Approval Routing Criteria - WebTMA 5

Path: Admin > Approval Routing > Approval Routing Criteria / Identity Tab

Use the Approval Routing Criteria window to attach the routes to various transaction types. Different routes can be applied to different time spans. For example, you can apply one route to the regular day shift from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on week days. You can apply a different route for nights and another route for weekends.

If you use Modern Approval Routing, you have the option of adding several criteria lines to the window; otherwise, you are restricted to one criterion.

Both a transaction type and a route are required. The transaction types include:

Work orders have an additional requirement to be eligible for routing. The Task selected for the work order must also have the # of Signoffs field populated on the Organization > Task / Identity Tab.

You can further refine the route using a location, such as repair center, department, building, facility, or a type, such as purchase order type, sales order type, and request type. The available selections vary based on the transaction type. Once established, any request for that location type or transaction type must be approved through the assigned route before it can be accepted.

If routes for specific time periods exist, WebTMA checks your local computer time to determine the correct route to apply. A mark in the Time Sensitive check box allows you to enter days and time ranges from the Time Range Subtab.

You can review existing routes from the Browse Tab of the Approval Routing Criteria window.

Different routes can be used with the same transaction type.

Modern Approval Routing

When the Modern Approval Routing check box is marked on the Admin > Client Info / Preferences Tab, you have the option to define multiple criteria for each Approval Routing Criteria record. This is different from the other option that allows only one criterion per Approval Routing Criteria record.

For example, a Request could be matched to a rule based on the Department and the Repair Center and the Request Type.

WebTMA matches each criterion from the Approval Routing Criteria list to find any match or matches. If multiple, overlapping Approval Routing Criteria exist where a transaction could match any criterion, the most restrictive match is used. If several matches are identified as the most restrictive, WebTMA selects the Approval Routing Criteria that was created first. The term “most restrictive” means the Approval Routing Criteria with the largest number of criteria on its list.

How to Add an Approval Route

Path: Admin > Approval Routing > Approval Routing Criteria / Identity Tab

Leave the Time Sensitive check box blank to set a route without time/day restrictions. This decision is permanent. If you want to add a time range later, a saved Approval Routing Criteria cannot be edited for that purpose. Create a new record if you decide to add a time range.

1. Open the Approval Routing Criteria
2. Click Add on the WebTMA toolbar.
3. Complete the required Name, Transaction Type, and Route. Note: If using Modern Approval Routing, you can select more than one route.
4. (Optional) Check the Time Sensitive box to specify a Time Range.
5. Click the Add Criteria link to add repair center and location criteria types.
6. (Optional) Click Time Range Subtab to add time criteria. If adding a Time Range, DO NOT SAVE the Criteria record until you have completed instructions in the next topic, How to Add a Time Sensitive Approval Route.
7. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

How to Add a Time Sensitive Approval Route

Path: Admin > Approval Routing > Approval Routing Criteria / Identity Tab

A check in the Time Sensitive box enables the link on the Time Range Subtab.

1. Follow steps 1-6 in the previous topic, How to Add an Approval Route.
2. Click the Time Range
3. Click the Add Line link at the top of the Times Ranges section to open the Approval Routing Criteria Entry popup window.
4. Complete the Start Time and End Time fields using 24-hour time entries in the format HH:mm, or click the clock icon to select a time.
5. Click the applicable Days check boxes.
6. Click the Save button on the popup window. Use the different save options associated with the button if you want to add more time range line items.
7. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar to save the Criteria record.

How to Delete Time Settings from a Route

Path: Admin > Approval Routing > Approval Routing Criteria / Identity Tab

Time lines must be removed from a Route before you can clear the Time Sensitive check box and remove time restrictions.

If you attempt to clear the Time Sensitive check box with time-span lines present, a message warns you, "Please remove all time range line items before proceeding."

1. Locate the Route
2. Click Edit on the WebTMA toolbar.
3. Click the trash can icon for each line.
4. Click the Time Sensitive check box to clear.
5. Click Save on the WebTMA toolbar.

Multiple Approval Routes

Eligible transactions can have more than one approval route. Transactions such as Request Log that include locations fall in this category. For example, if the ABC Facility has a Carpentry Route, a Plumbing Route, and an Electrical Route, a work request made for the ABC Facility will use all routes initially. Notices are sent to the Order 1 person on each route, regardless of the number of routes. Click the Authorization Routing History Tab for each Transaction Type to see the applicable routes.

If multiple routes are the same, only one route will be followed. Click the route line items, and view the list of authorizers in the lower grid. Once a member of a route approves a request, the request is removed from the queue of other authorizers. WebTMA follows these rules to streamline the approval process.

When an authorizer approves a request, the request is marked as cancelled for other authorizers on that level, and peer authorizers are notified that the request has been accepted. If the route includes several approval levels, the next tier is notified that a request is pending.

Authorizers can click the Authorization Routing History Tab to monitor the approval process. This is especially useful when several authorizers must approve a request.

If more than one person has the same approval level, WebTMA marks Approved in the Action column of the person who approved the request. Any other approvers on that level show Cancelled in the Action column and the request moves to the next level.

The cancelled authorizers receive an e-mail stating that the transaction has been approved by [name of approver] and their authorization is not needed.

Multiple Routes in Use

On the module windows eligible for routes, use caution when you populate other fields that can have their own routes. These are the fields such as repair center, department, facility, building, floor, and area.

For example, if routes exist for a function on the Request record, approval from each attached route is required. The approval process for multiple routes is simultaneous, that is, the first level authorizers for each route are notified of pending authorizations.

If a request includes several fields that have related routes, authorizers from each route must approve the request before work can be performed.

The illustration above portrays an example where fields that relate to Facility and Repair Center are selected on the Request Log window.

In this case, each field has related routes, and authorizers from both routes must approve the request before work can be performed. The screenshot illustrates the following:

The ABC Facility submits a request.

The request also includes a repair center that uses Plumbing Routing approval.

This means that all authorizers (Order 1, 2, 3, etc.) for each of the routes must approve the request.

Full routes for each different type in the Type column must be authorized before work can be approved. Reminder: Pending authorization notices are sent simultaneously to the first level authorizers in each route.

It is possible to have several authorization routes required before work commences. This occurs if each authorization type is specified on the transaction record.

Plan your routes carefully. If multiple routes are required and each has several authorizers, a disaster could occur before every authorizer approved the work.

Reject Process

If any authorizer on any approval route clicks the Reject button, the transaction is not authorized.

No further action is required from other authorizers on this or other routes.

Approval Changes CAUTION

If you edit a record eligible for approval routing and change any of the following criteria, pending routes for the modified field are cancelled:

• Repair Center
• Building
• Facility
• Department
• Area

The Authorization Routing History Tab shows a cancelled notation when routing criteria are changed.

If no other routes apply to a changed record, it reverts to the normal status and is processed as any other record that does not require authorization.

If more than one approval route applies to a changed record, all other routes must be approved before it is eligible for action.