8. Troubleshooting & FAQs

Most Common Issues — Start Here

Check here before reading the full tables below.

Issue	Severity	Quick fix	Section
Vendor questionnaire did not send	Blocking	Add Vendor Selector Q-Card; ensure vendor has email contact	8.1
Spend charts are empty	High	Connect ERP; add Mark as Purchased step to flow	8.2
Cannot modify a live schema	Medium	Duplicate the schema, edit copy, push new version	8.1
Data mapping fails	Blocking	Attribute type must match Q-Card type (Date→Date Picker)	8.1
Mirrored attribute is blank	Medium	Trigger manual sync; verify field path matches source system	8.4
Custom status not showing	Low	Click status → Customize → Add custom (global once created)	8.2
Cannot find a draft request	Low	Requests → Incomplete	8.3

8.1 Common Workflow and Configuration Errors (Admin Focus)

Issue	Cause(s)	Resolution / Best Practice
Vendor Questionnaire fails to send.	The system cannot determine the recipient. This happens if the schema’s Requester Tab is missing the necessary Vendor Selector Q-Card. Or, a vendor contact with an email address is missing when the step is reached.	Admins must add a Vendor Selector question card to the Requester Tab of the schema. If the step is pending, stakeholders will be prompted to add a vendor contact.
Data mapping fails (e.g., contract date doesn’t sync).	The data type of the Attribute does not match the data type of the Q-Card used to collect the answer (e.g., mapping a Date attribute to a Numeric field will fail).	When configuring automations, ensure the Attribute type (e.g., Date Picker, Numeric Field) matches the corresponding Q-Card type used in the Requester, Approver, or Vendor tabs.
I need to modify a “Live” schema.	Direct modifications cannot be made to a schema that has already been pushed to Live or has associated requests.	Duplicate the schema to create a draft copy. Make all required changes and test the flow using Preview Mode before pushing the new version to Live.
My requested new software/vendor didn’t get created in the catalog.	The workflow likely did not reach the necessary system step to finalize the action.	Ensure the Mark as Purchased step is included in the Approval Flow at the point where the purchase is considered committed. For new vendors, ensure the Create Vendor in Oracle NetSuite (or relevant ERP) step is included.
I want to send an alert but skip approval.	Standard approval tasks require a decision.	Use the Notify User step. This task auto-completes upon successful delivery, logs the message in the activity history, and does not appear in the live approval flow.

8.2 Data and Integration Issues (Reporting/Visibility Focus)

Issue	Cause(s)	Resolution / Best Practice
Spend charts are empty in Analytics.	Spend charts (Committed vs. Paid, Approved Spend, Actual Spend) only appear if your organization’s ERP (e.g., NetSuite or Workday) is connected and configured.	Ensure the ERP integration is connected under the Profile Menu → Integrations. If the ERP is connected, ensure the workflow includes the Mark as Purchased step, as this triggers the spend roll-up.
My custom status isn’t showing up.	Custom statuses (e.g., “Awaiting Legal,” “Conditionally Approved,” “On Hold”) are added globally.	Custom statuses are configured by clicking on a request status, selecting Customize, and using the Add custom option. Once created, they are globally available for all requests.
AI Extraction data is visible but not saved to the document fields.	Extracted metadata (Start Date, End Date, Amount) is initially marked Needs Validation.	Open the document record, review the fields highlighted by the AI, and click the Validate Data button to confirm the values before they are populated into the document’s fields.
I need faster insights for my team.	Analytics dashboards are generally customized for specific views.	Use the dashboard Sharing function. Open the custom dashboard, click the Share button, and select the users or stakeholders who need access to the real-time reports.

8.3 Request and Approver FAQs (User Focus)

Question	Answer
Where do I find a request I started but didn’t finish?	Incomplete requests (forms saved but not submitted) are located under the Requests menu in the Incomplete section.
How do I prevent duplicate software purchases?	When submitting a Software Request, the Duplication Prevention feature surfaces existing alternative solutions (marked as Purchased, Requested, or Not Purchased) to guide you toward approved tools already in place.
What do I do if a review is taking too long?	Approvers can use actions like Reassign Review to another user or Extend Review Time from the request detail page. Admins can configure automated reminders or escalation requests based on the Target Time (SLA) set for the task.
Can I see if a request is over budget before approving?	Yes, if the Budget Intelligence Add-On is enabled. The Request Details → Products & Insights tab will display the budget line overview, pipeline-adjusted balance, and a clear On Budget or Over Budget status tag.
Where can I ask a quick question about policy or data?	Use the Ask Opstream AI assistant, accessed via the ✨ two-star icon. This chat interface provides instant, contextual answers based on your organization’s data and policies, and is permission-aware.

8.4 Mirrored Attributes — Common Issues

Issue	Cause(s)	Resolution / Best Practice
A mirrored attribute is showing a blank or stale value.	The integration sync has not run since the attribute was created, or the last sync encountered an error.	Trigger a manual sync from Admin → Integrations for the relevant connected system. If the value is still blank after syncing, verify that the configured field path exactly matches the field name in the source system.
I need to update a mirrored attribute value in Opstream, but the field is locked.	Mirrored attributes are read-only by design — values are controlled by the source system.	Make the change in the originating external system (e.g., NetSuite, Workday). The updated value will appear in Opstream after the next sync. To manage it internally, convert the attribute from Mirrored to Manual in Admin → Attributes.
A mirrored attribute stopped updating after an integration change.	The field path in the source system was renamed, moved, or deprecated.	Open Admin → Attributes, locate the affected mirrored attribute, and update the Field Path to reflect the new location in the source system.
After accepting AI-suggested mirrored attributes, values are not appearing on Vendor or Software records.	Mirrored attributes populate on sync, not immediately upon creation.	Navigate to Admin → Integrations and trigger a manual sync for the relevant connected system. Values will populate once the sync completes.