Does the order of the criteria as listed in the rule matter?

Environment:

Business Rules
Oracle B2C Service, All versions

Resolution:

The order of the IF criteria does not matter when configuring a individual rule. Since the criteria have to match based on the logical expression used, the order of the criteria as listed in the rule is not important. However, the logical expression is important in defining the overall relationship of the IF criteria.

The order of the actions in the THEN part of the rule is important. Actions are performed in the order they are listed in the rule.

In addition, when certain actions are added to the THEN section, you cannot add other actions beneath it. For example, if you include any of the following actions in the THEN part of the rule, you cannot add other actions to that rule:

• Stop Processing Rules
• Transition State and Stop
• Transition State and Continue

All of these actions must be the last action in a rule because either the process stops entirely or the action is transitioned to a different state.

If you have a rule with one of these actions listed and you want to add another action to the rule, you must edit the rule and delete the action listed above. Then, you can add another action or actions and then add the transition action or the stop processing action. Then, be sure to compile and activate the rulebase.

Note:  Keep in mind that the order of the rules in the overall list of workflow and escalation rules is important in determining which rule will take effect. 

For more information on Business Rules, refer to the 'Overview of Business Rules' section in the Online Help User Guide documentation. To access Oracle B2C Service manuals and documentation online, refer to the Documentation for Oracle B2C Service Products.