Organizing Requests with Request Types

The association of requests to a request type is used to organize requests into basic request categories at the highest level. Thus the request processing personnel can distinguish e.g. between requests demanding different types of action. Standard Valuemation demo data contain three request types - User, Change, Question.

In addition to requests categorization, request types help to define (limit) possible combinations of items within one request.

The association to request type is defined at the level of offer packages. All requests based on offers belonging to a given offer package have the request type of the offer package.

To assign request type to an offer package:

1. Open catalog 'Service Offer Packages'. The catalog lists available offer packages.
2. Open the relevant offer package, locate the 'Request Type' reference view and use the 'Search and assign existing Request Type' button to assign one of the existing request types to the offer package. (See below for information on new request type creation.)
3. Save the changes.

   Request made for offers associated with this offer package will now be of the selected request type.

To create a new request type:

Request types are administered using the 'Request Types' catalog. In standard Valuemation, the catalog can be found e.g. in the 'Requesting Configuration/Shop Definition' folder of business view 'SRM Catalogue Manager'.

1. Open the 'Request Types' catalog and call context menu action 'Create'.
2. The 'New: Request Type' editor opens. Fill in the necessary attributes.
3. Section 'Offer Packages' can be used to mass-assign the new request type to multiple offer packages. (Use the sections selector button at the top right-hand corner of the editor to display the section if it is hidden.)
4. Section 'Is Combination of Base Request Types' is used when a 'combined' request type is being created, see below for more information.
5. Save the changes.

Requests of Mixed Request Types

When offers belonging to the same offer package are requested, the resulting request receives the request type associated with the offer package. The situation gets more complicated if offers from different offer packages are added to the cart. In such case, the offers must be combined in a pre-defined standard way, otherwise the request cannot be processed. The pre-defined standard combination exists in the form of 'combined' request type. This means that each allowed combination of request types, a specific 'combined' request type must exist. During request processing, requests containing the specified combination are assigned the corresponding 'combined' request type.

To create a 'combined' request type:

• Create a new request type and specify the request types it contains in the 'Is Combination of Base Request Types' section of the request type editor.
• The 'Offer Packages' section references offer packages to which the allowed request types belong.

If no 'combined' request type exists, it is not possible to order items of different request types within one request. If this is attempted, then a warning message gets displayed and the user is offered the creation of a separate request for the conflicting item(s).