1.1 Welcome to QUALIA Rule Engine

QUALIA Rule Engine is a comprehensive Business Rules Management System specifically designed for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The system enables business users and administrators to create, manage, and enforce complex business rules without the need for programming knowledge or custom code development. Whether your organization needs to validate data entry, automate workflow processes, send intelligent notifications, or ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements, QUALIA Rule Engine provides an intuitive, form-based interface that allows you to configure sophisticated business logic that executes automatically in response to data changes across your Business Central environment.

The system integrates seamlessly with Business Central's native trigger framework, which means that your business rules execute automatically whenever users insert, modify, or delete records in any table throughout the application. This real-time execution ensures that your business policies are enforced consistently, regardless of how data is entered—whether through the standard user interface, web services, APIs, or mobile applications.

1.2 What is QUALIA Rule Engine?

QUALIA Rule Engine is the Business Rules Management System (BRMS) component of the QUALIA suite of products for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. As a BRMS, QUALIA Rule Engine provides the infrastructure and tools needed to define, deploy, execute, and manage business rules that govern how your organization's data is validated, processed, and managed throughout Business Central.

The system architecture is built on Business Central's AL language and leverages the platform's GlobalTriggerManagement framework to intercept database operations at the transaction level. This architecture ensures that business rules execute with the same security context, transaction integrity, and performance characteristics as native Business Central code, while providing a configuration-based approach that eliminates the need for custom development.

1.3 Key Features and Capabilities

QUALIA Rule Engine provides a comprehensive set of capabilities that enable organizations to implement sophisticated business logic without custom development. The following sections describe the primary use cases and benefits that organizations typically achieve when implementing QUALIA Rule Engine in their Business Central environment.

Data Validation and Quality Control

The system enables you to implement comprehensive data validation rules that execute automatically whenever users enter or modify information in Business Central. You can prevent invalid data entry through real-time validation checks that evaluate field values, compare data across related tables, and enforce complex business policies before transactions are committed to the database. When validation rules detect policy violations or data quality issues, the system can display clear, contextual error messages that explain what is wrong, why the validation failed, and how users can correct the issue. This immediate feedback helps maintain high data quality standards while providing users with the guidance they need to complete transactions successfully.

Workflow Automation and Process Orchestration

QUALIA Rule Engine enables you to automate business workflows by configuring rules that trigger specific actions in response to data changes or business events. The system supports 11 action types (enum values 0-10) that enable you to:

• Display informational messages to users

• Block transactions with validation errors

• Prompt users for confirmation with branching Yes/No logic

• Send non-blocking notifications

• Send automated email notifications with attachments

• Open URLs and external resources

• Automatically assign field values

• Insert new records automatically

• Execute custom AL codeunit procedures

• Trigger Microsoft Power Automate flows

• Orchestrate complex multi-action workflows

The system can automatically send email notifications to managers, department members, or external contacts when significant events occur, such as high-value orders being created, credit limits being exceeded, or approval thresholds being reached. You can configure confirmation dialogs that prompt users to make decisions at critical points in business processes, with different actions executing based on whether users confirm or decline the proposed action. Additionally, the system supports integration with external systems through Microsoft Power Automate flows, custom codeunit procedures, and web service calls, enabling you to orchestrate complex, multi-system business processes directly from your Business Central data changes.

Intelligent Data Management

The system provides powerful capabilities for automatically managing data values based on business rules and conditions. You can configure rules that automatically populate field values when new records are created, ensuring that default values, calculated amounts, or derived information is consistently applied according to your organization's standards. The system can copy data between related tables, maintain referential integrity across complex relationships, and update dependent information automatically when master data changes. These capabilities help reduce manual data entry, minimize errors caused by inconsistent data population, and ensure that related information stays synchronized across your Business Central tables.

Compliance and Audit Trail Management

QUALIA Rule Engine automatically maintains a comprehensive audit trail that records every execution of every business rule, capturing detailed information about when rules executed, which users triggered them, what data was evaluated, and what actions were performed. This detailed logging provides the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance with internal policies, industry regulations, and audit requirements. You can use the validation log to analyze patterns in rule execution, identify frequently violated policies that may require user training or process improvement, and investigate specific transactions or user activities when questions arise during audits or compliance reviews.

1.4 System Requirements

Platform Requirements:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central version 22.0 or higher

• AL Language Runtime version 16.0+

• GlobalTriggerManagement framework support

Deployment Models:

• Business Central Online (SaaS) - Fully supported

• Business Central On-Premises - Fully supported

• Sandbox environments - Strongly recommended for testing

Application Version:

• QUALIA Rule Engine version 1.1.0.4 (current release)

• App ID: 6f1ab1fe-7530-492b-821f-ff035eeedd01

User Permissions: Required permission sets vary based on user role and required functionality. See Section 3 for detailed permission set information.

1.5 Who Should Use This Manual?

This user manual is specifically designed to serve multiple audiences within your organization, each with different responsibilities and requirements for working with the QUALIA Rule Engine Business Rules Management System.

Business Users and Department Specialists

If you are a business user who works with Business Central on a daily basis and needs to create or manage business rules for your department or functional area, this manual provides step-by-step procedures for configuring validation rules, setting up automated workflows, and managing rule execution. You do not need any programming knowledge or technical background to use QUALIA Rule Engine successfully. The system uses a visual, form-based interface with formula expressions that are written in plain English-like syntax, making it accessible to users who understand their business processes but may not have software development skills.

System Administrators and Application Managers

If you are responsible for configuring system-wide settings, managing user access, and ensuring that business rules are deployed correctly across your organization, the sections on system configuration, rule groups, user management, and security will provide the detailed information you need. This manual explains how to configure the global Business Rule Setup, how to organize rules into logical groups, how to assign users to those groups, and how to manage permissions that control who can create, modify, and execute different types of business rules.

Department Managers and Process Owners

If you are responsible for defining business policies and ensuring that those policies are enforced consistently across your department or business unit, this manual explains how to translate your business requirements into executable rules. The sections on creating rules, configuring actions, and working with linked tables provide the foundation you need to implement department-specific validations, approval workflows, and data quality controls.

Business Central Consultants and Power Users

If you have experience with business rule configuration and need to implement complex, multi-table validations or sophisticated workflow automation, the advanced features sections provide detailed guidance on working with linked tables, creating complex formulas, optimizing rule performance, and integrating with external systems through email, Power Automate flows, and custom actions.

1.6 How to Use This Manual

This manual is organized to support both sequential reading for new users who are learning the system for the first time, and quick reference for experienced users who need to look up specific procedures or configuration options.

For Users Who Are New to QUALIA Rule Engine

If you are using QUALIA Rule Engine for the first time, Microsoft recommends that you read Sections 1 through 5 sequentially to build a solid foundation of understanding:

• Section 1 provides an overview of what the system can do and who should use it

• Section 2 explains how to access QUALIA Rule Engine in Business Central and describes the main interface elements

• Section 3 covers initial setup and configuration requirements

• Section 4 introduces the core concepts and terminology you need to understand

• Section 5 walks you through creating your first business rule using a practical example

For Experienced Users Seeking Specific Action Types

If you already have experience creating basic business rules and need information about a specific action type, navigate directly to the relevant action chapter (Sections 7-17). Each action type has its own dedicated chapter with complete configuration details, examples, and best practices.

For Consultants Implementing Advanced Features

Sections 18-20 cover advanced capabilities including Linked Tables (cross-table data access), Formula Building (complex conditions), and Rule Groups (user-specific rules). These sections assume familiarity with basic business rule concepts.

For System Administrators and Deployment Teams

Sections 21-24 provide operational guidance including Best Practices, Troubleshooting, Deployment procedures, and Monitoring strategies appropriate for production environments.

For Quick Reference

Sections 25-28 contain reference materials: complete Placeholder syntax guide, Table and Field ID reference (extracted from Business Central schema), Formula Operators reference, and comprehensive Glossary.

1.7 Documentation Conventions

Throughout this manual, specific formatting conventions and visual indicators are used consistently to help you identify different types of information quickly.

Note Indicators:

Information marked with the 📋 NOTE indicator provides important contextual information that helps you understand how features work, what to expect in certain situations, or how different options relate to each other. Notes typically contain information that is helpful to know but not critical to avoiding problems.

Warning Indicators:

Information marked with the ⚠️ WARNING indicator identifies critical information that you should read carefully before proceeding. Warnings typically describe actions that could cause data loss, system errors, unexpected behavior, or other significant problems if not handled correctly. When you see a warning, make sure you understand the implications before continuing with the described procedure.

Tip Indicators:

Information marked with the 💡 TIP indicator provides helpful suggestions, best practices, shortcuts, or alternative approaches that can make your work more efficient or help you avoid common mistakes.

Example Indicators:

Sections marked with the ✅ EXAMPLE indicator provide practical, real-world scenarios that illustrate how to apply concepts or features to solve actual business problems.

Text Formatting Conventions:

• Field names, table names, and placeholder syntax appear in code formatting

• Important terms and action button names appear in bold formatting

• Section cross-references and emphasis appear in italic formatting

1.8 Getting Help and Support

Primary Documentation:

• User Manual (this document): Comprehensive guidance for business users, administrators, and power users

• Technical Design Document: Detailed architecture, data model, and technical specifications for developers and system architects

• Placeholder Usage Guide: Complete reference for placeholder syntax and formulas

Technical Support:

QUALIA Technik GmbH provides technical support for all licensed implementations. Contact information:

• Email: info@qualiatechnik.de

• Website: www.qualiatechnik.de

When contacting support, provide specific details about:

• What you are trying to accomplish

• Steps you have already taken

• Error messages or unexpected behavior

• Your QUALIA Rule Engine version (1.1.0.4) and Business Central version

Online Resources:

The QUALIA Technik website provides access to:

• Knowledge base articles

• Blog posts covering common scenarios

• Best practices guidance

• Product updates and release notes