Using iVendNext AI Gateway
Overview
Once iVendNext AI Gateway is connected to your AI assistant, you can begin querying your iVendNext data and performing actions through natural language. This article explains how to interact with the Gateway effectively, what types of requests it supports, and what to expect from each type of interaction.
How to Ask Questions
You interact with iVendNext AI Gateway by typing questions and instructions in plain English in your AI assistant — exactly as you would in a normal conversation. There is no special syntax, no command format, and no field names to remember.
The more specific your question, the more precise the response. For example:
"How did sales perform last month?" returns a general summary.
"What was total revenue by store for April 2026?" returns a more targeted result.
If a response does not fully answer your question, you can follow up in the same conversation. The AI assistant retains context within a session, so you can refine or extend your query without starting over.
Querying Your Data
You can ask the Gateway to retrieve and summarise data from across your iVendNext instance. The following are examples of the types of queries it supports.
Sales and retail performance
"What were my top ten selling items by revenue last quarter?"
"What was my Average Transaction Value in March 2026?"
"Which store had the highest sales this week?"
Inventory and stock
"How much stock do I have of item X across all warehouses?"
"Which items are currently below their reorder level?"
"Show me stock that has not moved in the last 90 days."
Purchasing and suppliers
"Which purchase orders are overdue for delivery?"
"What is the on-time delivery rate for supplier Y over the last six months?"
"Show me all goods received in the last 14 days."
Customers and accounts
"Which customers have an outstanding balance older than 30 days?"
"Show me all orders placed by customer Z in the last three months."
"Which customers have not placed an order in the last 60 days?"
What you can see in responses is determined by your iVendNext roles and permissions. If your account does not have access to a particular module or document type in iVendNext, the Gateway will not return that data.
Creating Records
You can instruct the AI assistant to create a new document in iVendNext on your behalf. The document is created under your user account and is subject to your iVendNext permissions — if you do not have permission to create a particular document type in iVendNext Desk, you cannot create it through the Gateway either.
Examples:
"Create a new customer record for ABC Retail with email contact@abcretail.com."
"Raise a purchase order for 100 units of item X from supplier Y."
The AI assistant will confirm the record has been created and may return the document name or ID for your reference.
Updating Records
You can ask the AI assistant to update fields on an existing iVendNext document. Provide enough detail for the Gateway to identify the correct record — such as the document name, customer name, or order number.
Examples:
"Update the email address on customer record ABC Retail to new@abcretail.com."
"Change the delivery date on purchase order PO-00123 to 15 June 2026."
As with all interactions, updates are carried out under your user account and within your iVendNext permissions.
Triggering Workflow Actions
You can instruct the AI assistant to execute a workflow action on an iVendNext document — such as submitting, approving, or rejecting it. The Gateway will carry out the action only if your iVendNext account has the permission to perform it.
Examples:
"Submit purchase order PO-00123."
"Approve the leave application from employee John Smith."
"Show me all documents currently waiting for my approval."
Running Reports
You can ask the Gateway to run an iVendNext report and return the results inline in your conversation. The report runs against your live iVendNext data at the time of the request.
Examples:
"Run the accounts receivable ageing report."
"Show me the stock balance report for warehouse Main Store."
Report output is returned as text in the conversation. It is not saved as a report document inside iVendNext.
Inline Responses and Dashboards
All responses from iVendNext AI Gateway are returned inline in your AI assistant conversation. The Gateway does not create saved dashboards or reports inside iVendNext.
If you ask for a dashboard or a multi-metric summary — for example, "Give me a KPI dashboard for Q1 2026" — the AI assistant will generate and display it within the conversation.
If you want an exportable version of a dashboard or summary, ask the AI assistant to generate it as an HTML file. For example:
- "Create a KPI dashboard for Q1 2026 and save it as an HTML file."
The AI assistant will generate the HTML and make it available for you to download or save locally. HTML files generated this way are not saved inside iVendNext.
How Permissions Affect What You Can Do
iVendNext AI Gateway enforces your iVendNext roles and permissions on every request. This means:
You can only query data your account is authorised to read in iVendNext.
You can only create or update documents your account has permission to create or modify.
You can only trigger workflow actions your account is permitted to execute.
If you ask the Gateway to do something outside your permissions, it will not complete the request. If you believe you need broader access, contact your iVendNext administrator to review your roles.
The Audit Trail
Every interaction you have with iVendNext through the Gateway is logged in iVendNext. Each log entry records your user account, the request made, the action performed, and the outcome. This log is accessible to iVendNext administrators and cannot be disabled.
You do not need to take any action to enable logging — it is on by default for all Gateway interactions.