Set up approval workflows

An approval workflow says who must approve a document before it takes effect. Each workflow covers one kind of document (a module, such as Purchase Order) and has one or more levels. Each level names its approvers, by role or by person, and a rule for how many of them must approve.

All approval screens are under Settings › Approval Settings.

How a document gets routed

When someone sends a document for approval (or posts it), WbizManager checks the approval setting for that kind of document:

Approval for this document type is…	What happens
Switched off	The document is saved or posted straight away, with no approval.
Switched on, with a workflow	The document waits as pending approval. It reaches the approvers on level 1, then level 2 and so on. It takes effect only once the last level approves.
Switched on, but with no workflow	The document is refused with No approval workflow is configured for this document type. Contact your administrator.
Not set up for your organisation	The document is refused with Approval is not enabled for your organisation. Contact your administrator.

Nobody can approve a request they raised themselves. Approvers find their requests under Approvals › Workflows, as shown in Approve a material requisition.

These are the document types with their own approval setting:

Area	Document types (modules)
Procurement	Material Requisition, Request For Quotation, Purchase Order
Accounting	Journal, Invoice, Bill, Credit Note, Debit Note, Invoice Adjustment, Bill Adjustment, Settlement (customer payments), Bill Settlement (vendor payments), Period Reopen, Opening Balance
Inventory	Stock Update, Stock Count, Item Journal, Administrative Requisition

The exact list you see in Module comes from your subscription, so it may be shorter or longer.

Steps

1. Open Settings › Approval Settings › Approval Workflow

   In the menu on the left, select Settings, then Approval Settings, then Approval Workflow. The Workflow Management page lists every workflow with its Service, Module, Levels and Status.

   

   1. Approval Workflow under Settings › Approval Settings.
   2. Add New Workflow starts a new workflow.
   3. Levels: one badge per approval level. Point at it to see who approves each level.
   4. Status, and the switch that turns approval on or off for that module.
   5. Edit and delete.
2. Name the workflow and choose the module

   Select Add New Workflow.

   

   1. Workflow Name: for example Finance PO Approval. Required.
   2. Service (for example Procurement or Accounting) and Module (for example Purchase Order). Both required.
   3. Description: optional.
   4. Levels must finish in order: when ticked, level 2 can't act until level 1 is done.
3. Add the approval levels

   Select Add Your First Level, then + Add Level for each further level. For each level:

   

   1. Approver Source: Role (everyone with that role) or User (one named person).
   2. Approver Role (or Approver User). Required.
   3. Approval Rule: how many approvers on this level must approve.
   4. Save Workflow.
   5. + Add Level adds the next level.

   Leave Auto-advance on approve ticked: a level that is done always passes the document on to the next level.

   The approval rules:

   Rule	The level is done when…
   All approvers	every approver on the level has approved
   Any one approver	any one of them approves
   Minimum count	the number you enter in Required Approvals have approved
   Majority	more than half have approved

   A level with a named User always needs just that one person.

   Select Save Workflow. Saving also switches approval on for that module.

4. Switch approval on or off

   On Workflow Management, the switch in the Status column turns approval on or off for that module. When it's off, documents of that type post straight away.

   Saving a new workflow for a module that already has one replaces it. Requests already waiting keep the approvers they started with.

The other Approval Settings screens

Screen	What it's for
Dashboard	Counts and charts of approval activity.
Approval Tracking	Every approval request and where it is.
Audit Log	Who changed which workflow or decided which request, and when.
Approver Profiles	An older way to say who may approve a module. New workflows name their approvers on each level, so you normally don't need a profile.
Module Settings	The modules you can build workflows for. Select Workflows on a row to see that module's workflows. Modules come from your subscription and can't be added here.
Services	The WbizManager services behind the modules. Sync from Auth refreshes the list. Callback addresses are set up by your WbizManager support team.

If something goes wrong

Message	What to do
Select an approver role or user for every level before saving.	Choose a role or a user on every level.
Set a required approvals count (minimum 1) for every level using the Minimum count rule.	Enter Required Approvals for that level.
Workflow created but the process could not be enabled …	The workflow is saved. Turn approval on with the switch on Workflow Management.
No approval workflow is configured for this document type. (when someone submits a document)	Add a workflow for that module, or switch approval off for it.
Approval is not enabled for your organisation. (when someone submits a document)	Contact your WbizManager support team: the module isn't set up for your organisation yet.

Related

• Approve a material requisition
• Approve a purchase order
• Approve accounting documents