020275: Add ability to link documents to stock items for emails

1.      Overview

This new functionality allows users of Khaos Control to link stock specific attachments to an email.

2.      Specification

An option has been added that allows certain stock items to have documents attached to the email, when sent through Khaos Control's Email Manager.

If a file has been listed on the stock item, but cannot be found when the email is being processes, the attachment will be skipped and the email will remain in pending emails with an error "Stock Code XXXXX - Attachment not found"


Notes\Caveats

  • The file to be attached must be stored on the K:\ drive or similar drive which Khaos Control can access.
  • This development item is likely to slow down the processing of emails, as such it is recommended that Send Immediately is NOT enabled in conjunction with the above option.
  • Large file attachments could cause issues with the email servers both at the send and receiving end, so caution will be needed
  • KSDMU should follow the same behaviour, such that if it is failed due to a missing attachment then it will keep failing. This should still respect the System Values option (see next section).
  • Part shipments will send the instructions again, even if they have already been sent.

3.      Configuration

KCSL have added an option to [ System Values | General | Miscellaneous ] which allows the user to decide the action taken when an attachment cannot be found:

  • Prompt User: will prompt the user to ask if they wish to send the email without the attachment.
  • Skip missing: will skip the missing attachment and send the email without any user interaction
  • Error: will cause an error in sending the email and will be shown within the pending emails list within [List Manager].

4.      Usage

To create the message template that will be used when sending out the document with the email:

  1. Open an Email Manager screen (show me how).
  2. Click in the Message Templates radio button to display existing message templates.
  3. Press Ctrl+N or click the New item icon is the button bar's NEW button .
  4. Add a code and description.
  5. Change the Trigger Type to INVOICE.
  6. Tick the Allow Stock Attachments checkbox.
  7. Press Ctrl+S or click the disk icon is the button bar's SAVE button to save the template.

To link the document held against a stock item so that it can be attached to an email:

  1. Open the [ Stock | Detail | Telesales/Internet | Secondary Sub ] tab.
  2. Press Alt+E or click the green triangle icon is the buttonbar's EDIT button to enter edit mode.
  3. Scroll down to the Linked Document grid.
  4. Add a new document if required.
  5. Tick the Attach to email checkbox for the document to be sent out with the email.
  6. Press Ctrl+S or click the disk icon is the button bar's SAVE button to save the stock item.

When a Sales Invoice is processed which includes a stock item that has the linked document with Attach to email ticked and there is a message template of type INVOICE with Allow Stock Attachments ticked, the email sent from Khaos Control will include the attachment.

Khaos Control will keep a record of the attachments which have been sent within Email Manager. To see this, find a record of the sent email and then use the right click option "Email Attachments" to see what was attached to the email.


5.      See Also


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