Discuss a record right on the record
Start a conversation from any invoice, bill or lease, with no links to paste or context to explain.
LiveWhat does Discuss do? The conversation about an overdue invoice stops living in someone's WhatsApp, and stays when that person leaves.
How it works
'Discuss' is a button on the record. Everyone in the conversation sees exactly what is being discussed, and the conversation stays attached to the record. Messages can link to other records, but only ones the sender is allowed to open, and attached files are filed in the document store. People who leave keep their words, marked as inactive.
Live today on sales invoices, purchase bills and leases, and on a draft document in Documents (Vault). The conversation stays attached to the record, so a colleague who opens it later finds it there.
Step by step
Here is how it works for a finance executive chasing an overdue invoice for a customer, with the sales manager and the accounts head involved.
- Open the invoice and press Discuss. The button sits on the sales invoice page. A small box asks for the first message and, if you wish, a subject. If you leave the subject blank, Kinnow uses the invoice's own label.
- The conversation is attached to the invoice. Nobody pastes a link or explains which invoice is meant. Everyone added sees the same record beside the conversation.
- People reply, share files and mention colleagues. Files attached to a message are filed in the Vault for that conversation, so a bank statement or a signed delivery note is not left in someone's personal chat.
- Someone records the decision. When the sales manager agrees to a revised payment date, the conversation is closed with a decision. A decision is shown above the discussion with who decided it and when. If nothing was agreed, the conversation is closed with a reason instead of a false decision.
- The conversation stays with the invoice. A new colleague who opens the invoice next quarter sees the conversation. It does not live in one person's WhatsApp.
- Closed means closed. Once a conversation is closed, it takes no more messages. A new matter on the same invoice starts a new conversation.
Ask us to start a Discuss thread on one of your overdue invoices and show how it reads six weeks later.
What you see on screen
You see Discuss in three places, plus the conversation in Talk.
| Where | What you see |
|---|---|
| Sales invoice page | A Discuss button. A box asks for the message and an optional subject. |
| Purchase bill page | The same button, for conversations with the buyer's team or the supplier's contact person. |
| Lease page | The same button, for conversations about rent, renewal or a deposit. |
| Document drafts in the Vault | The Discuss button also appears on a draft document being composed. |
| Talk | Your conversations in one list, with the one you are reading beside it. A decision appears at the top of a conversation as a single line until someone records it. |
Who uses it
| Who | When | What they do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts executive | Daily | Starts a discussion on an overdue invoice or a disputed bill. |
| Sales or branch manager | When a customer disputes an amount | Answers on the record and records the decision. |
| Finance head | Month-end | Reads the discussion behind a write-off or a credit note. |
| Anyone who joins later | Months afterwards | Reads what was agreed without asking around. |
See an invoice with its conversation and decision, built from one of your own disputes.
Related
Ongoing topics and truly private chats
Conversations that are not about one record.
Start a conversation from the record you are on
Discuss is the first of three ways to start.
Chat that works like a business record
Corrections stay visible and files are stored safely.
Zest & Common
Conversations, mail, meetings and forms.
Questions
What is Discuss in Kinnow?
Start a conversation from any invoice, bill or lease, with no links to paste or context to explain.
What changes for the business?
The conversation about an overdue invoice stops living in someone's WhatsApp, and stays when that person leaves.
Is it available today?
Yes, it is live.
Can I start a conversation about a record that is not an invoice, bill or lease?
Not yet from a button on every record. You can start a conversation from Talk and choose the record it is about. Discuss buttons are being added to more records.
Does the conversation stay with the record?
Yes. The conversation is attached to the record, with its decision, corrections and files, so whoever opens the record later sees it.
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