Overview
'Advanced Approval by User and Account' (mode 3) provides various ways to configure the order approval process. Some business rules require quite complex approval arrangements.
You should decide which approval type will be the most suitable for your site before continuing. The various options are detailed below.
Approval Type | Description | Requires Approval Groups? | Approval Mode |
---|---|---|---|
Single Person User Selected | This allows the user to choose an approver from a list of valid approvers. The user is given order limits for various order functions. For example, a user may have a 'Requisition Limit' of $999999.00, and an 'Order Limit' of $200.00. This user can submit orders up to $200 in value without approval, but any orders $200.01 - $999,999.00 will require approval. Users on the same Customer Code with an 'Approval Limit' greater than the order value will be able to approve the order. If there isn't a user with an appropriate approval limit for the order, an error message that there are no approvers with the correct authority will be displayed to the user. | No | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Single Person Auto Selected | This will automatically select an approver from a list of valid approvers | No | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Multi Person User Selected | This allows the user to choose multiple approvers from a list of valid approvers. Only one of the selected users needs to approve the order. | No | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Multi Person Auto Selected | This will automatically select all available approvers from the Approval Group. All of the selected users need to approve the order. | Yes | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Multi Person Auto Single | This will automatically select all available approvers from a list of valid approvers. Only one of the selected users needs to approve the order. | No | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Multi Person Auto Selected No Group | This will automatically select all available approvers to approve the order. All of the approvers need to approve the order. | No | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Hierarchical | This will allow a hierarchical list of approvers in an Approval Group to approve an order. All of the approvers need to approve the order. | Yes | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Hierarchical Customer Budget | This will allow a hierarchical list of approvers in an Approval Group to approve an order. All orders are submitted for approval (even if the order is placed by an approving user in the Approval Group). | Yes | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Hierarchical Approval Limits | This will allow a hierarchical list of approvers in an Approval Group to approve an order. Minimum and maximum order amounts are set up on each user in the Group. Approvers are skipped if their range doesn't include the order amount. | Yes | Advanced Approval By User and Account |
Set up an Advanced Order Approval Process
Enable Advanced Approval by User and Account
Before you can use advanced approval options, your website needs to be set to this option.
Setting Approval Type at Various Levels
Approval Type can be set at the Role, Customer or User level. Note - The User setting overrides the Customer Setting, which overrides the Role setting.
Set Approval Type at Role level
NOTE - Role level approval type is overriden by Customer or User settings.
To set Approval Type at the Role Level:
- While logged into your website, navigate to Roles (usually in Account Selection → Roles) (/zRoles.aspx).
- Select the required role via radio button.
- Click the Functions tab.
- Click Modify.
- Find the field Approval Type and select the required approval type.
- Find the field Is Cancel of Approval Orders Comments Mandatory. Tick if the Approver must enter a reason for rejecting an option.
- Find Enable Cancel of Approval Orders. Tick if the Approver can reject an order.
- Click OK to save.
Set Approval Type at Customer level
NOTE - Customer level approval type is overriden by User settings.
To set Approval Type at the Customer Level:
- While logged into your website, navigate to Customer Maintenance (usually in Account Selection → Customer Maintenance) (/CustomerMaintenance.aspx).
- Search for the required customer account.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the Customer Details tab.
- Click Modify.
- Find the field Order Approval Type as required.?
- Find the field Enable Email Approval. Tick if you want the email sent to an Approver to include links they can click on to quickly Approve and Reject an order.
- Find Required Comments on Email Order Rejection. Tick if the Approver must enter a reason for rejecting an option via the email link.
- Click OK to save.
To Set Approval Type at the Customer Level using 'Approval Groups':
- Login as an Administrator.
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Customer Approvals' (/CustomerApproval.aspx).
- Search for the required customer on which to set the Approval Group.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the 'Customer Details' tab.
- Click 'Modify'.
- Select an Approval Group from the drop-down list.
- Click 'OK' to save.
To Set Approval Type at the User Level:
- Login as an Administrator.
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Advanced User Maintenance' (/UserMaintenance.aspx).
- Search for the required user.
- Select the record via radio button; the 'User' tab will load.
- Click 'Modify'.
- Set the value for 'Order Approval Type'.
- Click 'OK' to save.
To Set the Approval Type at the User Level using 'Approval Groups':
- Login as an Administrator.
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Advanced User Maintenance' (/UserMaintenance.aspx).
- Search for the required user.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the 'Accounts' tab.
- Select the required customer on which to set the Approval Group.
- On the '$Limits' tab, click 'Edit'.
- Select an Approval Group from the drop-down list.
- Click 'Update' to save.
Step-by-step guides
To Set up Regular Approval:
In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Settings.
Select the 'Orders' tab.
Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
Click 'Update' to save changes.
Once the system-wide setting has been updated, the User's '$Limits' settings can be updated:
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Advanced User Maintenance' (UserMaintenance.aspx?mode=admin).
- Search for the required User.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the 'Accounts' tab.
- If the user has multiple Customer Codes, select the correct record via radio button.
- On the '$Limits' tab, click 'Edit'.
- Set the value in the 'Approval Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Order Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Requisition Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Click the 'Update' button to save changes.
- Repeat Steps a-j for other users on the account, including users who will have approval authority.
To Set up Single Person Approval:
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Settings.
- Select the 'Orders' tab.
- Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Advanced Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
- Click 'Update' to save changes.
- Set the 'Order Approval Type' at the required level (User, Customer, or Role):
- SPU = Single Person User Selected
- SPA = Single Person Auto Selected
Then. update the User's '$Limits':
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Advanced User Maintenance' (UserMaintenance.aspx?mode=admin).
- Search for the required User.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the 'Accounts' tab.
- If the user has multiple Customer Codes, select the correct record via radio button.
- On the '$Limits' tab, click 'Edit'.
- Set the value in the 'Approval Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Order Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Requisition Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Click the 'Update' button to save changes.
- Repeat Steps a-j for other users on the account, including users who will have approval authority.
To Set up Multi Person Approval:
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings –> Settings.
- Select the 'Orders' tab.
- Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Advanced Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
- Click 'Update' to save changes.
- Set the 'Order Approval Type' at the required level (User, Customer, or Role):
- MPU = Multi Person User Selected
- MPA = Multi Person Auto Selected
- MPAS = Multi Person Auto Single
- MPANG = Multi Person Auto Selected No Group
Then, update the User's '$Limits':
- Navigate to 'Accounts' --> 'Advanced User Maintenance' (UserMaintenance.aspx?mode=admin).
- Search for the required User.
- Select the record via radio button.
- Click the 'Accounts' tab.
- If the user has multiple Customer Codes, select the correct record via radio button.
- On the '$Limits' tab, click 'Edit'.
- Set the value in the 'Approval Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Order Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Set the value in the 'Requisition Limit' field to the required dollar amount.
- Click the 'Update' button to save changes.
- Repeat Steps a-j for other users on the account, including users who will have approval authority.
Please Note
Several of the Multi Person approval types require the use of Approval Groups (refer to the table above). Check out our Approval Groups article for information on how to configure these.
Approval Hierarchies
When using Hierarchical approval types, 'Approval Groups' must be used. See Approval Groups for further information.
To Set up Hierarchical Approval:
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Settings.
Select the 'Orders' tab.
Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Advanced Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
- Click 'Update' to save changes.
- Set up the 'Approval Group' at either the Customer or User level.
- Set the 'Order Approval Type' at the required level (User, Customer, or Role) to 'H'.
To Set up Hierarchical Customer Budget Approval:
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Settings.
Select the 'Orders' tab.
Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Advanced Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
- Click 'Update' to save changes.
- Set up the 'Approval Group' at either the Customer or User level.
- Set the 'Order Approval Type' at the required level (User, Customer, or Role) to 'HC'.
To Set up Hierarchical Approval Limits:
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Settings.
Select the 'Orders' tab.
Select the 'Restrictions and Charges' sub-tab.
Set 'Use Advanced Order Approval' to 'Advanced Approval By User and Account'.
If your site is displaying 'Use Advanced Order Approval' as a checkbox, please get in touch with our Support team. We'll update the field to display the appropriate options.
- Click 'Update' to save changes.
- Set up the 'Approval Group' at either the Customer or User level.
- Set the 'Order Approval Type' at the required level (User, Customer, or Role) to 'HAL'.
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