How to Work with Approval Workflows

You can set up JustFood so that users can request approval for certain types of records. This is done by using Approval workflows.

Once an Approval workflow is set up, when an approval is requested for a record, an approval request entry is created and the designated approver can approve, reject or delegate the approval from the Requests to Approve window. Certain types of records can even be blocked until they are approved.

The following tasks are explained in this procedure:

• Setting up approval users

• Setting up records to be blocked

• Creating an approval workflow

Prerequisites

• SMTP e-mail is set up

To set up approval users

You can need to set up the users who will be approving, rejecting or delegating approvals. You also need to define when approvers receive notifications.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter approval user setup, and choose Approval User Setup.

2. In the Approval User Setup window, on the Home tab, in the New group, choose New.

3. Populate the following fields:

   • User ID: Select the user ID of the user who will be receiving the approval request.

   • Approver ID: Enter the ID of the person who will receive any delegated approval requests for the selected approver.

     Note: The delegated approver must also be added to the Approval User Setup window.

   • E-Mail: Enter the e-mail address of the approver.

   • Approval Administrator Select the check box. This allows the approver to delegate and delete approval requests.

4. [Optional] Define how and when the approver receive notifications. The user requesting the approval will NOT receive notifications so you do not need to set up notifications for the requester.

   1. Select the line for the approver, and then, on the Home tab, in the Process group, choose Notification Setup.

   2. In the Notification Setup window, enter the following values:

      • Notification Type: Select Approval.

      • Notification Method: Select Email.

      • Display Target: Select if the link within the email notification goes to the Web client or the Windows client.

      You have now specified how the user receives notifications. Proceed to specify when the user receives notifications.

   3. In the Notification Setup window, on the Home tab, in the Process group, choose Notification Schedule.

   4. In the Notification Schedule window, populate the following fields:

   • Recurrence: Specify the recurrence pattern in which the user receives notifications.

   • Time: Specify what time of the day the user receives notifications when the value in the Recurrence field is different from Instantly.

   • Daily Frequency: Specify on which type of days the user receives notifications when the value in the Recurrence field is Daily. Select Weekday to receive notifications every workday of the week. Select Daily to receive notifications every day of the week, including weekends.

   • Monday through Sunday: Specify on which days the user receives notifications when the value in the Recurrence field is Weekly.

   • Date of Month: Specify if the user receives notifications on the first, last, or a specific date of the month.

   • Monthly Notification Date: Specify the date of the month on which the user receives notifications when the value in the Date of Month field is Custom.

   The e-mail notification will contain a link that gives the user the option of changing when they receive notifications.

5. Repeat the steps for the remaining approvers.

To set up which new records should be blocked

For some types of records where an approval workflow is enabled, you can block records until they are approved.

If a record is blocked and a workflow is enabled, a user must request approval before it can be unblocked. If users try to unblock a record before it has been approved, they will receive the following error message: "This record can only be unblocked when the approval process is complete."

The following types of records can be blocked until approved:

• Customer

• Item

• Vendor

Setting up customers to be blocked

If you want customers to be blocked until they are approved, then you need to set that option in the Sales & Receivables Setup window. When this option is set and a Customer Approval workflow is enabled, the Blocked field on the Customer Card window cannot be changed until the approval request is approved.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter sales & receivables setup, and then choose the related link.

2. In the Sales & Receivables Setup window, on the Approvals FastTab, select a value for the Block Customer on Insert field.

   • Ship: Defaults Ship in to the Blocked field on the Customer Card window.

   • Invoice: Defaults Invoice in to the Blocked field on the Customer Card window.

   • All: Defaults All in to the Blocked field on the Customer Card window.

3. Close the window.

Setting up items to be blocked

If you want items to be blocked until they are approved, then you need to set that option in the Inventory Setup window. When this option is set and the Item Approval with Unblock workflow is enabled, the Blocked check box on the Item Card window cannot be changed until the approval request is approved.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter inventory setup, and then choose the related link.

2. In the Inventory Setup window, on the Approvals FastTab, select the Block Item on Insert check box.

3. Close the window.

Setting up vendors to be blocked

If you want vendors to be blocked until they are approved, then you need to set that option in the Purchases & Payables Setup window. When this option is set and the Vendor Approval with Unblock workflow is enabled, the Blocked field on the Vendor Card window cannot be changed until the approval request is approved.

1. Choose the Search icon, enter purchases & payables setup, and then choose the related link.

2. In the Purchases & Payables Setup window, on the Approvals FastTab, select a value for the Block Vendor on Insert field.

   • Payment: Defaults Payment in to the Blocked field on the Vendor Card window.

   • All: Defaults All in to the Blocked field on the Vendor Card window.

3. Close the window.

To create an approval workflow

You can set up Approval workflows from the following windows:

• Customers List and Customer Card
• Items List and Item Card
• Job List and Job Card
• Production BOM List and Production BOM Card
• Production BOM Version List and Card
• Vendors List and Vendor Card

1. Open the window for the type of Approval workflow that you want to create.

2. On the Actions tab, choose the Create Approval Workflow action.

3. In the Approval Workflow Setup window, choose Next. The fields that need to be entered depend on the type of Approval workflow.

4. In the Approver field, choose the person who will give approval.

5. If displayed, in the The workflow starts when field, select when the approval workflow will start.

6. If The user changes a specific field was selected for the The workflow starts when field, you need to define the criteria for when the process starts.

   1. Choose Next.

   2. In the first field, select the field that you want to start the workflow when its value is changed.

   3. In the second field, select if the workflow is started when the field value is Increased, Decreased or Changed.

   4. Enter the message that will be displayed to the user when the workflow starts.

   5. Choose Next.

7. Choose Finish.

   The workflow is enabled and the Create Approval Workflow action is disabled for the record types that the workflow applies to.

   In some cases, the workflow that is enabled is determined by whether or not a record is blocked.

   • If the Block Customer on Insert field on the Sales & Receivables Setup window has a value, then the Customer Approval with Unblock workflow is enabled. If the Block Customer on Insert field is blank, then the Customer Approval workflow is enabled.

   • If the Block Item on Insert check box is selected on the Inventory Setup window, then the Item Approval with Unblock workflow is enabled. If the Block Item on Insert check box is not selected and the workflow starts when approval is requested, then the Item Approval workflow is enabled. If the Block Item on Insert check box is not selected and the workflow starts when a field on the item changes, then the Item Change Approval workflow is enabled.

   • If the Block Vendor on Insert field on the Purchases & Payables Setup window has a value, then the Vendor Approval with Unblock workflow is enabled. If the Block Vendor on Insert field is blank, then the Vendor Approval workflow is enabled.

See Also

How to: Use Approval Workflows
About JustFood Workflows
Using Workflows

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JustFood 2018 (11.00.00.00) | February 2018