When determining which commission plan applies to a transaction, the system follows a structured decision-making process. It starts by trying to find the most specific plan available, then progressively broadens its search if no exact match is found. Let’s walk through how this decision process works in a clear and simple way.
How the Decision Process Works
The system uses a hierarchy of specificity, starting with the most detailed information available about the transaction, such as the affiliate, the brand, the product, and the tracker used. If no plan matches all these details, it gradually broadens its search by ignoring certain details, moving toward more general, default plans.
The goal is always to find the most relevant commission plan for the transaction by prioritizing more specific plans over more general ones.
The Step-by-Step Decision Process
Most Specific Plan: Affiliate, Brand, Product, and Tracker
The system begins by looking for a commission plan that matches all four criteria: the affiliate who made the sale, the product sold, the brand it belongs to, and the tracker used.
Affiliate-specific plans take priority at this level, meaning the system is looking for a customized plan that applies specifically to this combination of affiliate, product, brand, and tracker.
Affiliate, Tracker, Brand
If no exact match is found at the previous level, the system broadens the search by ignoring the product. It now looks for a plan based on the affiliate, the brand, and the tracker used.
Again, affiliate-specific plans are prioritized here, but across all products for that brand and tracker combination.
Affiliate and Tracker
If no plan is found yet, the system ignores both the brand and product, focusing only on the affiliate and the tracker.
This step prioritizes plans that apply to the affiliate for any brand or product, as long as they are tracked using the same tracker.
Affiliate and Product
At this stage, the system drops the tracker and brand from its search, focusing just on the affiliate and product.
This allows for commission plans that apply to a specific product for the affiliate, regardless of the brand or the tracker used.
Affiliate and Brand
Here, the system looks for a plan that applies to the affiliate and the brand, ignoring both the product and tracker.
This would be useful in cases where a commission plan applies across all products within a brand for a specific affiliate.
Affiliate Only
If no match is found so far, the system simplifies even further, checking only for a plan tied to the affiliate.
All other factors (product, brand, tracker) are ignored, meaning the plan applies to anything the affiliate sells, no matter the brand, product, or tracker.
Moving to Default Plans
If no specific commission plan is found for the affiliate, the system moves on to more generic plans that are not tied to a particular affiliate.
Default Product Plan
At this level, the system looks for a plan based on the brand and product, without considering the affiliate. This means the commission plan applies to a specific product and brand, but is not tied to any particular affiliate.
Default Brand Plan
If no product-specific plan is found, the system moves up a level of generality, looking for a plan that applies to the brand as a whole. In this case, the commission plan applies across all products in the brand, with no consideration for the affiliate or the specific product.
Fully Default Plan
Finally, if no other plan is found, the system falls back on a completely generic default plan that applies regardless of the affiliate, brand, product, or tracker.
This is the least specific plan and serves as the last resort to ensure that every transaction has a commission plan.
Why This Process Matters
This decision process ensures that the system always applies the most relevant commission plan for each transaction. By starting with the most specific plan and working through broader options, it allows for highly customized commission plans when available, while also ensuring that a fallback plan is always in place.
For example:
If there is a special commission plan just for a particular affiliate, product, brand, and tracker combination, the system will apply that first.
If no such plan exists, it will keep searching through less specific combinations, eventually using a generic, default commission plan if necessary.
Final Thoughts
The decision-making process for commission plans is structured to be both flexible and thorough. By prioritizing more specific plans first, it ensures that commission rules are as tailored as possible to the details of the transaction. And when no specific plan exists, the system seamlessly falls back to more general plans, ensuring that there’s always a plan in place to handle every situation.
This approach provides a balance between customization and practicality, ensuring that both special cases and everyday transactions are handled effectively.