Luminous automations now support Transfer Orders as an event trigger, and can automatically attach a generated Purchase Order PDF to an email and send it to a supplier contact — no manual export-and-send required. Use this when you want PO delivery or Transfer Order-related notifications to happen automatically instead of manually each time.
How It Works (Step-by-Step)
Setting up a Transfer Order trigger
- In Luminous, go to Tools > Automation.
- Click Create Rule.
- Give the rule a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Notify Warehouse on New Transfer Order").
- Under Event Trigger, select Transfer Order Created or Transfer Order Updated.
- (Optional) Add a Global Condition to narrow when the rule applies (e.g., specific warehouse or product).
- Click Add Action and choose an action (e.g., Enhanced Email, Tag the Order).
- Click Save, then test the rule against a sample Transfer Order.
Setting up automatic PO export + send to supplier
- In Luminous, go to Tools > Automation.
- Click Create Rule.
- Name the rule (e.g., "Auto-Send PO to Supplier on Approval").
- Under Event Trigger, select the trigger that should kick this off (e.g., Order Created or Order Updated for a Purchase Order).
- (Optional) Add a Global Condition to narrow when the rule applies (e.g., PO status = Approved).
- Click Add Action and select Enhanced Email as the action type.
- Fill in the Subject and Email Body — both support {{ variable }} placeholders (e.g., {{ orderNumber }}).
- Click + Add Attachment and choose Purchase Order PDF from the list (other available document types include Work Order PDF, Production Run PDF, Packing Slip, Invoice PDF, and Custom Report). Enter a Template ID to control which PO export template is used to generate the attached PDF.
- Under Recipient Logic, check Supplier Contacts so the email reaches the supplier on the PO. You can combine this with other recipient checkboxes (Send to Order Primary Contact, Send to Company Primary Contact, Vendor/Co-Manufacturer Contacts, Company Contacts by Tag, Direct Recipients (Static)) — all checked recipients are merged into a single list.
- Confirm the supplier contact(s) on file are correct under Manage > Suppliers before activating the rule.
- Click Save and test with a sample PO.
Key Features / Options
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Transfer Order Created / Updated (Event Trigger) | Triggers the rule the moment a Transfer Order is created or changes status. |
| Global Condition | Optional. Narrows when a rule fires (e.g., by warehouse, product, or order status). |
| Enhanced Email (Action) | Sends a rich email with attachments and flexible recipient logic. This is the single action used for both general notifications and automated PO delivery — there is no separate "Export PO" or "Send to Supplier Contact" action. |
| Add Attachment > Purchase Order PDF | Attaches a generated PO PDF using the export template specified by Template ID. Other attachable document types: Work Order PDF, Production Run PDF, Packing Slip, Invoice PDF, Custom Report. |
| Recipient Logic > Supplier Contacts | Sends to the supplier's contact(s) on file for that PO. This checkbox is what accomplishes what older documentation called "Send to Supplier Contact." |
| Recipient Logic (other checkboxes) | Send to Order Primary Contact, Send to Company Primary Contact, Vendor/Co-Manufacturer Contacts, Company Contacts by Tag, Direct Recipients (Static) — any combination can be checked; all selected recipients are merged into a single list. |
Tips or Best Practices
- Confirm the export template's Template ID before building the rule — the Enhanced Email action references an existing PO export template by ID rather than letting you create one inline.
- Double-check supplier contact emails under Manage > Suppliers so automated sends don't fail or go to the wrong person.
- Use a Global Condition to avoid over-triggering — for example, restrict the send action to a specific PO status like "Approved" so drafts aren't sent automatically.
- Test with one supplier or one Transfer Order before rolling a rule out broadly.
- If you need different templates for different suppliers, create separate rules with different Global Conditions (e.g., by supplier) and Template IDs, rather than trying to make one rule handle every case.
FAQs or Troubleshooting
Q: Where do I find "Export PO" or "Send to Supplier Contact" as actions?
A: They don't exist as separate actions. Use the Enhanced Email action, attach a Purchase Order PDF via + Add Attachment, and check Supplier Contacts under Recipient Logic — together these produce the same result.
Q: How do I control which PO export template is used?
A: Enter the export template's Template ID in the field next to the attachment type when you select Purchase Order PDF.
Q: What happens if a supplier contact doesn't have an email on file?
A: The Supplier Contacts recipient option won't have a valid recipient for that contact — check and update contact details under Manage > Suppliers first.
Q: Does this replace the manual "Send to Contacts via Email" option on a PO?
A: No — manual sending is still available. Automation is an additional option for recurring or rule-based sends.
Q: Can Transfer Order triggers be combined with other conditions, like warehouse or product?
A: Yes, the same Global Condition logic used for other automation events applies here. Q: Can I select more than one recipient checkbox at once?
A: Yes — for example, Supplier Contacts and Company Contacts by Tag can both be checked on the same action. All selected recipients are merged into a single list before sending.
Additional Help If you run into issues setting up these automations, reach out to Luminous Support for assistance.