Answer
File-arrival triggers are common in EDI and data exchange scenarios, where a job needs to start the moment a trading partner drops a file into the IFS rather than waiting for the next scheduled polling interval. API-based triggers show up when a cloud service, e-commerce platform, or external system needs to kick off work on Db2 for i in near real time, such as an order confirmation flowing back into inventory allocation. Business-event triggers are the least visible but often the most important: a credit hold being released, an approval being granted, or an exception condition crossing a threshold, all of which originate inside the application logic rather than from an external file or a clock.
The mapping exercise here is worth doing carefully rather than assuming the answer, since most teams underestimate how many of their triggers are actually business events buried inside RPG or COBOL program logic rather than clean file or API signals. The common mistake is buying automation software strong on time and file triggers while the process that actually needs fixing depends on an approval workflow or an exception condition the tool cannot see without custom integration work. Buyers should list every trigger a real process depends on before evaluating vendors, then check each one against what the shortlisted tools can actually detect natively versus what would require custom development to bridge.