COINS continually makes changes to improve the performance of the software. Part of this drive is to remove the need for repetitive reads on data that is rarely changed.
This means that there are some types of data which are read once, on start up, and cached for use by the system. Changing this data may therefore result in the change NOT being picked up until after the system is re-started.
This includes:
Fix Installation.
Update of any COINS Vault settings.
Update of any System Module parameters (including PM Parameters).
System Module Configuration (e.g Terminology, Field Access, Global Search).
Module Essential Parameter Configuration.
It may seem that the configuration change that you have made could not affect particular processes, and that may be true, but the only safe best practice advice is to restart all process after making any configuration change.
⚠️Important: We always recommend that changes to any System Configuration should not be undertaken on a LIVE environment during normal working hours and that any change should be fully tested on a Non-Live Environment prior to being implemented on Live.
Guidance for Restarting the System
Refresh the application server agents
Stop and start all Background Processes.
Stop and start all ESB Processes.
Stop and start all COINS Analytics Extract Processes.
Stop and start MS Graph and MS Exchange Replication.
Stop and start the report agents:
Choose Generator Status from the Report Status Options menu.
Click Open folder, untick the On box, and click Save.
Wait for all the processes to complete and quit. The number of report agents shown should reduce to zero.
Start the agents by ticking On.
Only if a report agent fails to stop in a timely manner then go to disconnecting it.
Diagnose parameter differences between KCOs
If functionality works correctly in one KCO but not another despite similar settings, a parameter or configuration mismatch is the most likely cause. Use the table below to identify the relevant area to check, then follow the steps to compare and reconcile the parameters.
Symptom | What to check |
Workflow trigger fires in one KCO but not another | Compare CDC trigger settings and workflow configurations in both KCOs. Verify that event triggers and filter conditions are identical. |
Order routed to the wrong approval level | Check buyer limit thresholds and approval level settings in the affected KCO. A buyer limit lower than the order value forces routing to a higher approval level. |
Payment transactions routing to the wrong method | Open the batch configuration in the affected KCO and confirm the payment method (BACS or Cheque) is set correctly. Also verify the supplier payment method setting. |
Report option or field not displaying | Confirm that required supporting records — such as sectors, tax codes, or country fields — are populated in the affected KCO. |
User cannot access a function or menu item | Compare User Function Access and Menu Item Security settings between KCOs to identify missing permissions in the affected KCO. |
To compare and update parameters:
Identify the parameter or configuration area causing the issue using the table above.
Go to the relevant module in the KCO where the functionality works correctly and note the parameter values.
Go to the same module in the affected KCO and compare the values.
Update any values in the affected KCO to match those in the working KCO.
Restart all processes in the affected KCO after saving changes — see Guidance for restarting the system above.
⚠️ Important: Always test configuration changes on a non-live environment before applying them to LIVE.