What the documents look like
Store count and loss-control work centers on book-to-physical variance and shrinkage. It does not process supplier payables. The main data sources are POS inventory, WMS, monitoring systems, and the SB/T count specification. The typical operating roles are the loss-prevention department, store warehouse keeper, and financial auditor. Everyday documents include count sheets, variance analyses, damage write-off approvals, and monitoring retrieval records.
For citation tracing in product-data and selection questions, the core requirement is that every conclusion in an answer can be traced back to a specific field in a count sheet or variance analysis. A count sheet records item identity, book quantity, physical quantity, variance, and a variance reason. A variance analysis records the same item and period together with a handling stage, such as a pending write-off approval. Those two documents are the material the answer must quote, and the answer must not move an item past the stage the source states.
Constraints at the citation tracing step
The knowledge base search node outputs cited content as an array, and the length may be zero. A zero-length array means the output path still runs; it is not a workflow failure. One or more knowledge bases may be associated only when they share the same vector model, so a cross-model association is excluded before any search runs. The minimum relevance value is a filter threshold and takes effect only in semantic retrieval or when result reranking is used. It does not perform permission or entity isolation, so it cannot be treated as a control that hides records belonging to another store. The same-vector-model requirement applies to the associated knowledge bases; it does not extend to external systems such as a business registration site.
RRF is the fusion process applied to mixed retrieval results, not a switch that is turned on. Reranking requires a ReRank model and must be enabled by configuration. Image retrieval requires an image input and a model with the corresponding capability. The optional paths shown in the overall retrieval diagram do not all execute on every request.
Hypothetical paper exercise sample. The March 2025 count sheet for a store states: "Category A item shampoo, book quantity 120 units, physical count 113 units, variance 7 units, variance reason pending investigation." The variance analysis states: "Shampoo variance 7 units, provisionally listed for write-off approval, approval status is pending review." The proposed sentence under review is: "The 7-unit shampoo variance has been confirmed as a write-off and the approval passed." The source shows only pending review and states no approval passage or completed write-off, so the proposed sentence is not supported.
Configuration and implementation checks
| Configuration item | Setting or check for this page | Comparison with the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Associated knowledge bases | Check that the selected knowledge base identifiers share one vector model | The search scope must contain the library holding the count sheet and variance analysis |
| Search mode | Semantic retrieval, full-text retrieval, or mixed retrieval | Exact terms such as "shampoo" and "variance 7 units" suit full-text or mixed retrieval |
| Citation limit | Controls the amount of cited content per search in tokens | This paper exercise uses a starting value of 2048 tokens; because the sample text is short, compare against a smaller value to observe whether the citation stays complete |
| Minimum relevance | A 0-1 threshold, effective only in semantic retrieval or reranking | The proposed sentence is related to the source; lower the threshold and observe whether the source text is returned |
| Result reranking | Requires a ReRank model and must be enabled by configuration | After enabling, check whether the rerank score supports citing the source text |
| Cited content output | The array may be empty; an empty array does not mean the workflow terminated with an error | Feed a paper input of [] and check whether the downstream step continues |
The 2048-token value is a starting point for this paper exercise only. It is chosen because the sample source text is short, and the comparison is against a smaller value to see whether the cited passage remains whole. It is not an official default.
Three common errors
- Treating "pending review" as "approval passed." The input is the variance analysis text "approval status is pending review." The comparison object is the proposed sentence "approval passed." The observable result is that the two status values are mutually exclusive in the same field, so the proposed sentence is not supported.
- Treating minimum relevance as a permission or entity isolation control. The input is the minimum relevance value. The comparison object is whether the user is authorized to access that store's record. The observable result is that the value does not change access rights, and an unauthorized record remains unavailable.
- Treating retrieval output as an executed write-off. The input is the cited content array. The comparison object is whether the write-off approval has been signed and taken effect. The observable result is that retrieval supplies source text only; the business action requires a separate downstream implementation.
How to verify the setup
- Input the sample count sheet text and the proposed sentence "The 7-unit shampoo variance has been confirmed as a write-off and the approval passed." Compare the source phrase "approval status is pending review" with the proposed sentence. The observable result is that the proposed sentence is not supported, and the evidence gap must be recorded.
- Input a paper array of [] as the cited content output. Compare whether the downstream design depends on non-empty citations. The observable result is that the output path still runs with an empty array, and the downstream step should not terminate with an error.
- Input two knowledge base identifiers that use different vector models. Compare whether the identifiers match. The observable result is that the mismatched identifier is excluded; do not run a cross-model search to compare missed recalls, and record only what is observed.
A pending approval is not an approval. An offered option is not an execution. An unsigned write-off is not a completed write-off. Where the source does not state a field, that field remains unknown, and the answer must preserve the gap rather than fill it.