Home > WESPaC Finance > Training User Guides > Financial Management > Purchasing > Setup > Auto Approval
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Auto Approval Rules are optional. There are three processes represented by three tabs on the Auto Approval Rules screen:
Authorized Users – is used to assign users to approval levels.
Approve – is used to set up auto-approval without intervention from an approval user.
Notify – is used to set up e-mail notifications to users who have entered requisitions that have been approved or denied, or a receiving record has been created. It also is used to notify approval users that requisitions are ready for them to approve.
Approvals can only be used if you are using the ReQuisition application.
Approvals allow you to approve or deny requisitions. Up to as many as nine levels of approval can be established. Each group may be given a different set of approval levels.
The approval process is based on a hierarchy system (1- low to 9-high); the higher your level of approval, the more levels of approval you can override.
If you are designated to the higher levels of approval, you may approve or deny requisitions whether or not they have met your approval level.
For example, you have established three levels of approval:
Approval 1 – Principal
Approval 2 – Purchasing Dept
Approval 3 – Business Office
If the principal is not available to run approvals, the user authorized to approve at the Purchasing Dept or Business Office level can approve the request.
However, once a requisition has been denied the requisition is returned to the issuer. An approval user cannot override a denial. Approvals on denied requisitions cannot immediately be changed to approved. See WESPaC Financial Management Approving Requisitions – Changing the Approval Status for more information.
During the approval process, you are able to view the requisition detail, the other levels of approval, and the funds available for the accounts associated with the requisition.
Auto Approval Rules are used to:
Determine who can approve requisitions.
Set up automatic approval rules based on the requisition’s amount or by whom it was entered.
Notify the issuer of a requisition’s approval or denial.
Assigning Authorized Approval Users to Approval Levels
You can assign users to approval levels via the Approve Req. Appr. option.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Select the Authorized Users tab.
From the Groups list, highlight the Group to which the approval user is to be added.
From the Approval Level list, highlight the Approval Level to which the approval user is to be added.
Click the Authorized Users button. The AUTH. USERS Selection screen opens.
From the Available AUTH. USERS list, highlight the user authorized to approve requisitions at the selected Approval Level for the selected group and click the Add button.
This moves the user(s) to the Selected AUTH. USERS list. This user(s) is now authorized to approve requisitions.
To select more that one user at a time, use the shift-click method to add a block of users. Use the control-click method to randomly select users from the list.
The Add All button will add all of the users. The Remove and Remove All buttons will take the users off the list.
Once selection is complete, click the OK button to return to the Auto Approval Rules screen.
NOTE: If the PO Group has multiple levels of approval, be sure to assign authorized users to each level.
The Authorized Users list now contains the name of users who are authorized to approve at the selected level.
When completed, click the OK button.
Removing Authorized Approval Users from Approval Levels
You can remove users from approval levels via the Approve Req. Appr. option.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Select the Authorized Users tab.
From the Groups list, highlight the Group from which the approval user is to be removed.
From the Approval Level list, highlight the Approval Level from which the approval user is to be removed.
Click the Authorized Users button. The AUTH. USERS Selection screen opens.
From the Selected AUTH. USERS list, highlight the user(s) to be removed from approval for the selected group and click the Remove button.
This moves the user(s) to the Available AUTH. USERS list. This user(s) is now no longer authorized to approve requisitions.
To select more that one user at a time, use the shift-click method to add a block of users. Use the control-click method to randomly select users from the list.
The Remove All button will remove all the users from the Selected AUTH. USERS list.
Once removal is complete, click the OK button to return to the Auto Approval Rules screen.
The Authorized Users list now contains only the name of users who are authorized to approve at the selected level.
When completed, click the OK button.
Requisitions can be set up to auto-approve without intervention from an approval user. Two different methods may be used:
Approval of all requisitions entered by amount
Approval of all requisitions entered by a particular user by a user.
These rules allow bypassing of the normal approvals process when requisitions meet particular criteria.
Once a Rule has been created, it may be applied to multiple groups. Approval rules can be used whether PO Groups are established or not. If not using PO Groups, the rule applies to all requisitions.
Approvals have to be used for the group before Auto-approvals can be used.
Add Approval by Amount
The Approval by Amount rule determines, by district, the maximum dollar amount that a requisition must exceed before approval must be done by an authorized approver.
The person identified here becomes the approver of the requisition.
For example: A district would like to have all requisitions entered that are less than $50 automatically approved. The business manager does not want to have to enter the approval area for these requisitions. Assigning the business manager to the Approval by Amount allows all requisitions entered less than or equal to $50 to be automatically approved by the business manager.
NOTE: If more than one approval is needed, the requisition will not be changed to a purchase order until all approvals have been done.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
On the Auto Approval Rules screen, select the Approve tab.
Click +Add.
Select Approval by Amount. The Approval by Amount screen opens.
Enter the Name of the user to auto approve the requisitions. The user selected DOES NOT have to be set up as an Authorized Approver.
Begin typing the user’s name in the Name EEL.
Select the user’s name from the drop down list.
Click on the Name button. The Name List screen opens:
From the Security User list, highlight the Name Key of the user to be identified as the approver.
Click the Select button.
Enter an amount in the "Where the Amount Is Less Than or Equal To" field.
This is the maximum requisition amount that can be entered by a district user before regular approvals are required. The rule is applied to requisitions that are less than or equal the total amount of individual requisitions.
Click the OK button to return to the Auto Approval Rules screen.
The rule you just created displays in the Available Rules list.
Add Approval by Entered By
The Approval by Entered By allows a requisition to be automatically approved by a different Approval User when a requisition is entered by another approval user.
For example, John Doe has authority to enter any requisitions for his building. He is also authorized to approve requisitions that are 
$100. To make sure John is not approving his own requisitions, John requisitions are to be approved by Cheryl. A rule can be established that allows John Doe to enter a requisition and have it automatically approved by Cheryl.
NOTE: If more than one approval is needed, the requisition will not be changed to a purchase order until all approvals have been done.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Click the Approve tab.
Click the +Add button.
Select Approval by Entered By. The Approval by Entered By screen opens.
Enter the user’s name that is approving the requisition in Approve By.
Begin typing the name of the user who will approve the requisition in the Approve By EEL
Select the user’s name from the drop down list.
Click on the Approve By button. The Name List screen opens.
From the Security User list, highlight the Name Key of the Approval User who is granting approval.
Click the Select button.
Enter the user’s name that is entering the requisition in the When the Requisition is Entered By.
Begin typing the name of the user who will enter the requisition in the Entered By EEL.
Select the user’s name from the drop down list.
Click on the Entered By button. The Name List screen opens.
From the Security User list, highlight the Name Key of the user to which the rule will apply.
Click the Select button.
Click on the OK button to return to the Auto Approval Rules screen
The rule you just created displays in the Available Rules list.
"Activate" an Approval Rule
After Approval Rules have been created, they must be "activated".
Not Using PO Groups
When you are not using PO Groups, the rules are applied to all requisitions entered.
Click on the Approve tab.
From the Approval Level list, highlight the approval level to which the rule is to apply.
From the Available Rules list, highlight the Rule to be "activated".
Click the 
Add button. The Rule moves to the Selected Rules list.
To the right of the Selected Rules list, you can move related rules into a priority order in which you wish them to be run.
For example, there can be two rules that are related.
Denise when 25.00 – When requisitions are entered for $25.00, those requisitions will always be marked as approved by Denise.
Cheryl approves when entered by Denise – When Denise enters a requisition, Cheryl will be marked as the approver rather than Denise.
The priority of the selected rule identifies the order in which the rules are evaluated and applied to a requisition.
Click the OK button when finished activating Rules.
Using PO Groups
Click on the Approve tab.
From the Groups list, highlight the Group to which the rule is to apply.
From the Approval Level list, highlight the approval level to which the rule is to apply.
From the Available Rules list, highlight the Rule to be "activated".
Click the Add button. The Rule moves to the Selected Rules list.
Click the OK button when finished activating Rules.
Edit Approval by Amount
You may change the user’s Name or Amount on an Approval by Amount rule. This may be necessary if the user’s Name or the Amount has to be changed.
For example, if John Doe no longer has the right to approve requisitions, and Sally Jones does, you may change only the Name.
If John Doe is now authorized to approve requisitions for a higher amount you can change the Amount.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Click the Approve tab.
Highlight the when rule to be changed in either the Available Rules list or the Selected Rules list.
Click Edit. The Approval by Amount screen opens.
Enter the new name or amount in the Name or where the amount is less than or equal to fields.
Click OK to save changes and return to the Auto Approval Rules screen.
If the Rule was displayed in either the Available Rules or Selected Rules lists, the changed rule displays.
Edit Auto Approval by Entered By
You may change the Approve By or Entered By on an Approval by Entered By rule.
This may be necessary if the Approval By or Entered By user changes.
For example, Cheryl had authority to approve Denise’s requisitions. If Cheryl is no longer authorized to approve requisitions or has left her position, you may change the Approve By user for Denise. If Denise leaves her position, and a Sally Jones has replaced her, you may change the Entered By user.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Click the Approve tab.
Highlight the when entered by rule to be changed in the Available Rules list or the Selected Rules list.
Click the Edit button. The Approval by Entered By screen opens.
Click on either the Approve By or Entered By buttons as applicable to select a new user.
Click the OK button to return to the Auto Approval Rules screen.
If the Rule is displayed in either the Available Rules or Selected Rules lists, the changes to the rule display in both areas.
Click the OK button when finished editing Rules.
"Deactivate" an Approval Rule
If an Approval Rule is to no longer needed or is to be deleted, it must be "deactivated".
Click on the Approve tab.
From the Selected Rules list, highlight the Rule to be "deactivated".
Click the Remove button. This moves the Rule to the Available Rules list.
The Rule can now be deleted if desired.
Click the OK button when finished deactivating Rules.
Delete an Approval Rule
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Note: This doesn’t work. Skyward defect reported #158387/11893 9/18/03.
Click the Approve tab.
From the Available Rules list, highlight the rule to be deleted.
If the selected Rule is in the Selected Rules list, it cannot be deleted until it is removed from the list.
Click the Delete button.
The Delete screen opens asking if you want to delete the rule.
Click the Yes button.
E-mail addresses are assigned on the Individual Name Maintenance screen located under the More button on the Name Maintenance screen. MP: SA/SE/US/Add or Edit
Optional E-mail notifications can be sent to users letting them know:
When their requisitions have been approved
When their requisitions have been denied
When items ordered on a purchase order have been received (central receiving)
When requisitions that have been entered are ready for approval
E-mail Notifications are not associated with a specific PO Group or User.
Menu Path: Financial Mngmnt / SEtup / p.o. Req Grps. / Req. Appr.
Click the Notify tab.
Click in the respective check box to set:
Receive an email notification when the requisition you entered is approved if you want the users who enter requisitions to receive email notifications when their requisitions have been approved.
Receive an email notification when the requisition you entered is denied if you want users who enter requisitions to receive email notifications when their requisitions have been denied.
Receive an email notification when items in the PO you entered are received if you want the users who enter requisitions to receive email notifications when the items ordered on a purchase order have been received. Users who entered the requisitions that became purchase orders will receive an email message.
Use this if you have a central receiving location.
Receive an email notification when requisitions are awaiting your approval if you want to send email notification(s) to approval users when requisitions that have been entered are ready for approval.
Click the OK button.
Version 01.04.07.0 – 010230 PL 051204