Hi,
I would like to see the enhancement for the Email Templates (SM204003) screen to allow users to attach Generic Inquiry (GI) results directly to outgoing emails, similar to how reports can currently be attached.
Current Functionality
In Acumatica ERP, the Email Templates (SM204003) screen provides an Attached Reports tab that allows users to attach report outputs to email notifications.
However, there is no equivalent standard functionality to select a Generic Inquiry and attach its result set as a file to the email.
While this approach works for certain scenarios, it is not ideal when the inquiry returns a large number of records.
Limitations of Existing Workarounds
There are currently two possible approaches to address this requirement, but both have limitations:
1. Include GI results directly in the email body
As discussed in the existing community post, GI records can be included directly in the email body. However, this is not ideal when the inquiry returns a large number of records, as it makes the email lengthy and difficult to read.
2. Convert the Generic Inquiry into a Report
Another option is to recreate the GI output as an Acumatica report and attach the report through the existing Email Templates functionality.
Although this approach works, it is not always intuitive or practical. Generic Inquiries are relatively easy to configure and maintain, allowing users to modify columns, filters, conditions, and sorting without extensive development effort. Recreating the same functionality in Report Designer introduces additional complexity and maintenance overhead. Any changes to the original GI may also need to be replicated in the report.
Why Native GI Attachments Would Be Better
Allowing users to attach GI results directly would provide a simpler, more maintainable solution by leveraging existing Generic Inquiries as the data source, without requiring users to embed large datasets in email bodies or recreate their inquiries as reports.
This would make email automation more accessible to functional consultants and administrators while reducing the need for custom development and ongoing maintenance.
Proposed Enhancement
Add the ability to select a Generic Inquiry as an attachment source in the Email Templates (SM204003) screen, alongside the existing option to attach report outputs.
The proposed functionality should allow users to:
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Select a Generic Inquiry to attach its results to an email notification.
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Generate the GI result set at the time the email is sent, using the applicable filters and parameters.
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Attach the results as a file rather than embedding the entire result set in the email body.
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Support common export formats, such as Excel (XLSX) and CSV, with PDF as a potential additional option where appropriate.
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Use the functionality with Business Events, scheduled notifications, and other email processes that support email templates, wherever technically applicable.
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Respect Acumatica's existing access permissions and applicable data-security controls when generating and sending the attachment.
Business Benefits
1. Better readability
Keep email messages concise and professional while providing detailed information in a separate attachment.
2. Support large result sets
Avoid lengthy email bodies containing hundreds or thousands of rows, which can make messages difficult to read and potentially affect email-client performance.
3. Easier data analysis
Recipients can open the attached Excel or CSV file to sort, filter, analyze, and share the data without manually copying information from an email.
4. Reduced customization and maintenance
Provide a standard, configurable solution without requiring custom code or workarounds to generate and attach GI data.
5. Improved automation
Allow businesses to distribute operational reports automatically through Business Events and scheduled email notifications, using existing Generic Inquiries as the data source.
Example Use Cases
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Sending open Sales Orders or Purchase Orders to managers on a daily basis.
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Distributing inventory availability, replenishment, or stock movement details.
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Sending overdue Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable transaction lists.
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Sharing pending approvals, unprocessed transactions, or exception reports with relevant teams.
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Providing vendors or customers with transaction lists extracted from a GI, where appropriate.
Expected Outcome
Users should be able to configure an email template to include a Generic Inquiry result set as a downloadable attachment, just as they can currently configure report outputs to be attached.
This would make Generic Inquiries a more flexible and practical data source for automated email distribution in Acumatica ERP, particularly when the result set is too large to include in the email body.
Would this functionality be useful in your implementations? I would appreciate feedback from the community and the Acumatica product team.