales / sales orders / layaways) in cases when the delivery of the items is to be done later OR the delivery attracts some additional surcharges OR the retailer wants to reserve the stock before the items are delivered. Fulfillment plans are also created when the retailer has to facilitate home delivery and store pickups. Fulfillment Plans can only be attached to the sale transactions of Registered Customers and not Walk In Customers. If a "Cash" customer wants to place a special order, a customer master record would have to be created in order to complete the transaction.

1. What is a Fulfillment Plan? 

A Fulfillment Plan in iVendNext is a record that is created with pre-defined Delivery Mode, Lead Days and Fulfillment Charges if any. So when an order is placed clicking on the Fulfillment button takes you to the Fulfillment Transaction List screen where you can select either a Delivery Plan or a Pickup Plan. Upon selecting a Fulfillment Plan the Fulfillment details are automatically fetched. This process is covered in detail in the Fulfillment Plan Implementation section below.

2. Steps to create a Fulfillment Plan 

The steps to create a Fulfillment Plan are explained below:

Navigate to: Home > Retail. Then under the Store Operations section click on the Fulfillment Plan shortcut. This should take you to the Fulfillment Plan List View screen.

Click on the Add Fulfillment Plan button. This will take you to the New Fulfillment Plan screen. 

Fill in the required information including the mandatory fields on the New Fulfillment Plan  screen and then click the Save button, to save the data and exit the screen.

This will create a new Fulfillment Plan and can be seen listed on the Fulfillment Plan List View screen. 

3. New Fulfillment Plan Screen

The various fields on the New Fulfillment Plan screen are explained below:

Is Default

Check this box to set the New Fulfillment Plan as the default Fulfillment Plan.

A default Fulfillment Plan will be automatically attached to a sale, special order and layaway transactions at POS.

Name

Specify a name for the fulfillment plan. 

Delivery Mode

Select the Delivery Mode as Home Delivery or Store Pickup from the drop down list. Depending upon the Delivery Mode selected, a fee may be applicable which can be defined using the Fulfillment Charges section. The impact of delivery mode on inventory management is explained below in the section Impact on Inventory.

Lead Days

The time it takes to fulfill an order is called the Lead Time. Specify the minimum lead time (in Days) for delivery of the items. The value displayed by default is 0. In the retail manufacturing industry, a business will typically encounter three types of lead times:

Material Lead Time: 

This is the duration it takes for suppliers to deliver ordered goods to the manufacturer.

Production Lead Time: 

This is the duration from submitting a manufacturing order to receiving the finished product into stock.

Customer Lead Time: 

This is the duration it takes for the company to produce the goods and/or deliver them to their customers, from order until fulfillment.

Description

Specify a description for the fulfillment plan.

Fulfillment Charges

The retailer may charge a fee based on the Fulfillment Plan selected. Delivery charges, Installation charges, etc are some of the examples

4. Fulfillment Plan Implementation at the POS 

The section below explains how a Fulfillment Plan is used at the Point of Sale. To keep things easy to understand, we will perform a simple sale.

Home Delivery 

On the iVendNext POS search and add the item to the transaction grid. 

Add a Customer to the transaction. You must record the Fulfillment sale against a customer's name. 

Fulfillment Plans can only be attached to the sale transactions of Registered Customers and not Walk In Customers. If a "Cash" customer wants to place a special order, a customer master record would have to be created in order to complete the transaction

On the Transaction Screen select the Transaction Modes option.  

Click on the Fulfillment button. This will take you to the Fulfillment Transaction List screen. This screen is split into 2 sections - UnFulfilled Items and Fulfilled Items.

Select the row items for which you want to attach a Fulfillment.Then you can select either a Delivery Plan or a Pickup Plan. In this section we are going to cover: Home Delivery.

Click on the Select Delivery Plan button. This will open the Choose Delivery popup screen. 

Fulfillment Plan

A default Fulfillment Plan will be automatically attached to a sale, special order and layaway transactions at POS. This means that when you reach the Choose Delivery popup screen the default Fulfillment Plan would be preselected. However, the application gives you the flexibility to select a different Fulfillment Plan from the drop down list.

Delivery Date

The date will automatically populate based on the Fulfillment Plan selected above. However, the application gives you the flexibility to select a different Delivery Date from the calendar popup screen. 

Select Address

The address should automatically populate based on the Customer selected on the Transaction screen. The application gives you the leverage to specify a different Address for Delivery. This is useful in case the Customer wants the items to be delivered at a different address other than the default address.  

Click on the Show Fulfillment Details button. This will open the Fulfilled Items screen.

Use the information displayed on this screen to verify the following:

• Fulfillment Plan

• Address of the Fulfillment Store 

• Date when the Fulfillment was raised

• Name of the Fulfillment Store

• Items along with their Quantity and Description

Once you have verified the information click on the Submit button. This will take you back to the Fulfillment Transaction Search screen. Click OK on the Fulfillment Transaction Search screen to return to the POS Transaction screen.

You might have observed that the Type column now displays the Sale Type as Fulfillment instead of Sale. 

Click the Quick Cash button to process the Payment. CLick on the Payments button only if you want to make a payment using different modes of payment.  

Return to the Point of Sale Transaction screen and click on the Transaction Search button to perform a transaction search. 

Select the desired transaction and click the OK button. 

This will take you back to the Transaction Details screen. 

Click on the transaction row to select the transactions and then click on the Delivery button.  

You might have observed that the Type column now displays the Sale Type as Delivery instead of Fulfillment and in the Price column it says $0.00. This is because the payment has already been made earlier and we are only going to mark the order as Delivered. Click the Quick Cash button to complete the order.

Store Pickup 

On the iVendNext POS search and add the item to the transaction grid. 

Add a Customer. You must record the Fulfillment sale against a customer's name. 

Fulfillment Plans can only be attached to the sale transactions of Registered Customers and not Walk In Customers. If a "Cash" customer wants to place a special order, a customer master record would have to be created in order to complete the transaction.

On the Transaction Screen select the Transaction Modes option.  

Click on the Fulfillment button. This will take you to the Fulfillment Transaction Search screen. This screen is split into 2 sections - UnFulfilled Items and Fulfilled Items.

Select the row items for which you want to raise a Fulfillment.Then you can select either a Delivery Plan or a Pickup Plan. In this section we are going to cover: Store Pickup.

Click on the Select Pickup Plan button. This will open the Choose Pickup Plan popup screen. 

Fulfillment Plan

A default Fulfillment Plan will be automatically attached to a sale, special order and layaway transactions at POS. This means that when you reach the Choose Delivery popup screen the default Fulfillment Plan would be preselected. However, the application gives you the flexibility to select a different Fulfillment Plan from the drop down list.

Delivery Date

The date will automatically populate based on the Fulfillment Plan selected above. However, the application gives you the flexibility to select a different Delivery Date from the calendar popup screen. 

Click on the Show Fulfillment Details button. This will open the Fulfilled Items screen.

Use the information displayed on this screen to verify the following:

• Fulfillment Plan

• Date when the Fulfillment was raised

• Name of the Fulfillment Store

• Items along with their Quantity and Description

Once you have verified the information click on the Submit button. This will take you back to the Fulfillment Transaction Search screen. Click OK on the Fulfillment Transaction Search screen to return to the POS Transaction screen.

You might have observed that the Type column now displays the Sale Type as Fulfillment instead of Sale. 

Click the Quick Cash button to process the Payment. CLick on the Payments button only if you want to make a payment using different modes of payment.  

Return to the Point of Sale Transaction screen and click on the Transaction Search button to perform a transaction search. 

Select the desired transaction and click the OK button. This will take you back to the Transaction Details screen. 

Click on the transaction row to select the transactions and then click on the Delivery button.

You might have observed that the Type column now displays the Sale Type as Delivery instead of Fulfillment and in the Price column it says $0.00. This is because the payment has already been made earlier and we are only going to mark the order as Delivered. Click the Quick Cash button to complete the order.

5. Inventory Allocation Method

There are 2 methods to allocate inventory - Sale and Delivery. 

Sale

The inventory of the item is affected immediately. A fulfillment plan with this inventory allocation method can be attached only to sales transactions.

Delivery

The inventory of the item is affected only after the order is delivered to the customer. By default this option is selected. A fulfillment plan with this inventory allocation method can be attached only to special order transactions.

6. Impact on Inventory 

When you place an order in iVendNext, you have the option to select a preferred delivery method. You can either choose to pick up the order placed by walking into a nearby store or choose to get the order delivered at your doorstep. Depending upon the selection made, the order is then processed. Whatever the case maybe “Home Delivery” or “Store Pickup”, it has a direct impact on your inventory. All this impact on Inventory can be well seen in the Stock Projected Quantity report.

Let us try to understand the impact of  “Home Delivery”  and "Store Pickup” on inventory with an example.

When an Order is Booked in iVendNext 

When an order is placed in iVendNext, the “Quantity Ordered” is kept aside and marked as “Reserved Quantity” and the “Quantity Available To Sell” is reduced by the “Quantity Ordered”.  For example, let's say that you have an item WB-1001 (Brook Large Zip Hobo). The stock in hand for this item is 100 units. An order was placed requesting 15 units. Though the item is still lying with you, you keep aside 15 units of the item and mark them as “Reserve Stock”. Now the actual units of the item that you are left with, that you can sell is 100 units minus 15 units (Reserved) = 85 units.

When an Order is Delivered in iVendNext 

When an order is delivered in iVendNext, be it Home Delivery or Store Pickup, the “Stock in Hand” is reduced by the units equivalent to the number of units delivered or picked up. There is a possibility that though the order was placed for 15 units of WB-1001 (Brook Large Zip Hobo), the customer requested delivery of only 7 units. This will result in the following impact:

1. The “Stock in Hand” is reduced by 7 units (100 - 7 = 93 units)

2. The “Reserved Quantity” is reduced by 7 units.  (15 - 7 = 8 units)

When an Order is Returned in iVendNext 

When an order is delivered in iVendNext, be it Home Delivery or Store Pickup, the “Stock in Hand” is increased by the units equivalent to the number of units returned. The customer who was delivered 7 units has returned 3 units. This will result in the following impact:

1. The “Stock in Hand” is increased by 3 units (93 + 3 = 96 units)

2. The “Reserved Quantity” remains at 8 units.  (15 - 7 = 8 units)

7. Additional Information

To keep things simple and easy to understand we have created separate transactions to demonstrate Home Delivery and Store Pickup. However, you can create a single transaction that includes both Home Delivery and Store Pickup.

You can create a single transaction that includes both Home Delivery and Store Pickup.

When you place an order in iVendNext, be it “Home Delivery” or “Store Pickup”, it has a direct impact on your inventory. All this impact on Inventory is recorded in the Stock Projected Quantity report. A sample screenshot of the report is pasted below:

Additional Learning Resources

For deeper insights and ongoing support, participants are encouraged to explore the following:

• 📘 iVendNext Wiki Documentation: Access the official user manual for detailed guidance on system features and workflows.
  Visit the Wiki Docs

• 🛠️ iVendNext Help Portal: Browse categorized knowledge articles covering Accounting, Buying, Selling, Stock, and more.
  Explore the Help Portal

These resources complement your training journey and serve as valuable references throughout the certification process.

Once you've completed the article, continue to the next topic in the training module to build on your understanding.

Get ready for iVendNext Pre-sales Certification

Now that you've completed the iVendNext Pre-sales Training Course, you should be ready to sit for your certification.