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Reason

Several screens ask the user why: why this travel, why this salary is being held, why this document is being reversed. Reason is the one list those pickers read from. Each reason also records which screens it belongs to, so a reason written for travel never clutters the salary hold screen.

Where
Organization and Setup › Setup › Reason
Who uses it
The implementation consultant, once per reason, then whenever the client wants another one
When
Before the screens that ask for a reason go live
Needs first
Nothing. It is a plain list.

What it is for​

A client does not want a free text box where a reason belongs. Free text gives you five spellings of "medical" and no report. So the reasons are a short list the consultant controls, and the user picks one.

The important part is the second half of the screen. A reason is not offered everywhere. Each reason carries a list of the screens it is for, and a screen only offers the reasons that name it. Set up "Client visit" for Employee Travel and it appears on Employee Travel only. The salary hold screen keeps its own three or four reasons and nothing else.

That is also why a brand new reason sometimes seems not to work. The name was saved, but no screen was named under it, so no screen offers it.

One reason may name as many screens as you like. "Data entry error" is usually wanted on all of them.

Every field, in plain words​

FieldWhat it meansWhat to put in itNotes
ReasonYour short code for this reason. It is what the system stores.MEDICALRequired. Keep it short and in capitals. It cannot be changed once other records use it.
NameWhat the user reads in the list.Medical treatmentRequired. This is translated into each language the client has switched on.
BlockedTakes the reason out of every list without deleting it. Records that already used it keep it.Leave off. Tick it when a reason is retired.

Screens​

One line per screen this reason is offered on.

FieldWhat it meansWhat to put in itNotes
Process CodeThe screen this reason belongs to. Picked from the list of screens.Employee TravelRequired. Add one line per screen.
Required For GeneralMarks the reason as a general purpose reason for that screen, which is the one a screen asks for when it puts a record on hold.Tick it for reasons such as Awaiting approval.
Required For ReverseMarks the reason as one that may be given when a record on that screen is reversed. The Reverse box on the screen offers only these.Tick it for reasons such as Data entry error.
Required For ReturnMarks the reason as a return reason. No PeopleNest screen asks for a return reason, so leave it off on HR reasons.Leave off.

How to configure it​

  1. Open Reason and create a new record.
  2. Type the code, for example MEDICAL, and the name the user will read, for example Medical treatment.
  3. Go to the Screens part of the screen and add a line.
  4. Pick the screen this reason is for, for example Employee Travel.
  5. If this reason should also be offered when somebody reverses a record on that screen, tick Required For Reverse on the same line.
  6. Add a further line for every other screen that should offer the same reason.
  7. Save. Open the screen you named and check the reason now appears in its list.

Scenarios​

"Our travel requests should say what the trip is for"​

Create one reason per trip type, each naming Employee Travel and Employee Request Travel: CLIENT Client visit, AUDIT Audit or inspection, TRAIN Training, MACH Machinery or supplier visit. The travel screens then offer exactly those four and nothing else.

"We want our own list of reasons for holding somebody's salary"​

Create them naming Request for Salary Hold only: ABSCOND Absconding, CLEAR Pending clearance, DISC Disciplinary case open. The travel reasons do not appear there, and these do not appear on travel.

"Anybody who reverses a document must say why"​

Reversal reasons are taken from this same list, from the reasons that have Required For Reverse ticked for that screen. Create one small set, for example DEENTRY Data entry error and DUP Duplicate entry, and tick Required For Reverse on each screen line you add them to.

"The reason I added yesterday is not in the list"​

Almost always the Screens part is empty, or it names a different screen. A reason with no screen line is offered nowhere.

What it is connected to​

  • Used in PeopleNest by Employee Travel, Employee Request Travel and Request for Salary Hold.
  • Used by the Reverse box on any screen that allows reversal, for the reasons marked Required For Reverse.
  • Also used widely by the finance, purchasing, sales and maintenance screens that share this module, which is why the screen list is long.
  • Several HR screens ask for a reason as free text rather than from this list, among them Resignation, Profile Change Request and Overtime Request. Adding a reason here does not change those.

If something looks wrong​

  • "The reason list on the screen is empty" - no reason names that screen yet. Add a line in the Screens part of each reason.
  • "The reason shows on the screen but not in the Reverse box" - Required For Reverse is not ticked on that screen's line.
  • "A retired reason is still being picked" - it was not Blocked. Tick Blocked rather than deleting it, so old records keep their reason.
  • "The same reason appears twice in the list" - two reasons were created with different codes and the same name.