Transaction Approvals and Checklists Tutorial

Overview#

• A checklist lists the approvals a transaction needs, for example, a manager's approval on a Purchase Order above a set amount.
• Items are approved by hand (Manual, Limit and the Requestor, Manager and Head types) or checked by SQL (Auto and Override).
• When every item is approved, the transaction moves to the checklist's Approved status.
• For every field and option, see Transaction Approvals and Checklists. The knowledge blog Checklists and Approvals explains when to use them.

💡These tutorials explain how to set up a checklist, approve or decline a transaction, request approval by email, reset a checklist, and approve from the Approvals module.

How to Set Up a Checklist#

1. Navigate to Main Menu > Setup > Transactions > Checklist (tab).
2. Select the Transaction Type from the dropdown list.
3. Click New (button) to create the checklist.
   • Note: To start from another Transaction Type's checklist, click Copy From (button), select the Transaction Type and click Yes.
4. Fill in the header:
   • Administrators = Click the button and select the users who may approve, decline and reset every item. Administrators do not receive approval request emails.
   • Status Approval = Select the status the transaction has while it waits for approval.
   • Approved = Select the status after approval. Ideally, a read-only status.
   • Declined = Select the status when the transaction is declined.
5. Click Add Item (button) and fill in the fields for each item:
   • Description and Code = Enter what must be approved, for example, Quantity matches the delivery note, and a short code.
   • Type = Select how the item is approved, for example, Manual, Auto or Limit.
   • Limit from and Limit to = For a Limit item, enter the amounts (excluding VAT) between which the approval is needed.
6. Right-click the item to finish it:
   • Set Users = Select the users who may approve a Manual, Override or Limit item.
   • Set Dependencies = Select the items that must be approved first.
   • Edit SQL = Enter the SQL for an Auto or Override item. It must return VALUEID (0 or 1) and NOTE, and can use the parameter :TRANSID.
   • Move Up or Move Down = Put the items in order.
7. Click Save (button).
8. Note: The Requestor, Manager and Head types are only available when the Transaction Type has Transactions > Enable Procurement/Purchasing checked.

How to Approve a Transaction#

1. Open the transaction.
2. Click Approve (button). At The Transaction will be set to the Approval status and all the checklist items that you are authorised to approve will be updated. Continue?, click Yes.
   • Note: If any item is declined, the message Approval not allowed because one or more checklist items have been declined. appears.
3. To approve one item only, right-click it and select Approve, or double-click it. The transaction must be in the Approval status.
4. When the last item is approved, the transaction moves to the Approved status.

How to Decline a Transaction#

1. Open the transaction.
2. Click the arrow on Approve (button) > Decline.
3. At The Transaction will be set to the Declined status and all the checklist items that you are authorised to decline will be updated. Continue?, click Yes.
4. Note: To decline one item only, right-click it and select Decline. Add a note to explain why (see How to Add a Note to a Checklist Item below).

How to Add a Note to a Checklist Item#

1. Open the transaction.
2. Right-click a Manual item and select Add Note.
3. Enter the note and save it. The note is timestamped.
   • Note: Notes can only be added to items that are approved by hand.

How to Request Approval by Email#

1. Open the transaction.
2. Click the arrow on Approve (button) > Email Approval Request.
3. At Email an approval request to users who are authorised to approve the ready (yellow) items in the checklist?, click Yes.
4. BOS Enterprise emails the users who may approve the ready items, and the transaction moves to the Approval status.
   • Note: If no item is ready, the message Zero checklist items are ready for approval. The checklist status is set to yellow when items are ready for approval. appears.

How to Update the Auto Items#

1. Open the transaction.
2. Click the arrow on Approve (button) > Update Checklist (Auto & Override). The SQL items are checked again.
3. Note: The transaction must be in the Approval status, or the message Transaction is not in the Approval Status. appears.

How to Reset a Checklist#

1. Open the transaction.
2. To reset the whole checklist, click the arrow on Approve (button) > Reset Checklist. All approvals and declines are cleared.
3. To reset one Manual or Override item, right-click it and select Reset.

How to Approve from the Approvals Module#

1. Navigate to Approvals, for example, Main Menu > Office > Approvals.
2. Set the filters:
   • Transaction = Select a Transaction Type, or All.
   • User = Select a user, or All.
   • Outstanding or Declined (radio button) = Select which transactions to list.
3. Click View (button).
4. Right-click an item and select Actions > Approve, Decline, Add Note or Reset.
5. Note: To open the transaction, right-click it and select Open Transaction.