Invite Trade Partners to connect
Prepare and send an invitation so a Trade Partner can connect with you in Wholechain and see the Locations and products you share.
Applies to: the Invites tab of the Trade Partners page and the Add Invite drawer
Audience: Anyone who connects your company with its Trade Partners
Prerequisites: the Trade Partner is already in your list, and you have the email address of the person to invite
Related: Get started with Trade Partners; Add Trade Partners; Trade Partner details; Master Data Settings; Reference Guide: Invitations; Reference Guide: Module overview; Trade Partners FAQ; Field and action reference
Purpose
Invite a Trade Partner to connect with you in Wholechain. The invitation is how a partner connects with you and sees the Locations and products you share with them.
Before you begin
- The Trade Partner must already be in your list. See Add Trade Partners.
- Have the email address of the person to invite.
- Know which of your Locations, products and groups you want to share. Check the recipient and the Locations before you send.
- Nothing is sent until you select + Invite, so you can fill in the form and check it first.
Invitations are listed on the Invites tab of the Trade Partners page. You can also invite from the Invites tab inside a Trade Partner's drawer (see Trade Partner details).
The Invites tab on the Trade Partners page lists invitations you have sent.
Add an invite
Select Add Invite
On the Invites tab of the Trade Partners page, select Add Invite.
Choose the Trade Partner
Open Trade Partner and choose the partner. Your own company is not in the list.
Select Add Invite, then choose the Trade Partner to invite.
Choose a Trade Partner from the list. Your own company is not listed.
Enter the recipient's email address
Under Email/s, type the recipient's address and press Enter. Add a Carbon Copy Email/s address if you want one.
The form shows the email boxes, the Locations to share, and an invite message.
Type the recipient's email address and press Enter to add it.
Tip. Press Enter after each address to add it. To invite more than one person, add each address in turn.
Choose the Locations to share
Under Select your locations you would like to share, choose which Locations to include. Only Locations that belong to your own company are listed.
Select your Locations to share. Only Locations owned by your own company are offered.
Add products and groups if you want
Optionally choose Shared Products, Share Locations from Location Group, and Share Trade Items from Trade Item Group.
Write the invite message
Write a note in Invite Message. If a default invite message has been saved in Master Data Settings > Trade Partner, it fills in here, and you can keep it or edit it for this invitation.
Check every field and select + Invite
Check every field. When you are ready, select + Invite.
Check every field before you send. Nothing is sent until you select Invite.
Tip. Closing the drawer without selecting + Invite sends nothing.
The invite message and the default message
The Invite Message box is filled with the Default Invite Message when one is saved. The default is configured in Settings, not here: click the gear icon at the top of the Trade Partners page (or open Settings with the gear icon at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar), which opens Master Data Settings > Trade Partner. See Master Data Settings. Changes made in Settings apply to your whole account, so check with your administrator first. The default applies to invitations to connect with Trade Partners, not to user invitations.
Expected result
After the invitation is sent, each address in Email/s receives an email with a link to the Wholechain Inviter's Portal. There the invitee is offered the options Use Wholechain and Link EPCIS/GDST System to connect.
Troubleshooting
- My own company is not in the Trade Partner list. Your own company is never offered in the Trade Partner list.
- I cannot choose a partner's Location to share. Only Locations that belong to your own company are listed for sharing.
- The invitation will not send. Email/s is required and every address must be valid. An invitation cannot be sent with this field empty or with an invalid email address.
- I closed the drawer and nothing was sent. This is expected. Nothing is sent until you select + Invite.
- The Default Invite Message is not what I want. Edit the text in the Invite Message box for this invitation, or ask your administrator to change the default in Master Data Settings > Trade Partner.
For more answers, see the Trade Partners FAQ. For the full list of messages, see Messages. Questions: support@wholechain.com.
Field and action reference
Invites tab
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Search box | Search email or trade partner name |
| Filter | Filter (Trade Partner) |
| Table columns | Email, Trade Partner |
| Empty state | No invites found |
| Add Invite | Opens the Add Invite drawer |
Add Invite form
Before a Trade Partner is chosen the drawer shows Select a trade partner to continue.
| Field | Req. | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Trade Partner | Yes | Any Trade Partner except your own company. Placeholder: Select a trade partner. |
| Email/s | Yes | One or more valid email addresses; press Enter after each address to add it. An invitation cannot be sent with this field empty or with an invalid email address. |
| Carbon Copy Email/s | No | One or more email addresses |
| Select your locations you would like to share | No | Locations that belong to your own company |
| Shared Products | No | One or more products (Select product(s) to add) |
| Share Locations from Location Group | No | A Location Group |
| Share Trade Items from Trade Item Group | No | A Trade Item Group |
| Invite Message | No | Formatted text. Placeholder: Leave a note attached to your invite. Filled with the Default Invite Message when one is saved. |
The + Invite button sends the invitation. Closing the drawer without selecting + Invite sends nothing.