Approvers - Out of Office, Unavailable & Assigning Proxy

  • Updated

In Unimarket, approvers can manage their availability to ensure that requisitions continue to move through the approval chain when they are away. This prevents delays by either automatically escalating the requisition or routing it to a designated Proxy Approver.

Note on Escalation: Approvals will not auto-escalate over weekends or public holidays set in the Public Holiday Schedule of your community.

 

Setting Unavailable Status (Out of Office)

An approver can mark themselves as unavailable for a specific period, which automatically routes requisitions to the next delegated approver in the chain.

 

Method A: Via My Account Screen

  1. Navigate: Select the person icon > click Out of Office.

 

  1. Set Dates: On the My Account screen, ensure the Out of Office tab is selected > check the I am unavailable box.

  2. Insert the desired unavailable date/time in the Unavailable From and Unavailable To fields > click Save.

 

Method B: Via Approvals Screen

  1. Navigate: Select Tasks menu > click Approvals tab > select View All.

 

  1. Set Dates: The Approvals screen will populate > select Change Availability > click the I am unavailable box.

  2. Insert the desired unavailable date/time in the Unavailable From and Unavailable To fields > select OK.

 

  • Visual Indicators: During the designated unavailable time, a clock icon will appear over the person icon and will disappear upon the appointed return time. 

  • Additionally, the user will appear grayed out when reassigning a requisition or order, and the Out of Office status will be visible anywhere the user is selected.

 

Assigning a Proxy Approver

If the Proxy Approvers feature is enabled (requires enablement by a Community Administrator), an unavailable approver can select another user to approve on their behalf.

 

Enable Proxy Approval Setting (Community Administrator)

Navigation: Administration module > click Approvals > select General tab.

  1. Under the header titled Approval Settings, check the Proxy Approval Enabled box.

  2. Scroll to the bottom of the screen > select Save.

 

Designating a Proxy (Approver)

  1. Navigate: Select the person icon > click Out of Office.

 

  1. Set Dates and Proxy: On the My Account screen, ensure the Out of Office tab is selected > check the I am unavailable box.

  2. Insert the desired unavailable dates/times.

  3. Select the dropdown arrow in the Proxy field > choose the desired user > click Save.

  • Default Behavior: If no Proxy is selected, the requisition will automatically escalate up the chain to the next delegated approver instead.

  • Proxy Authority: Requisitions that route for approval during the designated timeframe will be assigned to the proxy user. The requisition will stay with the proxy even after the Unavailable To date/time has passed.

  • Proxy Icon: Proxy approvals are indicated by the Proxy icon, visible on the Approval tab of a requisition and within a user's Approval tasks.

 

Proxy Management by Community Administrator

Community Administrators have the ability to view, manage, and add approvers' availability.

 

View/Manage Unavailable Approvers

Navigation: Administration module > select Users > click Out Of Office tab.

  • You can filter for desired users in the User field and/or Has Proxy field.

  • To view proxies set to start in the future, check the Include Unavailable in Future box.

 

Add Unavailable User(s)

  1. Go to the Administration module > select Users > click Out Of Office tab > select +Add Unavailable User.

  2. In the pop-up box, select the desired user in the User box > check Unavailable box.

  3. Enter the unavailable date/times in the Unavailable From and Unavailable To fields.

  4. To assign a proxy, select the desired user in the Proxy field > click Add.

 

Proxy Limitations and Audit

  • Proxy Limiting: A configuration exists that can limit the choice of Proxy Approvers to one within the same Organization Unit. This setting is disabled by default.

  • Audit Trail: If the proxy user takes any approval action, the proxy icon will always remain visible on the Approvals tab of the requisition for auditing purposes.

  • Proxy Override: If a proxy user has not taken any action, the Community Administrator can refresh the approvals, which:

    • Places the requisition back in the queue of the original approver.

    • Removes the proxy and the proxy icon.

 

Proxy and Pending Initial Acceptance State

Invoices that fall outside the community's matching tolerances enter a Pending Initial Acceptance state before they enter the delegated approval process.

  • No Escalation: Invoices in the Pending Initial Acceptance state will not be escalated to an assigned proxy.

  • Task Routing: The buyer/requestor who created or initiated the requisition will receive a task to Accept or Decline the invoice. Once accepted, it is sent for delegated approval.

  • Proxy Exclusion: Proxies will only receive tasks for the delegated approval process; they will not receive tasks for the initial Invoice Acceptance.