This article is part of Workflows training. Click here for more information on Workflows.



AP Invoices and Journal Entries that meet certain criteria must be approved by an approval hierarchy when Workflows are enabled. This article demonstrates how to recognize when a transaction falls within the requirements of a Workflow and how to Approve (or Deny) an approval request.


Article Topics



Example Workflow Rule-Set





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Recognizing Transactions that are Subject to a Workflow


Workflows are highly customizable and differ from organization to organization. Workflows can be set up for AP Invoices and Journal Entries, with specific Workflow Rules pertaining to the following record groupings:


Workflows supersede existing approval security privileges

Users with Approve AP Invoice or Approve Journal Entries permissions enabled cannot approve a transaction that is subject to a Workflow rule.


When Workflows are enabled, the Approve menu does not appear on blank AP Invoices or Journal Entries. Only after the transaction is saved, the Approve menu appears.

  • Unsaved - No Approve Menu present.

  • Saved with No Applicable Workflow (Dollar value is less than lowest Workflow threshold) - Approve menu present for Users with Approve privileges.

  • Saved with an Applicable Workflow - Approve menu is present for the authorized Approver.


Workflows assigned to Workflow Groups

If a Workflow Group is assigned to a Workflow level, any User within that group will have the ability to approve or deny the transaction. Click here to learn more about Workflow Groups.



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Imported Transactions and Workflows


Through various methods, AP Invoices and Journal Entries can be imported into R365. In instances where the transaction is imported As Approved but is subject to a Workflow, the approval status is Unapproved, and the appropriate Workflow rules are followed. Transactions imported as Unapproved likewise follow any established Workflows as expected.



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Workflow Transaction Approval Methods


Workflows can be approved on the My Workflows page or on the transaction record (AP Invoice or Journal Entry).


My Workflows

The My Workflows Page contains all current, and future, Approvals in your Workflows.  This page is described in detail in the My Workflows article.  This section will briefly describe how you can Approve, or Deny, transactions using My Workflows


To open My Workflows, hover over your Username and select My Workflows, as shown below:



The screen opens on the My List tab, where you can view your current Workflows. If the Access Upcoming Tab permission is enabled, the Upcoming tab displays all Workflows that are awaiting approval before they arrive in My List for your approval. 


Approve or Deny Individual Transactions

Transactions can be individually approved by:

  1. Select the transaction row.
    The Document Previewer sidesheet opens.
  2. In the Document Previewer sidesheet, select Approve or Deny.
    Click here for more information on Approving Workflows.

Note: When Deny is selected, a prompt appears and requires the User to enter a reason for the denial:



Approve Multiple Transactions

  • Approve several transactions at once by using the multi-select checkboxes and selecting Approve.
    Click here for more information on Approving Workflows.


Approve in Mobile App

  • AP Invoices assigned to the User can be Approved / Unapproved via the R365 Mobile App.


Approve on the Transaction Record

Workflow transactions are approved in exactly the same way a Non-Workflow transaction is approved. The current approver opens the transaction, hovers over the Approve menu, and selects an approve option.


  • Approve Options- Approve the transaction.
    • Note: If there are subsequent approvers in the Workflow, the transaction is locked to edits and remains Unapproved - Pending Approval until the final approval is secured. If an edit needs to be made, then the transaction must be denied and the edits performed prior to starting the new Approval Workflow

  • Deny - Stop the approval chain, provide a reason for the denial, and return the approval to the initial approver / transaction creator. Denying an approval changes the Workflow status to Work Needed.



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Approval Alerts on Transactions


Transactions that are subject to a Workflow rule allow all Users (not just Approvers) to use the Alert Me action to receive an email when the transaction has received it final approval. If the transaction has multiple levels of approvals in a Workflow, the email alert is sent only after the final approval.

  • To enable email alerts, hover over the Action menu on the transaction and select Alert Me When Approved.
    A success message confirms that you will receive final approval alerts.
 


  • To disable email alerts, hover over the Action menu and select Don't Alert Me When Approved.
    A success message confirms that you will no longer receive final approval alerts.
 



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View Current Approvers



Keep better tabs on Users who are next in line to approve AP Transactions by adding the Current Approver column to the AP Transactions grid. This will list either individual approvers or the name of the Workflow Group, if assigned.


When a transaction is approved, however, the Approved By column displays the name of the User who approved the transaction, regardless of whether they were a part of a Workflow Group.



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Workflows Audit Tab


Each transaction that is subject to a Workflow includes a Workflow audit tab on the transaction record. This tab is labeled Workflow and appears after the Distribution tab on the record. Each relevant event in the life of the workflow is logged on this tab.  


In addition to the Audit Log, a Workflow Status is listed, as well as Log Entry options. The status updates automatically as the transaction is approved or denied, but can be set manually by the Current Approver.


For additional follow-up, Users can add tasks, notes and send text or email alerts from this tab using the Log Buttons. Each Log Entry is listed based on the Entry Date and are visible in the Manager Log Module.


Workflow Tab View



Manager Log View



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