Approver Definitions allow you to define how approvers are translated and identified in the system. Each definition represents a 'Role' which can be included in your Approval Routes.
Prerequisites
Permissions: Access to the 'Approvals' tile and 'Manage module' settings.
Data: Understanding of your organisation's User Groups, Positions, and Department structures.
Accessing Approver Definitions
Navigate to the Approvals tile from your Home page.
Click on the Manage module tab in the top right corner.
Locate the Approver Definitions under the General tab, below the general settings.
Create, Change, or Delete Definitions
Existing approver definitions can be changed or deleted, and new approver definitions can be created at any time.
To create: Hover your mouse over any definition. A blue [+] button will appear to the right of the definition. Click on this symbol to add a new definition, then complete all required fields.
To change: You can make changes to any fields on an existing definition. Note: If the definition already exists in any approval route(s), the changes made to the definition will impact those routes.
To remove: Hover your mouse over the definition you want to delete. A red [-] symbol will appear to the right of the definition. Click on this symbol to remove the definition.
To save: Any changes made to your approver definitions must be saved by clicking on the Save button located on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Reference: Approver Components
There are three components that make up an approver definition:
Role: This can be any terminology that best represents who the approver is.
Lookup Method: This is the logic the system uses to determine who occupies the role. There are 10+ lookup methods available to select from.
Lookup Argument: This is the argument used to support the lookup method, if applicable.
Reference: Lookup Methods and Arguments
The information below details the most common Lookup Methods and how they identify approvers.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Allows anyone in the group listed below to approve the submission | Name of the User Group |
Example
- Allows anyone in the 'Administrators' User Group to approve the submission.
- An email address, or multiple email addresses, needs to be applied to the Group to identify who should be notified when an approval is requested.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Finds user in the position listed below | Name of the Position |
Example
- Finds the user with the position 'CEO' in their User Profile.
- This method only works if a single user occupies the 'CEO' position.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Finds the user with the position listed below from the submitter's department | Name of the Position |
Example
- Finds the user with the position 'Director' in their User Profile and from the same department as the submitter (also determined in their User Profile).
- If the system cannot find a user in the submitter's department who matches these details, it will reference your system's department structure to find a 'Director' in a parent department.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Finds the user with the position listed below from the department on the significant parent - e.g., Procurement or Contract | Name of the Position |
Example
- Finds the user with the position 'Manager' in their User Profile and from the same department that owns the parent record (e.g. Plan or Contract).
- If the system cannot find a user from the same department who matches these details, it will reference your system's department structure to find a 'Manager' in a parent department.
- This method only works if a single user occupies the 'Manager' position in each department.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Finds the supervisor of the submitter | Not applicable - leave blank |
Example
- Finds the user listed as the 'Supervisor' of the submitter (determined in their User Profile)
- This lookup method is commonly used if the 'User-based approval thresholds' setting is enabled.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Finds a user in the group and department listed below on the significant parent e.g., Contract or Procurement | Name of the User Group |
Example
- Finds a user in the 'Executives' User Group who belongs to the same department that owns the parent record (e.g. Plan or Contract).
- This method only works if a single user in the 'Executive' User Group belongs to the same department as the parent record.
| Lookup Method | Lookup Argument |
|---|---|
| Gets the evaluation panel members from the parent record (only used for Evaluation) | Not applicable - leave blank |
Example
- Finds all users allocated to the evaluation panel for a planned or completed evaluation.
- This applies to both Procurement Planning, for evaluators who have been identified on a plan, and in Advanced Evaluations, where they can be requested to approve a decision.
Related Tasks
Manage Your Approval Settings: Configure global approval behaviors.
- Configure Approval Routes: Incorporate your defined roles into automated workflows.