Overview
Inventor Profiles are child records attached to a Reward Rule that use the Inventor Profiles calculation method. Each profile defines a set of inventor characteristics and the reward amount to assign to inventors who match those characteristics. This allows you to pay different amounts to different types of inventors under the same rule.
Inventor Profile Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Profile Name | A unique name for the profile. |
| Nationality | The inventor's nationality (country code). Leave empty to match any nationality. |
| Country of Residence | The inventor's country of residence (country code). Leave empty to match any country. |
| Employment Status | The inventor's employment status (e.g. Internal, Full-time, Part-time, Contractor, Retired, etc.). Leave empty to match any status. |
| Inventor Division | The organisational division of the inventor. Leave empty to match any division. |
| Reward Amount | The monetary amount to pay to an inventor who matches this profile. |
| Reward Rule | The parent Reward Rule this profile belongs to (automatically linked). |
How Profile Matching Works
When a reward is triggered using the Inventor Profiles method, the system compares each inventor's attributes against all profiles linked to the rule. The system looks for the most specific matching profile — the first profile that satisfies all populated criteria fields simultaneously.
Fields left empty on a profile are treated as wildcards (match anything). The system evaluates combinations from most specific (all four criteria populated) down to least specific (only one criterion populated).
Example: A rule has two profiles:
- Profile A: Nationality = French, Country of Residence = France, Employment Status = Full-time → €5,000
- Profile B: Country of Residence = France, Employment Status = Academic/Researcher → €6,000
An inventor who is French, lives in France, and is employed full-time matches Profile A and receives €5,000. An inventor who lives in France and is an academic matches Profile B and receives €6,000. An inventor who lives in Spain with no matching profile receives no reward.
How to Add an Inventor Profile to a Rule
- Open the Reward Rule record that uses the Inventor Profiles method.
- Scroll to the Inventor Profiles related list.
- Click Create Inventor Profile (or use the New button in the related list).
- Fill in the desired eligibility criteria and the Reward Amount for inventors matching this profile.
- Save the profile.
- Repeat for each distinct inventor type you want to reward differently.
Note: The parent Reward Rule cannot be set to Enabled until at least one Inventor Profile is linked to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to an inventor who does not match any profile?
No reward is created for that inventor. Only inventors who match at least one profile receive a reward under the Inventor Profiles method.
Can I use the Inventor Profiles method without specifying all four criteria fields?
Yes. Any criteria field left empty acts as a wildcard. A profile with only Employment Status = Contractor filled in will match any contractor regardless of nationality, country, or division.
Can the same inventor match multiple profiles?
The system selects the first matching profile found (starting from the most specific match). Only one reward per inventor per rule is created.