What the documents look like
Store counts and loss control work from book-to-physical differences and shrinkage. The task does not settle supplier accounts. The main data sources are POS inventory, WMS, monitoring systems and the SB/T count standard. Daily documents include count sheets, variance analyses, write-off approvals and monitoring review records. These materials update monthly or quarterly, and a single retrieval request usually faces several records for the same store, the same period and the same SKU.
Under the inventory procurement and supplier materials task, retrieval targets purchase documents, supplier qualification files, entry materials and price agreements. These materials update less often. Requests tend to name a specific supplier, a specific period and a specific document type, so exact lookups of numbers and proper nouns take a large share of the work. A retrieval request is a lookup step. It does not confirm that a supplier passed review, that a contract took effect or that any approval was granted.
Constraints at the retrieval step
The knowledge base search node can associate one or more knowledge bases that use the same vector model. Knowledge bases built on different vector models cannot be associated together. Check the vector model identifier first and exclude any knowledge base that does not match. Do not run a cross-model search to compare missed recalls.
Search results are output as an array of references, and the length can be 0. A chain with no retrieved content still completes. The minimum relevance value applies only during semantic retrieval or when result reranking is used. That value is a filter threshold. It does not isolate permissions or business entities, so it cannot exclude unauthorized supplier records. The same-vector-model requirement for associated knowledge bases does not extend to external systems.
RRF is the fusion step for multiple result paths in hybrid retrieval. It is not a separate switch. Image retrieval requires image input and model capability. Reranking requires a rerank model and must be enabled in the settings. The optional paths shown in the overall retrieval diagram do not all execute on every request.
Hypothetical paper exercise sample: a store loss prevention department holds a paper record whose original text reads: "Supplier A submitted entry materials on 1 March 2025, including a copy of the business license and a quotation sheet; the quotation is valid until 30 June 2025; the material status is pending review." The draft sentence to be judged is: "Supplier A has passed entry review, and the quotation is valid within March 2025." The comparison checks the subject, the period and the field. The material states only a pending review status and a quotation validity end date. It does not state that review passed, and it has no separate field saying the quotation is valid within March.
Configuration and implementation checks
| Configuration item | Starting point for this hypothetical exercise | Reason and comparison method |
|---|---|---|
| Associated knowledge bases | Associate only procurement and supplier material bases that use the same vector model | Check the vector model identifier first, exclude bases on other models, and do not run cross-model retrieval |
| Search mode | Use full-text retrieval for number-type questions and semantic retrieval for description-type questions | Compare the retrieved content of the two modes against the same test question |
| Reference limit | Set the starting point to a token amount that covers one complete quotation sheet | Test with actual materials of different lengths to see whether content stays complete, then adjust |
| Minimum relevance | Set the starting point to 0.5 | Label related and unrelated samples first, then compare what remains after filtering |
| Question optimization | Enable for multi-turn follow-ups, disable for standalone clear questions | Compare the original question with the optimized question and check whether the subject was altered |
| Result reranking | Enable when a rerank model is available and candidates are numerous | Compare ordering before and after reranking, and filter by score |
These values are starting points for this hypothetical exercise. They are not official defaults.
Three common errors
- Treating a pending review status as a passed review. The input is the sample text "the material status is pending review." The comparison object is the draft sentence "has passed entry review." The observable result is that the material does not state that review passed, so the draft sentence is not supported.
- Treating the quotation validity period as a supply period. The input is the sample text "the quotation is valid until 30 June 2025." The comparison object is any statement about a supply period. The observable result is that the material does not state a supply period, so the statement remains unverified.
- Treating minimum relevance as a permission filter. The input is a retrieval request aimed at an unauthorized supplier. The comparison object is the minimum relevance setting. The observable result is that the setting filters only low-relevance content and does not exclude unauthorized records; retrieval does not carry out authorization.
How to verify the setup
- Input the sample text and the draft sentence "Supplier A has passed entry review." Compare the material status field with the subject and status in the draft sentence. The observable result is that the material states only pending review, the draft sentence is not supported, and the evidence gap is recorded.
- Input the sample text and the draft sentence "the quotation is valid within March 2025." Compare the quotation validity field with the period in the draft sentence. The observable result is that the material states validity until 30 June 2025 and has no separate field for validity within March, so the draft sentence remains unverified.
- Input a paper query that clearly has no corresponding material. Compare the returned reference array. The observable result is an array of length 0, and the downstream design handles the empty result. Do not claim that a fabricated rule will always return an empty array.