What are associations?
Introduction
Associations in Paragon are used to link different pieces of information, known as references, together with a common piece of information. Usually, this common piece of information is set up as an attribute.
For example,
- The purchasing cost of a material may be different based on the supplier. In this case, the material is associated with the vendor using the attribute purchase cost.
- A sales rep commission may differ from one customer to the next. In this case, the sales rep is associated with the customer using the attribute commission.
- A product is sold at a lesser price if it is sold with another product. In this case, the product is associated with a volume and a sales price attribute.
Example 1: Purchase cost differs based on the vendor
In the example below, this product is usually purchased for $34.00:
However, if you purchase it from vendor Park Suppliers, you will purchase it for $30.00. In this example, this information is found in the associated tab of the product:
Example 2: Commission percentage differs based on the Customer
In the example below, this sales rep usually receives a 10% commission:
However, if that sales rep is used with Customer Zakis, the commission defaults to 6%. In this instance, this information is found in the associated tab of the customer:
By creating associations, you create 'conditions' in Paragon. Combined with rules, associations become a lot more powerful than when they're used alone. This is because a rule can be used to force the system to behave differently based on the association. For example, if your purchase cost for the same product differs based on the vendor, we can then create a rule that uses the special vendor cost, instead of the standard purchase cost, on a purchase order.
What's Next
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