To Create Approval Maps for Parallel Approvals

You configure the approval maps for a parallel approval process by using the Assignment and Approval Maps (EP205500) form.

Before You Proceed

Ensure that the employees who will approve Accounts Payable documents and these employees' workgroups are specified on the Company Tree (EP204061) form. Review the organization's hierarchy of workgroups and, if needed, add new workgroups that include these employees.

To Create Each Approval Map for Parallel Approvals

  1. Open the Assignment and Approval Maps (EP205500) form.
  2. On the form toolbar, click Add New Record.
  3. In the Name box in the Summary area of the form, type a name for the new approval map, such as Approval by CFO or Approval by Financial Director.
  4. In the Entity box, expand the Finance > Accounts Payable > Work Area > Enter nodes; click Bills and Adjustments.
  5. Click Save on the form toolbar. Notice that the map name is shown now in the Map box.
  6. In the Rules pane (to the right of the tree pane), specify an approver as follows:
    1. On the pane toolbar, click Add Row.
    2. In the Type column, select Assign.
    3. In the Name column, type a description for the approval rule being specified in this row (for example, Vendor bills over $5000).
    4. Optional: In the Workgroup column, select the workgroup that includes the employee responsible for reviewing AP documents.
      Note: The members of the specified workgroup will also be able to review and approve AP documents. If you want the documents to be reviewed and approved only by the person specified in the Assign to column, do not enter a workgroup.
    5. In the Assign to column, select the employee responsible for reviewing the AP documents. This employee will be able to see the list of AP documents assigned to him or her for approval on the My Approvals tab of the Approvals (EP503010) form.
  7. Click Save on the form toolbar.
  8. If you need the documents that match some particular criteria to be approved, specify these criteria in the Conditions table. For example, if only the vendor bills whose total document amount is greater than some specified limit should be approved, you would specify these conditions as follows:
    Note: No conditions should be specified if all Accounts Payable documents should be forwarded to an approver.
    1. On the pane toolbar, click Add Row to specify first condition.
    2. In the Entity column, select Document.
    3. In the Field Name column, select Type.
    4. In the Condition column, select Equals.
    5. In the Field Value column, enter INV.

      The AP documents of the Bill type will be forwarded for approval.

    6. On the pane toolbar, click Add Row to specify second condition.
    7. In the Entity column, select Document.
    8. In the Field Name column, select Amount.
    9. In the Condition column, select Is Greater Than.
    10. In the Value column, type the value that defines the total document amount.

      The AP bills whose total amount is greater than the specified value would be assigned for approval. The bills whose total amount is less than or equal to the specified value would not require approval, and would be ready for release once they are saved and taken off hold.

    Note: You can add as many conditions as you need.
  9. In the Rule Type box (located above the Conditions pane), select All conditions are true, so that the documents will be assigned to an approver only if all the specified conditions are true.
  10. Click Save on the form toolbar.

By using the instructions above, you should create an approval map for each additional participant in the approval process.