This article details the setup to allow multi-level authorisation.
This gives greater flexibility of the authorisation process. Authorisation can still be carried out in the same manner that it has always been available but the software has been improved to allow multiple authorisers at each stage if required.
Company setup
On the Toolbar, click System Admin, Setup.
Click the Purchasing tab.
Click the Other tab.
The Authorisation Model has two settings:
Enhanced: Multi-user authorisation is activated.
Classic: The existing method of authorisation remains activated.
Default Invoice authoriser can be set to ensure that invoices are registered with an authoriser.
Default Email Errors To will send any email errors to the user defined in this field.
Purchase authorisation routes
On the Toolbar, click Purchase Ledger, Setup, Purchase Authorisation Routes.
An Authorisation Route will drive the entire nature of authorisation that a transaction should follow. This includes:
What element of a transaction will trigger authorisation.
How many stages are involved in the authorisation process.
Which individual users, or groups of users, will be responsible for each stage of the authorisation.
Details tab
The Details tab of the Authorisation Routes screen is where new Authorisation Routes can be created and where the initial settings of the route can be defined. See explanation below of each setting which can be defined on the Details tab.
Route Code: Unique route code can be defined here. The code can be alpha-numeric with a maximum of 6 characters allowed
Description: Meaningful description of the authorisation route should be entered here
Route Type: Determines how the Authorisation tab of an invoice or order should be populated, options available on the drop down menu are:
Stages – Automatic the system will automatically select authorisers based on the Stages defined against the authorisation route. The Stages tab will contain the number of authorisation stages required, and for each stage, the user or user group who must authorise the stage.
Stages – Manual the Stages tab will contain the number of authorisation stages required, and for each stage the lower and upper authority levels from which a user can be selected to authorise that stage.
User Hierarchy the system will use the Immediate Superior hierarchy. Every user should have an immediate superior set on their System Admin > User Setup – (any user) – Access > Controls tab.
Applies To: Use the Applies To drop down menu to define whether the Authorisation Route should apply to Invoices or Orders
Triggers Required: Multiple Triggers can be defined on the ‘Triggers’ tab of the Authorisation Route to determine what element(s) of a transaction should trigger the authorisation [more detail of this in 2.2 of this document]. The Triggers Required flag on the authorisation Route therefore determines whether ‘All triggers’ Triggers are required for the authorisation route to be followed or ‘Any trigger’ [single one].
Escalate To All: This flag can only be enabled if the Route Type is set to User Hierarchy. If set to ‘Yes’ then each user in the hierarchy will be required to authorise the invoice/order. If set to ‘No’ then only the first user with sufficient limit in the hierarchy will be required to authorise.
Stop Auto-Posting: A purchase transaction type can be set to automatically post a purchase invoice when it is reconciled to an order. This setting can disable that functionality. This option is only available if the Applies To flag is set to ‘Invoices’
Users Authorise Once: A user is only able to authorise the invoice once even if that user is a member of more than one authorisation group.
Route Enabled: You can enable/disable the authorisation route using the Route Enabled Yes/No flag. This flag is only enabled.
Default: A right mouse option allows one Route to be marked as the ‘Default’. The default route will be used if no other routes match the circumstances found on an invoice or order.
It is possible to set the system up so that no route has a trigger that matches the coding of an invoice. When this happens the default route will be used. This will ensure that some authorisation takes place.
It is not possible to delete or disable the default route. Another route should be made to be the default if you require this do this.
Status: The Status of the route confirms how many invoices are currently using the route. Any route that is in use cannot be deleted from the system.
Triggers tab
A Trigger is something about an order or invoice that tells the system that should authorise it. This is defined against each Authorisation Route on the Triggers tab.
Trigger Type options available in the drop down menu are:
Nominal Elements: one of the four nominal elements to which the nominal code of the transaction is linked.
Location: the stock location code defined against the invoice/order
Nominal: the complete nominal account entered against the invoice/order
Supplier: the Supplier for whom the goods will be purchased. It is not possible for the same supplier to appear on more than one authorisation route.
Team: the team registered against the order
Product: the product listed on the order
Expense: the expense code that triggers authorization
TBA: to be agreed
Having selected a Trigger Type, the Trigger Code column offers an F5 lookup to select a member from the chosen type. Alternatively you can manually enter any valid member.
There is no limit to the number of Triggers that can be linked to a single authorisation route.
The Triggers Required setting (on the Details tab of the Authorisation Route) determines whether ALL the triggers of a route MUST be used, or just any ONE available trigger.
Stages tab
The Stages tab allows you to define the authorisation stages required. The Route Type defined will have a bearing on what is to be populated for each Stage.
Stages – Manual
If the Route Type is set to ‘Stages – Manual’ then the ‘Stages’ tab will contain the number of authorisation stages required, and for each stage the lower and upper authority levels from which a user can be selected to authorise that stage.
The theory here is that you will leave it to the user creating the order or invoice to choose who will authorise it.
The Lower Authority Level and Upper Authority Level can be used to restrict the list of users available to select from for each Stage.
E.g
For Stage 1, if the Lower Authority Level and Upper Authority Level are both set to ‘1’ then only users with an Authority Level of ‘1’ will be available from the list for that Stage.
The Authority Level is set against a user in
On the Toolbar, click System Admin, User Setup (Any User).
Click Access.
Click the Controls tab.
For each stage there is a Compulsory check box. Any stage NOT marked as compulsory may be ignored during the authorisation process.
Stages – Automatic
If the Route Type is set to ‘Stages – Automatic’ the Stages tab will contain the number of authorisation stages required, and for each stage the user or user group who must authorise that stage.
Instead of choosing a single user to authorise a stage, it is also possible to choose a group of users. These user groups can be maintained in
On the Toolbar, click System Admin, Setup.
Click Email Recipients.
The group can be either an existing one used by other functionality or one created by the user specifically for authorisation routes. If a group is selected, you must also say whether any one member of that group may approve that stage, or all members of that group must approve that stage.
For each stage there is a Compulsory tick box. Any stage NOT marked as compulsory may be ignored during the authorisation process.
User Hierarchy
No Stages tab is displayed for Authorisation Routes with a Route Type of User Hierarchy.