Alerts overview

This guide is for implementers setting up automated monitoring rules in OpenSPP. You should know what conditions you want to monitor but don't need programming knowledge.

Mental model

Alerts in OpenSPP have two layers:

Layer	What it does	Example
Alert rule	Defines the condition to monitor	"When stock drops below 100 units"
Alert	Generated record when the condition is met	"Warehouse A stock is 45 units (below 100)"

Think of it like a smoke detector: the rule is the detector (always watching), and the alert is the alarm that goes off when smoke is detected.

Key concepts

Rule types

OpenSPP supports two types of alert rules:

Type	What it monitors	Example
Threshold	Numeric field crosses a boundary	Stock level drops below 100
Date/Deadline	Date field approaching or passed	Contract expires in 30 days

Threshold rules

Monitor a numeric field against a comparison value:

Field	What it means
Monitored Field	The field to watch — must be a numeric type (Integer, Float, or Monetary)
Operator	Comparison type
Threshold Value	The boundary number

Available operators:

Operator	Meaning	Alert when
lt	Less than	Value < threshold
lte	Less than or equal	Value <= threshold
gt	Greater than	Value > threshold
gte	Greater than or equal	Value >= threshold
eq	Equal to	Value = threshold

Date/deadline rules

Alert rule form showing threshold configuration with monitored field and comparison operator.

Monitor a date field for approaching deadlines:

Field	What it means
Date Field	The date field to watch
Days Before	How many days before the date to trigger the alert

For example, setting Days Before = 30 on a contract expiry date field creates alerts 30 days before each contract expires.

Common fields

All alert rules share these settings:

Field	What it means
Name	Rule description
Alert Type	Category (from vocabulary, e.g., "Stock Warning", "Deadline")
Model to Monitor	The type of record to watch (e.g., Programs, Entitlements, Contracts)
Priority	Low, Medium, High, or Critical
Sequence	Evaluation order (lower = first)
Active	Enable/disable the rule
Domain Filter	Only monitor records matching this filter
Company	Scope to a specific company

Domain filter

The Domain Filter field lets you narrow which records a rule monitors. You build filters using the filter builder — click Add Filter and select conditions from the dropdowns. For example:

• Monitor only active programs: set "Active" equals "Yes"

• Monitor only a specific warehouse: set "Warehouse" equals the warehouse name

• Monitor only high-priority items: set "Priority" is "High" or "Critical"

Leave the domain filter empty to monitor all records of the selected model.

Setting up alert rules

Step 1: Create a threshold rule

1. Navigate to Alert Rules

2. Click Create

3. Set Rule Type to "Threshold"

4. Select the Model to Monitor (e.g., inventory, budget)

5. Select the Monitored Field (must be a numeric field: Integer, Float, or Monetary)

6. Choose the Operator and Threshold Value

7. Set the Priority

8. Save

Step 2: Create a date/deadline rule

1. Navigate to Alert Rules

2. Click Create

3. Set Rule Type to "Date/Deadline"

4. Select the Model to Monitor (e.g., Contracts, Registrations)

5. Select the Date Field to monitor

6. Set Days Before the deadline to trigger

7. Set the Priority

8. Save

Step 3: Test the rule

Click Run Now on the rule to manually evaluate it. This checks all matching records and generates alerts for any that meet the condition.

Evaluation

Alert rules are evaluated in two ways:

Method	When
Manual	Click "Run Now" on the rule to evaluate immediately
Automatic	The system checks automatically on a regular schedule

When a rule evaluates:

1. It queries all records matching the domain filter

2. It checks each record against the threshold or date condition

3. For records that meet the condition, it creates an alert record

4. Alerts link back to the triggering record for easy navigation

Navigation

Menu	Purpose
Alert Rules	Create and manage monitoring rules
Alerts	View generated alerts

Alert rules list showing rule type, priority, and monitored model.

Common use cases

Use case 1: Low stock warning

Goal: Alert when warehouse stock falls below minimum levels.

Setup:

1. Create a threshold rule on the stock/inventory model

2. Monitor the quantity field with operator "lt" and threshold = 100

3. Set priority to "High"

4. Add a domain filter for the specific warehouse

Use case 2: Contract expiry reminder

Goal: Alert 30 days before service point contracts expire.

Setup:

1. Create a date/deadline rule on the contract model

2. Select the expiry date field

3. Set Days Before = 30

4. Set priority to "Medium"

Use case 3: Budget overspend

Goal: Alert when a program exceeds its budget allocation.

Setup:

1. Create a threshold rule on the program model

2. Monitor the spent amount field with operator "gt" and threshold = budget limit

3. Set priority to "Critical"

4. Add a domain filter for active programs only

Use case 4: Enrollment deadline approaching

Goal: Alert when program enrollment windows are about to close.

Setup:

1. Create a date/deadline rule on the program cycle model

2. Select the enrollment end date field

3. Set Days Before = 7

4. Set priority to "Medium"

Are You Stuck?

Alerts not being generated?

Check that the rule is Active and that the Domain Filter (if set) matches existing records. Try clicking "Run Now" to test manually.

Too many alerts generated?

Narrow the Domain Filter to reduce the scope. Adjust the threshold or days-before value to be less sensitive.

Alert types list is empty?

Alert types come from the vocabulary system. Check with your administrator that the "Alerts" vocabulary is configured with the appropriate alert type options.

Can I delete old alerts?

Yes. Alerts are standard records that can be archived or deleted. Consider archiving instead of deleting for audit purposes.

How do I get notified when an alert fires?

Currently, alerts appear in the Alerts menu. For email or push notifications, configure notification rules on the alert model or integrate with your organization's notification system.

Can I create alerts for custom models?

Yes. Most models in OpenSPP can be selected in the Model to Monitor field, as long as they have numeric or date fields to monitor.

Next steps

• Audit configuration overview - Track alert rule changes

• Approval workflows overview - Set up approvals triggered by alerts