Adding an email recipient to a BUY.IU comment is a powerful tool to ensure the right person is notified when their attention is needed on a document. Comments must contain three key pieces of information to be effective:
- Background: Describe what you’ve already done to try and resolve the issue.
- Question: Explicitly state what question(s) you have or what action is needed.
- Email recipient: If your comment requires action, add the person (or people!) who needs to act on your comment.
Read on for best practices on managing your BUY.IU comments and email recipients!
When to leave a comment
Log a comment when the information you entered in the BUY.IU document doesn’t tell the full story. Comments are part of a document's audit trail and should explain why decisions were made.
You should also log a comment when you need help with a BUY.IU document or have questions about a document that routed to you. Here are some common examples:
- You were added to a BUY.IU comment and need to respond.
- You’ve requested additional information from a supplier or coworker and are waiting for their response.
- You need to request a status update on the document.
What to include in a comment
Include any information that will help the person(s) you're tagging accomplish what you're asking of them. Always provide:
- The action you are requesting.
- Why the action is needed.
- Actions you’ve already taken.
- Supplier details, like a sales representative’s contact details or supplier-provided documentation. If you’ve started a help ticket with the supplier, include that ticket number or your customer account. Purchasing can use these details to follow up with the supplier directly.
Who to add as an email recipient
If a Helpdesk is available for your issue, add the Helpdesk as an email recipient to your comment first. The Helpdesk will review your request, answer your question, or connect you with the appropriate person for assistance.
Only add an individual as an email recipient when responding directly to a comment from that person or when you have been specifically directed to work with them.
When adding an individual, search for them by email, not by name. This guarantees you’ll add the right person, even if there are staff with similar names!
You do not need to add an email recipient to comments that are informational and do not require action.
The table below lists the Helpdesks that are available in BUY.IU.
| Helpdesk | Email Address |
| Purchasing Helpdesk | askpur@iu.edu |
| Accounts Payable (AP) Helpdesk | askap@iu.edu |
| Supplier Data Management (SDM) Helpdesk | helpmeiu@iu.edu |
Suggested email recipients
When you initiate a change request, BUY.IU provides a list of individuals you can notify. Do not add these people as email recipients unless their action is needed on the document. This list is based on users who have interacted with the document at some point since its creation. Being on this list does not mean their action is needed on the document.
Whoops! I added the wrong person
Unfortunately, email recipients can’t be removed after you log the comment. If you added the wrong person, add a new comment, add them as an email recipient, and let them know they can disregard the message.
If you are tagged incorrectly, follow these same steps. Log a comment on the document, add the commenter as an email recipient, and direct them to the right person (if you know who they are) or let them know you’re not the right contact.
Ready to start logging comments? Visit the Logging Comments training page to learn more and give it a go.