While working with different modules in Sage Intacct, we sometimes come across a scenario where we feel the need to mandate some fields, that the user might miss providing its information. Well, is it feasible for us to make any field in any module mandatory?
Yes! Smart Rule is the solution provided by Sage Intacct for this purpose.
Smart Rules provide the facility for run-time validations. With Smart Rules, we can make certain that the rules or standards of our business processes are met. It evaluates simple expressions or formulae provided and generate warning or error messages.
Let’s take an example of description field from Bills in AP module. Description field is not made required here by default, but it might happen that your company has a process where you print the memo on checks as a reference or whatsoever. In this case, maybe you do not want users to forget filling information for that and so; you find the need to make it mandatory.
- Go to Customization Services or Platform Services -> Object customizations -> Smart Rules -> Add.
From the dropdown list, Choose Object on which you have to apply the rule. In this case, it is AP Bill.
Choose object - Selecting properties.
— Select Message Type–
Error : It does not let you save the record unless the rule condition is satisfied.
Warning : It shows a warning message but lets you save the record asking you to redo the action of clicking Post.
— Select Events – Add, Edit, and Delete events are available. The selected events among these will trigger your rule condition to be checked.
— Condition – Write your expressions and formulae in here that are to be checked. It must evaluate to true or false. Field lookup can be used for using merge fields.
— Error Message – Message that is to be displayed.
Here we have chosen Add and Edit events and message type as Error.
Select rule properties - Provide the smart rule name and description if any.
Select deployment properties
The above smart rule checks for the condition {!APBILL.DESCRIPTION!} != ‘’, i.e., Description field in Bill cannot be null/empty. Now, let us see its execution.
Go to Accounts Payable -> Bills -> Add.
Enter the details keeping the description field blank and click Post.
Following error message will be shown, saying that the rule is violated and Description needs to be filled in.
This is how Smart Rules make our simple validations easy to apply. Smart Rules can be applied only on Standard objects. They ease out the way of checking accuracy of data by verifying the data for satisfying the provided conditions.