You can create your own approval procedures if the default approval procedures for finding the responsible approvers do not meet your requirements. The condition through which the approvers are determined is formulated as a database query. Several queries may be combined into one condition.
To set up an approval procedure
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In the Manager, select the IT Shop > Basic configuration data > Approval procedures category.
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Select an approval procedure in the result list and run the Change main data task.
- OR -
Click 
in the result list.
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Edit the approval procedure main data.
- Save the changes.
To edit the condition
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In the Manager, select the IT Shop > Basic configuration data > Approval procedures category.
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Select an approval procedure from the result list.
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Select Change queries for approver selection.
Detailed information about this topic
Enter the following main data of an approval procedure.
Table 43: General main data of an approval procedure
|
Approval procedure |
Descriptor for the approval procedure (maximum two characters). |
|
Description |
Approval procedure identifier. |
|
DBQueue Processor task |
Approvals can either be made automatically through a DBQueue Processor calculation task or by specified approvers. Assign a custom DBQueue Processor task if the approval procedure should make an automatic approval decision.
You cannot assign a DBQueue Processor task if a query is entered for determining the approvers. |
|
Max. number approvers |
Maximum number of approvers to be determined by the approval procedure. Specify how many employees must really make approval decisions in the approval steps used by this approval procedure. |
|
Sort order |
Value for sorting approval procedures in the menu.
Specify the value 10 to display this approval procedure at the top of the menu when you set up an approval step. |
Related topics
The condition through which the approvers are determined is formulated as a database query. Several queries may be combined into one condition. This adds all employees determined by single queries to the group of approvers.
To edit the condition
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In the Manager, select the IT Shop > Basic configuration data > Approval procedures category.
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Select an approval procedure from the result list.
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Select Change queries for approver selection.
To create single queries
- Click Add.
This inserts a new row in the table.
- Mark this row. Enter the query properties.
- Add more queries if required.
- Save the changes.
To edit a single query
- Select the query you want to edit in the table. Edit the query's properties.
- Save the changes.
To remove single queries
- Select the query you want to remove in the table.
- Click Delete.
- Save the changes.
Table 44: Query properties
|
Approver selection |
Query identifier that determines the approvers. |
|
Query |
Database query for determining the approvers.
The database query must be formulated as a select statement. The column selected by the database query must return a UID_Person. Every query must return a value for UID_PWORulerOrigin. The query returns one or more employees to whom the request is presented for approval. If the query fails to a result, the request is canceled.
A query contains exactly one select statement. To combine several select statements, create several queries.
If a DBQueue Processor task is assigned, you cannot enter a query to determine approvers. |
You can, for example, determine predefined approvers with the query (example 1). The approver can also be found dynamically depending on the request to approve. To do this, access the request to be approved within the database query using the @UID_PersonWantsOrg variable (example 2).
Example 1
Requests should be approved by a specific approver.
|
Query: |
select UID_Person, null as UID_PWORulerOrigin from Person where InternalName='Bloggs, Jan' |
Example 2
Approval for requests should be granted or denied through the requester’s parent department. The approver is the cost center manager that is assigned to the requester‘s primary department. The requester is the employee that started the request (UID_PersonInserted, for example, when placing requests for employees).
| Query: |
select pc.UID_PersonHead as UID_Person, null as UID_PWORulerOrigin from PersonWantsOrg pwo
join Person p on pwo.UID_PersonInserted = p.UID_Person
join Department d on p.UID_Department = d.UID_Department
join ProfitCenter pc on d.UID_ProfitCenter = pc.UID_ProfitCenter
where pwo.UID_PersonWantsOrg = @UID_PersonWantsOrg |
Taking delegation into account
To include delegation when determining approvers, use the query to also determine the employees to whom a responsibility has been delegated. If the managers of hierarchical roles are to make the approval decision, determine the approvers from the HelperHeadOrg table. This table groups all hierarchical role managers, their deputy managers, and employees to whom a responsibility has been delegated. If the members of business or application roles are to make the approval decision, determine the approvers from the PersonInBaseTree table. This table groups all hierarchical role members and employees to whom a responsibility has been delegated.
Determine the UID_PWORulerOrigin in order to notify delegators when the recipient of the delegation has made a decision on a request and thus allow the Web Portal to show if the approver was originally delegated.
To determine the UID_PWORulerOrigin of the delegation
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Determine the UID_PersonWantsOrg of the delegation and copy this value as UID_PWORulerOrigin to the query. Use the dbo.QER_FGIPWORulerOrigin table function to do this.
select dbo.QER_FGIPWORulerOrigin(XObjectKey) as UID_PWORulerOrigin
Modified query from example 2:
select hho.UID_PersonHead as UID_Person, dbo.QER_FGIPWORulerOrigin(hho.XObjectkey) as UID_PWORulerOrigin from PersonWantsOrg pwo join Person p on pwo.UID_PersonInserted = p.UID_Person join Department d on p.UID_Department = d.UID_Department join ProfitCenter pc on d.UID_ProfitCenter = pc.UID_ProfitCenter join HelperHeadOrg hho on hho.UID_Org = pc.UID_ProfitCenter where pwo.UID_PersonWantsOrg = @UID_PersonWantsOrg
You can copy default approval procedures in order to customize them.
To copy an approval procedure
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In the Manager, select the IT Shop > Basic configuration data > Approval procedures category.
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Select an approval procedure in the result list. Select the Change main data task.
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Select the Create copy task.
- Confirm the security prompt with Yes.
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Enter the short name for the copy.
The short name for an approval procedure consists of a maximum of two characters.
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Click OK to start copying.
- OR -
Click Cancel to cancel copying.
