Approval step

In the Approval step area, you can define who is to receive the approval request.

You have the following configuration options in the approval step:

• Step: You can use the drop-down menu to specify the order in which the approval steps are checked. The approval steps should be structured in the same order as a vendor release runs through the approval logic. steps can also be carried out in parallel. For this, the “Parallel” option must be activated.Example of a sequential sequence:
  Step 1: Status of the supplier
  Step 2: Material group electronics
  etc.

• Type: Two types of approval steps are available from the drop-down menu:

  • Release: If the approval step is defined as type release, the supplier must be released manually & actively.

  • Information: If the approval step is defined as type Information, the approver is informed by e-mail about the newly created supplier.

• Approver (User): By using this option and selecting the user, you can define which user has to approve the supplier.

• Approver (user group): By using this option and selecting the user groups, a user group can be set as approver.
  With this option, all users in the user group are informed by e-mail. As soon as one of the users from the user group edits the supplier release, the remaining users can no longer edit it.

  • Approver selection: If the approver selection is activated, the user can specifically select the desired approver of the user group via drop-down menu.
    Thus, the approval can be addressed to a specific group member.

• Responsible user: The responsible user stored in the supplier is the approver of the step.

• Responsible user group: The responsible user group defined in the vendor is the approver of the step. With this option, all users in the user group are informed by e-mail. As soon as one of the users from the user group edits the supplier release, the remaining users can no longer edit it.

• Substitute (User) – after X minutes / hours / days: Possibility to select a user from the dropdown menu who will get the supplier release forwarded for approval after the selected time period (in minutes/hours/days).
  Forwarding takes place automatically if the first user does not process the supplier release.
  The selection of days takes into account the workday configuration of your organization.

• Representative (user group): – after X minutes / hours / days: Possibility to select a user group from the dropdown menu, which will receive the supplier release after the selected period (in minutes/hours/days), for approval.
  Forwarding takes place automatically if the first user does not process the supplier release.
  The selection of days takes into account the workday configuration of your organization.

• Substitute from the user administration: – after X minutes / hours / days: here, the substitute of the user who is stored in the user administration with the approver is always determined automatically. The permit is forwarded to the representative for approval after the selected time period (in minutes/hours/days).

If a release request is forwarded to another approver and the new approver has a permanent substitute who is valid for approvals, the substitute automatically receives a release request by e-mail after the time defined in the workflow step.

Example 1:
For the material group “Office supplies”, the approver is a user from the user group “Purchasing”, for example, Max Mustermann.
Max Mustermann has entered Heike Mustermann as a substitute for his vacation period.
The supplier approval must be carried out by Heike Mustermann in the selected period.

It is always advisable to set up a substitute, since an approver may be absent due to vacation or illness and the vendor release is waiting for approval in his or her release list and is not processed.