Getting Started with Rules
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      2. Connex for QuickBooks User Guide
      3. Getting Started with Rules

      Getting Started with Rules: What is the rules engine?

      The Connex Rules Engine allows you to create custom mappings and change how fields map.

      Is there a demo?

      Here is a demo:

      What is the rules engine?

      The Connex Rules Engine is a powerful automation and field mapping tool that enables you to dynamically change how fields are mapping, based on a specific scenario or desired outcome. 

      For example:

      • Mapping SKU A to different SKU B;
      • Map a deposit account, based upon a specific payment method;
      • Map all coupon codes to a single discount line item;
      • Map all shipping methods to a single shipping line item; or
      • Map Class tracking based upon a specific selling channel or marketplace.
      • and so much more!

      There are many more actions that are available. To explore the possibilities, login to Connex and click Rules Engine on the left. Then, click Add new Rule to get started and see what's possible.

      What is the value of the rules engine?

      The most common reason why sales fail to sync is mismatching errors. The rules engine allows you to fix mismatched products, customers, and other fields to prevent sync failures. Without the rules engine, here are the problems you face:

      1. QuickBooks fails to record expenses and income. Cost of goods sold (COGS) is only recorded, if you sell a product. Without a sale, no COGS is recorded. Assume each sale contains $100 of product and you fail to enter 100 sales. You are missing $10,000 in expenses. In the U.S., businesses are taxed at about 30%. This means your tax bill has increased by $3,000.
      2. Your inventory is incorrect. You oversell or overstock.
      3. If you fulfill orders through QuickBooks and those sales are missing, then you fail to fulfill orders. Customers will get angry and ask for refunds.

      When do rules run?

      The rules run before orders sync to QuickBooks, but after orders are synced from your website. If Connex was a sandwich, your website and QuickBooks are the two slices of bread. The rules are in between.

      Furthermore, Rules run in top-down order and they run across all integrations added to your account, unless otherwise set not to do so.

      Can I chain rules together?

      Yes, you can add an and statement with rules. You could say if the selling channel matches eBay and if the payment method equals PayPal.

      What are the best practices?

      Here is a list:

      • Use an ends with or a starts with to remove part of a phrase. Many users upload thousands of rules, when this simple comparison would perform better.
      • Use our order previewer to test rules, before syncing. This can save time. Instead of deleting and resyncing orders, you can see how a rule will perform.
      • We allow a maximum of 5,000 rules per user. Having a large number of rules, especially SKU mapping, can cause a slower sync.
      • Try to chain rules with the AND statement, instead of running certain rules on certain connections. It is easier to see what rules will run.

      🔷 Next: QuickBooks Mapping (Step 2)