Flexible search paths

Isah provides a number of fixed search paths, including the VAT search path and the Sales price search path. The structure of these fixed search paths cannot be changed.

Fixed search paths may not be suitable for data such as hourly rates, as rates are not always calculated using the same variables. You will want to be in control of the factors that determine a rate. An example is the hourly rate of a service engineer, which may vary by person, day, time, customer, or contract.

To enable you to build custom search paths for items such as rates, Isah provides flexible search paths. Flexible search paths can be defined only for predefined Isah applications.

Note: It is essential to define the search path output correctly, as the output has a major impact on all data throughout Isah.

If a valid operational application has been defined for flexible search paths, flexible search paths can be used in the following processes:

• Create cost-plus specification
• Create preventive maintenance
• Determine contract sum for corrective maintenance

To determine the current search path line, the search path is checked as follows:

• Firstly, the service contract is checked.
• If the service contract does not contain a current search path, the settings specified for the flexible search paths are checked.
• Then the priority lines are checked (see Operational applications). The line with the highest priority (the line with the lowest number) is checked first.
• If none of the lines yields a result, the output fields are checked (see Operational applications). If a value is found, for example the commercial hourly rate on the cost-plus specification lines, this value is filled in.
• If no value is found in the search path, the value specified in the safety net is used.

Example

A flexible search path allows you to determine how a valid result (such as an amount) is obtained for:

• The Create preventive maintenance process on the Objects by contract version form
• Sums for corrective maintenance in contracts on the Objects by contract version form
• Cost-plus invoicing: Defining commercial prices for labor hours, machine hours, equipment, and external operations