Flag Overview
Many Factor users have a significant number of line items and orders that they are tracking at any time - and it can be tough to easily find which ones may need your attention. Flags in Factor elevate line items that may be problematic so you can save time in your day and easily address problems.
Flag Types in Track
Let’s learn more about the types of flags Factor displays to buyer users in the Track page.
New Delay
When a vendor updates an item’s ship date or delivery date to any date in the future beyond the current due date AND later than the current ship or delivery date, the New Delay flag is triggered.
New Delay flag rules are not customizable at this time.
When a New Delay flag is triggered, any buyer users in Factor will receive an email notification.
Only the buyer user can see the New Delay flag.
Usage
Use this flag to discover items that vendors have identified as arriving later than originally expected.
Example Scenarios
- An item has a due date of 2/20/24. The current ship date is 2/10/24. Vendor updates the item to have a ship date of 2/21/24 and either updates the delivery date to any valid date or keeps the same delivery date if it’s valid. This is a new delay.
- An item has a due date of 2/20/23. The current delivery date is 2/25/23. Vendor either keeps the same ship date or updates the ship date to any valid date, and updates the delivery date to 2/28/23. This is a new delay.
- An item has a due date of 2/20/24. The current ship date is 2/25/24. Vendor updates the item to have a ship date of 2/21/24. This is not a new delay.
Direct reply
When a vendor replies to Factor update requests (either manual or automated) via email, the Direct reply flag is triggered.
Direct Reply flag rules are not customizable at this time.
When a Direct Reply flag is triggered, all order members on the relevant order will receive the contents of the email reply in an email notification. The contents of the email reply will also be available in Activity Log on all relevant items.
Only the buyer user can see the Direct Reply flag.
Usage
Use this flag to discover items that may not have updated dates in Factor, but may have updated information that vendors have provided via email.
Unresponsive vendor
When a vendor does not respond to the Update Request Reminder with an update, Unresponsive Vendor flag is triggered. Email responses, leaving a note in Factor, confirming dates and providing new dates all count as an update.
Unresponsive Vendor flag rules are customizable at this time. Use the Settings page to configure the number of business days Factor waits for a response before identifying a vendor as unresponsive.
Only the buyer user can see the Unresponsive Vendor flag.
Usage
Use this flag to identify vendors who are not responsive to update requests. It may help to reach out to these vendors yourself to reassure them about Factor. You can also request more assistance with unresponsive vendors, such as additional training, by emailing Factor customer support: support@factor.io.
Unknown ETA (Buyer)
When a vendor updates an item group to have an unknown delivery date or an unknown ship date, the Unknown ETA flag is triggered.
Unknown ETA flag rules are not customizable at this time.
Only the buyer user can see the Unknown ETA flag.
Usage
Use this flag to identify when a vendor removes dates from a line item that previously had known dates. This action could signal major issues with an item’s delivery schedule that you may want to investigate further.
Past due
When today’s date is after the delivery date (or due date if delivery date is unknown) on an item, Factor marks the item as Past Due. Past due flag is removed when the date creating the condition (either the delivery date or the due date) is modified to a date in the future.
Past Due flag rules are customizable at this time. Use the Settings page to configure the number of business days Factor waits after today’s date is after the delivery date (or due date if delivery date is unknown) to mark an item as Past due. The default setting is to add the past due flag immediately (0 business days).
Only the buyer user can see the Past due flag.
Usage
Use this flag to identify items that have not been marked as delivered on the timeline you expected. You may choose to follow up manually with vendors with Past due items, or you may choose to have Factor follow up with them for you by turning on the optional Past due email cadence.
Needs update (Vendor)
When Factor sends an update request, we mark the line items in the request as Needs Update so vendors can easily find items to update.
Only vendors can see the Needs update flag.
Needs update disappears when the vendor makes an update. Email responses, leaving a note in Factor, confirming dates and providing new dates all count as an update.