> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.fabric.inc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Proposal Department Settings

> Standardize product data rules for all suppliers across various categories.

A proposal department in Dropship is a configuration framework that helps you manage product sourcing across multiple categories with precision and control. It allows you to group related product categories under one department and apply category-specific rules and validation to incoming supplier proposals. When you source products across multiple categories, it's critical to manage category-specific product attributes and validation rules.

Proposal departments allow merchants to:

* Define multiple product categories within a single department.
* Apply distinct validation rules per category to ensure clean, high-quality supplier data.
* Enforce consistency and structure in how suppliers submit proposals.

Each proposal department enforces the following before any supplier can submit a proposal:

* A **Product Import Template** defines the required attributes for the department.
* A **Supplier Ruleset** ensures all incoming items meet supplier-side compatibility standards.
* A **Merchant Ruleset** validates merchant-specific data fields for accuracy and completeness.

By setting up a proposal department, merchants can maintain strict data control while scaling product sourcing across varied categories.

## Proposal Departments Table

The Proposal Departments page displays a table listing all existing departments along with key details. Use the following tools to refine the view:

* **Search Bar**: Quickly find departments by name or keyword.
* **Status Filter**: Filter departments by their current status (Active or Inactive).
* **Updated At Filter**: Narrow results based on the last update timestamp.

| Column                  | Description                                        |
| :---------------------- | :------------------------------------------------- |
| **ID**                  | A unique system-generated identifier.              |
| **Proposal Department** | The name of the proposal department.               |
| **Status**              | The current status of the proposal department.     |
| **Updated At**          | The last time the proposal department was updated. |

## Creating a Proposal Department

1. Click your business name in the menu at the top of the page in Dropship and click **Merchant Settings**.

   The **Merchant Settings** page is displayed.

2. Click **Proposal Departments**

   The **Proposal Departments** page is displayed.

3. Click **Create**.

   The **Create Department** window is displayed.

4. Enter the following details:

   * **Department Name**: Enter a unique name for the proposal department.
   * **Product Import Template**: Choose an existing Product Import Template. This template defines the list of attributes required for all proposals in this department. Only pre-configured templates are available for selection.
   * **Supplier Ruleset**: Select the ruleset that supplier items must comply with before they can be included in a proposal. This ruleset will also be enforced during proposal compatibility checks.
   * **Merchant Ruleset**: Select the set of validations that your merchant-submitted attributes must meet. This ensures your data aligns with proposal requirements.
   * **Department Merchandiser**: Assign a merchandiser to manage this department. Select from existing users in your organization.
   * **Sample Template URL (optional)**: Provide a URL to a sample spreadsheet template that suppliers can reference when preparing their proposal file.
     * This allows you to share a pre-filled file with suppliers as guidance.
     * Host the file on your own server or request fabric Support to help upload it to fabric’s servers. Then, paste the public URL here to make it accessible during proposal creation.

5. Click **Save.**

## Changing a Proposal Department Status

When you create a proposal department, its status is set to Active by default. You can change the status to Inactive at any time based on your needs.

* **Active** - The department is enabled and visible to all of the merchant’s suppliers. Suppliers can submit proposals to it.
* **Inactive** - The department is disabled and hidden from suppliers. Use this status when the department is no longer in use or needs to be temporarily deactivated.

### Procedure

1. Click your business name in the menu at the top of the page in Dropship and click **Merchant Settings**.

   The **Merchant Settings** page is displayed.

2. Click **Proposal Departments**

   The **Proposal Departments** page is displayed.

3. In the **Proposal Department** table, select the proposal department you want to change the status for.

   The **Department Settings** page for the selected department is displayed.

4. In the **Status** field, select the new status.

5. Click **Save**.

The department's status is updated.