Purchasing Assistant

Wanda's Purchasing Assistant helps users submit a single-product purchase request for approval. The target audience includes users with a few simple purchasing needs (for example, computer equipment, mobile devices, office supplies etc.), and not professional procurement departments with more complex purchasing requirements. Purchase requests for items specified by amount or quantity, and multi-item kits are not supported.

System requirements

• Requisitions Experience pack version 1.6 or later installed (latest version is recommended)
• Purchasing public APIs exposed, including Requisitions, Products and Orders
• Product search indexing service running

System setup

Assign access rights

Assign access rights for the relevant users as listed in User access checklist.

Product descriptions

• If the Product master file contains accurate and descriptive product descriptions, then the Purchasing Assistant's requests will be user-friendly.

Product images

• In the LG02 Product master files window in the Unit4 ERP desktop (Unit4 ERP7) and the TLG002 Products window on Unit4 ERPx, there is an option to connect images to products (Product image tool item). Wanda only supports URL links. It is recommended to use secure https links to images, since some channels block all external links using unsecure http.

Product alias

• In the Product master file you can configure aliases for products. Using the Alias field results in product search working more accurately, but it's not mandatory to configure it. This alias may contain comma-separated lists. For example, "HP elite 2380 product" can have "laptop, computer, pc" as aliases.

Product search

• If not done so already, a configuration of product search is required:

  • Use the (TPQ050) Product search configuration window in the Unit4 ERP web client. Product search configuration can be used to adjust the search features to the customer's needs. This means deciding what to search for and what information gets displayed to the end user.
  • The suggested way to get started with the Purchasing Assistant is to use the default setup in the (TPQ050) Product search configuration window. First save this setup (using the correct client) and then publish it. The Product search indexing service will pick this configuration and perform its indexing tasks.

  • As a minimum requirement, Wanda requires these fields to configure Product search. These fields are already configured in the default setup:

    • apoprice_currency
    • apoprice_apar_id
    • apoprice_unit_price
    • apoprice_art_descr
    • algunit_description
    • description
    • article
    • apoprice_unit_code
    • apoprice_min_qty
    • image

  • For further details on setting up the product search, refer to Reference Manual - Experience Pack - Requisitions 1.6.

Default accounting values

• For the purchase request process for products made available through Wanda you must define the minimum default accounting values to satisfy the applicable account rule for the given product. This will typically be cost center, project code, work order code etc.
• The PQ_ANALYSIS_CTRL system parameter should be inactive as Wanda is unable to validate the entered accounting values before they are passed to Unit4 ERP.

Data control

• Implementation of data control for products/groups is strongly recommended. For example, when a user needs a new laptop, the search results should be limited to only those laptops the user is allowed to purchase.