Actions

Use this function to match (or link) business processes with specific types of business transactions, or entities. The resulting matched, or linked business process plus transaction (or entity) is given the general term "action". Each action should reflect a "process" commonly carried out within your organization.

Actions are used by the Sage X3 Change control functionality in the preparation and delivery of controlled and audited design and production "changes". They are the tasks carried out by specialist teams or key personnel on specific types of transactions (entities). Actions effectively become the "what" and "how" of any planning schedule drawn up to guide the implementation and execution of a design or production "change". The "what" are the entities to be delivered; the "how" the tasks (descriptions) to be accomplished.

For example, if your company returns faulty components a linked business process plus transaction could be Return to supplier (process/description) and Purchase orders (transaction/entity). Other examples could be that Sales orders (entity) are canceled (description) or customers (entity) need to be consulted (description). Project managers will append actions to their planning schedules to deliver a requested "change".

Your system is supplied with a predefined set of actions commonly used by businesses in the distribution and manufacturing sectors. You should review and change these to reflect your particular business "processes". The following are some of the actions provided:

  • The entity (transaction type) Purchase orders is matched with the description (process) Return to supplier.
  • The entity Purchase orders is also matched with the description Cancel.
  • The entity Routing is matched with the description Add operations.
  • The entity Routing is also matched with the description Modify operations.
  • The entity Work orders is matched with the description Block.
  • The entity Work orders is also matched with the description Delay.
  • The entity Stock is matched with the description Move to spares.

You can add to or change these values to suit your organization.

Every linked action (entity/transaction type plus description/process) has a unique identification reference (Action ID). It is this Action ID that is used in the planning schedules.

You assign an Action ID manually when creating new actions as this gives you complete control and flexibility over your identification codes. To link multiple descriptions or processes with a single entity or transaction type you simply assign a unique Action ID to each linked entity plus description.

Example

Your organization frequently sends products through the postal system. It is imperative, therefore, that any product packaging is strong and secure. Your customers, however, regularly return goods damaged as a result of defective packaging.

Your warehouse manager raises a change request to review the design of the packaging. In the event that your company’s "change board" approve a redesigned format an action plan will have to be put together to deliver the "change".

For this scenario you might consider creating an "action" that links a task or process such as "delay" with a sales order transaction type or entity. This would enable the project manager to include an action in the plan to hold or delay shipments until the new redesigned packaging is available. If your company returns faulty components to the supplier the predefined action code A501 (Entity Purchase orders plus Description Return to supplier) might be sufficient.

You could consider creating "catch-all" or "include-all" actions using the predefined entity values All and Other. For example, you could match the description Block with the entity All. These associations would give project managers unlimited or unrestricted scope in terms of your business setup or your business activities for their planning schedules.

 Change control management planning (Change control > Plan)

Prerequisites

SEEREFERTTO  Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

The Actions function displays existing actions in a grid, or a table.

Each line of the table represents a business process that has been matched (or linked) with a business transaction (or entity). The unique identification reference (Action ID) is used in Sage X3 Change control action plans.

Action ID (field ACTIONID)

Use this field to identify this "action".

An action is the general term for a business process that has been matched, or linked with a type of business transaction or entity.

Type in a value which needs to be unique.
Description (field TRANACTION)

Use this field to identify a standard business process which is commonly carried out in your organization for a specific type of transaction or entity.

For example, if your company disassembles faulty products to reuse the component parts, select the value Disassemble.

To create the "action" (entity/transaction type plus description) you could match, or link the value Disassemble with the entity Work orders.

The resulting action should be a "process" carried out in your organization when processing the specific type of transaction.

The list of descriptions is defined in Local menu 2032.
Entity (field TRANTYPE)

Use this field to identify a type of business transaction (entity) which is commonly carried out in your organization.

For example, if your company returns faulty goods to the supplier, select the value Purchase orders.

To create the "action" (entity/transaction type plus description) you could match, or link the value Purchase orders with a "returns" description such as Return to supplier.

The resulting action should be a "process" carried out in your organization when processing this specific type of transaction.

The list of entities is defined in Local menu 2039.

Action panel

Create

Select the Create action to create or add a new "action", that is, to match (or link) a business process with a specific type of business transaction.

 Select the quick Edit icon on the individual lines to change an existing value to suit your organization.

Error messages

In addition to the generic error messages, the following messages can appear during the entry :

The Entity field must contain a value

You cannot leave the Entity field blank.

The Description field must contain a value

You cannot leave the Description field blank.

Tables used

SEEREFERTTO  Refer to documentation Implementation