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Workflow Action: Generate 855


Generate 855 Workflow Action

Overview

The Generate 855 workflow action allows you to automatically generate Purchase Order Acknowledgment (855) EDI transactions from Sales Order records using NetSuite workflows. This provides a programmatic alternative to the manual "Generate 855" button.

Use Cases

Use this workflow action to:

  • Automatically generate 855 documents when sales orders are approved or confirmed
  • Trigger EDI acknowledgment as part of a larger order management workflow
  • Eliminate manual steps in your order acknowledgment process
  • Ensure PO acknowledgments are sent immediately upon order acceptance
  • Communicate order status, ship dates, and item availability to trading partners

Supported Transaction Types

This workflow action supports:

  • 855 (Purchase Order Acknowledgment)
  • Simplified Purchase Order Acknowledgment

The workflow action applies to Sales Order records.

Prerequisites

  • The workflow action script must be deployed to your NetSuite account
  • Script ID: customscript_orderful_generate_855_wa
  • Deployment ID: customdeploy_orderful_generate_855_wa
  • The script must be in RELEASED status
  • Customer must have 855 or Simplified Purchase Order Acknowledgment enabled in their Orderful configuration

Setup Instructions

1. Deploy the Script

The workflow action script should be automatically deployed when the Orderful bundle is installed. Verify deployment:

  1. Navigate to Customization > Scripting > Scripts
  2. Search for "Orderful | Generate 855 WA"
  3. Verify the script status is Released
  4. Check that the deployment is Deployed

2. Create or Edit a Workflow

To add the Generate 855 action to a workflow:

  1. Navigate to Customization > Workflow > Workflows
  2. Create a new workflow or edit an existing one
  3. Set the Record Type to Sales Order
  4. Add a workflow state where you want the action to execute

3. Add the Workflow Action

Within your workflow state:

  1. Click Add Action under the appropriate trigger type (e.g., After Field Edit, On Entry, etc.)
  2. Select Execute Script as the action type
  3. Configure the action:
    • Script: Select "Orderful | Generate 855 WA"
    • Deployment: Select "Orderful | Generate 855 WA"
  4. Optionally add conditions to control when the action executes

4. Set Workflow Conditions (Optional)

To ensure the action only runs for appropriate sales orders, add conditions such as:

  • Status = Pending Fulfillment (or other appropriate status)
  • Approval Status = Approved
  • Customer has 855 enabled (check via custom field)
  • Created From is NOT empty (to ensure it originated from an inbound PO)
  • Any custom field criteria specific to your business logic

Example Workflow Configuration

Auto-Generate on Order Approval

This example automatically generates 855 documents when a sales order is approved:

Workflow Settings:

  • Record Type: Sales Order
  • Trigger: After Record Submit
  • Init On Create: True

Workflow State:

  • Name: Auto-Generate 855 on Approval
  • Trigger Type: On Entry

Workflow Action:

  • Type: Execute Script
  • Script: Orderful | Generate 855 WA
  • Conditions:
    • Status = Pending Fulfillment
    • Customer: 855 Enabled = True
    • Created From (Orderful Transaction) is NOT empty

Conditional Generation Based on Field

This example only generates 855 when a custom checkbox is enabled:

Workflow Action Conditions:

  • Status ≠ Cancelled
  • Send PO Acknowledgment = True (custom field)

What the Action Does

When executed, the workflow action:

  1. Loads the Sales Order record
  2. Sets the Ready to Process (Acknowledgment) field to true
  3. Sets the Force Autosend field to true
  4. Saves the record

This triggers the standard Orderful acknowledgment processing logic, which:

  • Generates the 855/Simplified PO Acknowledgment EDI message payload
  • Creates an Orderful Transaction record
  • Dispatches the transaction to Orderful via API (if autosend is enabled)

This is the same functionality as clicking the "Generate 855" button manually.

Error Handling

If the workflow action encounters an error:

  • The error is logged to the script execution log (Error level)
  • The workflow will halt or continue based on your workflow configuration
  • Check Customization > Scripting > Script Execution Log for detailed error information
  • Any errors during EDI generation will be captured on the resulting Orderful Transaction record

Troubleshooting

Action Not Executing

  • Verify the script deployment is Released and Deployed
  • Check workflow conditions are being met
  • Review the workflow execution log
  • Ensure the user role has permission to execute the script

855 Not Being Generated

  • Verify the customer has 855 or Simplified PO Acknowledgment enabled in Orderful configuration
  • Check that ISA IDs are configured for the customer
  • Verify the sales order has required data (line items, customer info, etc.)
  • Review the Orderful Transaction record for error messages
  • Check the script execution log for detailed error information

Duplicate 855 Documents

  • Add a condition to prevent re-triggering on already processed sales orders
  • Check for existing Orderful Transaction records before executing
  • Use workflow state management to prevent multiple executions
  • Consider checking order status to avoid processing cancelled orders

Best Practices

  1. Add Status Checks: Only trigger on confirmed/approved orders to avoid processing incomplete records
  2. Check Customer Configuration: Verify customer has 855 enabled before generating
  3. Avoid Duplicate Processing: Ensure workflow doesn't trigger multiple times for the same sales order
  4. Test in Sandbox: Thoroughly test your workflow in a sandbox environment before deploying to production
  5. Monitor Execution: Regularly review script execution logs during initial rollout
  6. Consider Timing: Trigger after inventory allocation and ship date confirmation
  7. Handle Cancellations: Exclude cancelled orders from automatic processing
  8. Validate PO Source: Only send acknowledgments for orders created from inbound EDI POs

Integration with Order Management Process

Consider these workflow triggers based on your order management process:

  • After Order Created from 850: Trigger immediately after inbound PO creates sales order
  • After Manual Review: Require approval before sending acknowledgment
  • After Inventory Allocated: Wait until items are allocated before acknowledging
  • After Ship Date Confirmed: Ensure ship dates are set before sending
  • Custom Acknowledgment Flag: Use a custom field to control when orders are ready for acknowledgment

855 Acknowledgment Codes

The 855 can communicate various order statuses:

  • Accepted: Order is accepted as received
  • Accepted with Changes: Order accepted but with modifications (quantity, price, dates)
  • Rejected: Order cannot be fulfilled
  • Backordered: Items not currently available

Configure acknowledgment behavior in your Orderful Entity configuration.

Updated 3 months ago