# Qualifications

Each partner has their own way of qualifying a subset of their providers for certain requests.  The Octoo platform gives partners the flexibility to define their own qualification and parameters for meeting a qualification.  

When requests are made, the partner's custom defined qualifications can be applied to requests as needed and the broadcast order will be prioritized to target qualified providers first.  

Qualifications can also be *required* for certain requests ensuring that only providers that meet the criteria are selected.

### What is a qualification?

A qualification can literally be *anything* the partner wishes to define!  They can be based on something concretely recognized or an abstract concept.  Here are some examples:

* "Nationally Certified" 
* "NSA Security Clearance"
* "Good with octopuses"

### Qualifications can require documentation

**Qualifications** integrate with our **documentation** system and, as such, you can specify that a certain qualification depend on specific documentation to be in effect.  

For example, if you had a qualification named "HIPPA certification" it could be dependent on the provider possessing a document indicating that certification.  Since the documentation system tracks expiration dates, if that provider's document were to expire their qualification would also lapse (until the documentation was updated).

### Qualifications can be designated for specific provider types or zones

Not all qualifications make sense for every type of provider or zone.  Octoo allows you to specify whether the **qualification** should be applied to all providers and zones or only a subset.  

For example, if you had a qualification that was "ProTactile" (for sign language interpreters working with DeafBlind consumers) it wouldn't make sense to apply it to a CART provider.

Or, if you had a qualification that was "Approved by Illinois Chamber of Commerce" it wouldn't make sense to offer that qualification on requests in Albequeque. 

### Providers have qualifications applied to them

When a provider onboards with a partner, the partner can then apply their qualifications to the provider as they see fit.  Adding the qualification to the provider is like giving them a little badge or special status.  Now they will be eligible to be prioritized for broadcasts and for requests restricted to their specific qualifications.

### Customers can have qualifications set as new request defaults

Some customers may require certain qualifications for all requests by deafult.  A partner can assign those qualifications to the customer under their partner-based request settings.