This article explains the many options associated with approval processes within Unimarket.
Approval System Settings
Header Level approvals
The total amount of the requisition is assessed to route the requisition, to the appropriate approver in the assigned chain.
With Organization Unit approvals, the whole requisition will go to the chain for the org unit.
For GL pattern matching approvals, the total sum of the GL lines will be assessed to route the approvals to appropriate chains, assigned to the GL pattern.
Line Level Approvals
Used with GL pattern matching approvals only - Single line total of a requisition will be routed for approval based on the GL pattern and the single lines can be approved or declined.
The approved lines will generate PO number and the declined requisitions will not generate a PO number, to become a PO.
Hybrid Approvals
Used with GL pattern matching approvals only - Same functionality as the Line Level approvals (above) but if a single line of a requisition is declined, the entire requisition is declined.
Approval Routing Rules
- Organization Unit (i.e. departmental based approvals): Route requisitions based on the Org Unit that the user is assigned in their profile, that contains the approval chain for that Department.
- GL Code (patterns matching) approvals: GL Code based approvals route requisitions to the appropriate approval chain based on:
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- A single GL code
- GL codes within a range
- GL codes match a defined pattern.
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Example: A pattern of 1234, will capture a requisition line that contains 1234 in the second GL field.
- Category Based Approvals: UNSPSC commodity codes for each line item product or service can be utilized to route requisitions for approvals. Based upon a defined mapping of UNSPSC category codes.
- Product Type Based Approvals: Approvals can be based on the type of product that has been requested, Catalog (Contracted), Non-Catalog, Quote or Roundtrip. Product types can be additional factors for different approval routing.
- Order Type Based Approvals: Approvals can be based on the type of Order that has been requested (e.g. Standard Order, Blanket Order or Retrofit Order).
- Supplier Tag Based Approvals: Approvals can be based on the supplier tag to route approvals or skip more lengthy approvals, if the supplier is a "Preferred" supplier.
- Contract Y/N Approvals: Approvals can be routed to an approval ruleset based on whether or not the requisition is associated with a contract, using the Unimarket Contracts Module.
- Self-Approval: Self-Approval is different than the Auto Approve, configured in the communities Approval Process. Self-Approval amounts are set within each individual users profile. If a self-approval step is configured into the approval process. Unimarket will clear any requisition less than the buyer's self-approval limit. If the requisition amount is greater than the self-approval level, it will route for delegated approval.
- On-Behalf-Of (OBO) Approvals: Requisitions placed by users with the On Behalf Of role for other users, will be routed the person that the purchase was made on behalf of for their review. The On Behalf Of approval step can be added at any point of the approval process but is often done at the beginning.
Approval Process Step Configurations
- All Must Approve: When All Must Approve is turned on, the approval process will route a requisition through the entire delegated approval chain. This routing begins at the lowest level approver and moves upward. Until it reaches the approver whose approval level is high enough to clear the requisition. When All Must Approve is not turned on, the requisition will be automatically routed to the single approver whose level gives them the ability to clear it. All Must Approve is a recommended setting, when it is important to ensure that the necessary personnel review the requisition before sending it to a higher level approvers.
Example: An Approval Chain is set up as follows:
Jim @ level 1 ($2000), Jane @ Level 2 ($10,000) and Tom at level 3 ($25,000)
Mary, a buyer, creates a requisition for $15,000 that is routed to the chain above.
If All Must Approve is turned OFF: The requisition will route directly to Tom. Once Tom approves the requisition, the requisition is sent to the next approval requirement or a purchase order is created.
If All Must Approve is turned ON: The requisition will route to Jim (the first approver). Once Jim approves it, the requisition will move to Jane. Once Jane approves, it will move to Tom, and once Tom approves, the requisition is sent to the next approval requirement or a purchase order is created.
- On-behalf-Of(OBO) and Buyer As Approver : The following 3 scenarios outline the different options a community has when determining the role of an approver, if he/she is the creator of the requisition being approved.
- Auto Approve: The requisition will be approved by the buyers approval authority. If the buyer is in the approval chain and has sufficient approval authority for the total amount being approved.
- Exclude: The buyer will be excluded (skipped) in the approval chain. When it is the buyers task to approve, he/she will be skipped and the requisition will move on to the next person in the chain. Even if the requisition total is below the higher level approver's authority.
- Start Above: If the buyer is in the approval chain and Start Above is enabled. The requisition will go directly to the approver in the approval chain, that is above the buyer's authority. The approval task will not go to any approver below the authority of the buyer.
- Validate Account Code: This is the step in the approval process where the integration is used to communicate with the community's finance system. To verify that there are sufficient funds within the GL account(s) referenced in the requisition. The budget check is done when the approver clicks Approve/Decline. The response from the ERP finance system is displayed in the Approve/Decline pop-up window.
Approvals, Routing Rule, Approval Process, Process