Rebate Calculations

You can set up Rebate Record Calculation tasks for (re-)calculation of Rebate Records in the background. A Rebate Record is calculated by a logic associated with its RebateType. The rebate logic decides how to calculate Rebate Agreement line items as well as the Rebate Records for the given Rebate Type. This is determined on the logic element level by setting the 'Groups' to which the element applies.

The guiding principle when writing a rebate logic is to keep the computation complexity down for the Rebate Agreement line items. The reason is that Rebate Agreements are calculated within a user session (in a UI page) and the user expects an immediate response. The agreement level logic prompts for inputs (customer(s), product(s), negotiated terms...) and returns information, potentially including some guidance on the past performance, that allows the user to complete a negotiated agreement with a customer.

The Rebate Record, on the other hand, carries the heaviest part of the calculation. In order to determine the rebate accruals, a potentially large volume of actual transaction data is processed. This heavy lifting cannot normally be done in real-time, hence the need for background/batch jobs. It is also a process which is typically completed at the end of a (financial) period, i.e. less frequently. The vehicle for these batch calculations is the Rebate Calculation, accessible in the main Rebates menu.

  Users are not allowed to delete the default Rebate Calculation (since it is necessary to have it for the Rebate Records Mass Submit action). If the default Rebate Calculation had already been deleted (this delete lock was introduced in version 3.5.4), a new default Rebate Calculation is automatically created after clicking the Rebate Record Mass Submit button, so that the Mass Submit action can run successfully.

 For step-by-step instructions see How to Set up Rebate Calculations.