Advanced Approval Workflows
The Advanced Approval Workflows feature extends Business Central's standard approval functionality with sophisticated tolerance-based approvals, change tracking, and comprehensive approval management across multiple business entities.
🎯 Overview
This feature provides enterprise-grade approval workflow capabilities that go beyond Business Central's standard approvals. It includes tolerance-based approvals, comprehensive change tracking, approval delegation, and advanced routing capabilities for complex business scenarios.
✨ Key Features
Tolerance-Based Approvals
- Amount Tolerance Management: Configure approval tolerances by amount and percentage
- Flexible Approval Limits: Different tolerance levels for different users and document types
- Automatic Routing: Route approvals based on variance amounts and user limits
- Override Capabilities: Emergency approval override with audit trail
Advanced Change Tracking
- Record Change Management: Track all field changes during approval process
- Before/After Comparison: Complete audit trail of what changed and when
- Change Reversion: Ability to revert changes if approval is rejected
- Field-Level Tracking: Monitor specific field modifications across different record types
Enhanced Workflow Events
- Custom Workflow Events: Additional workflow events for Linc-specific processes
- Multi-Entity Support: Approval workflows for GL Accounts, Fixed Assets, Bank Accounts
- Customer Overdue Checking: Workflow events for overdue customer management
- Approval Amount Change Tracking: Monitor approval amount changes automatically
Approval Delegation & Management
- Approval User Hierarchy: Extended approval user setup with additional capabilities
- Temporary Delegation: Temporary approval delegation for absence management
- Escalation Management: Automatic escalation for overdue approvals
- Batch Approval Processing: Process multiple approvals simultaneously
📋 Setup Instructions
1. Tolerance Configuration
Set Up Purchase Approval Tolerances
- Open Purchases & Payables Setup
- Configure tolerance settings:
Max. Approval Tolerance Amount: 5,000.00 Max. Approval Tolerance %: 10.00
Configure User-Specific Tolerances
- Navigate to Approval User Setup
- For each user, set:
User ID: PURCHASE_MGR Amount Approval Limit: 50,000.00 Purchase Amount Approval Limit: 100,000.00 Approval Tolerance Amount: 2,000.00 Approval Tolerance %: 5.00
2. Workflow Event Configuration
Enable Enhanced Workflow Events
- Open Workflow Events from the search
- Enable Linc-specific events:
- GL Account Send for Approval
- Fixed Asset Send for Approval
- Customer Overdue Check
- Approval Amount Change Event
Configure Workflow Responses
- Set up appropriate responses for each event:
- Send Approval Request
- Create Approval Request
- Send Notification
- Restrict Record
3. Change Tracking Setup
Enable Record Change Management
- The system automatically enables change tracking for approved records
- Configure which fields to track for each record type:
- Customer Records: Credit limit, payment terms, etc.
- Vendor Records: Payment terms, currency, bank details
- GL Accounts: Account type, posting restrictions
- Fixed Assets: Depreciation books, acquisition costs
4. Advanced Approval Rules
Set Up Approval Workflows
- Create workflows for each approval scenario:
Workflow: Purchase Document Tolerance Approval Event: Purchase Document Amount Changed Condition: Amount variance > tolerance Response: Send to next approver in hierarchy
Configure Conditional Approvals
- Set up conditions based on:
- Document amount vs. tolerance
- User approval limits
- Document type and significance
- Customer/Vendor risk ratings
🔧 Configuration Options
Tolerance Settings
| Setting Type | Description | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Amount Tolerance | Fixed amount variance allowed | Absolute variance limits |
| Percentage Tolerance | Percentage variance allowed | Relative variance limits |
| Combined Tolerance | Both amount and percentage | Most restrictive applies |
| User-Specific Tolerance | Individual user tolerances | Override global settings |
Approval Routing Options
| Routing Type | Description | When Used |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Hierarchy | Follow approval user setup | Normal approval flow |
| Tolerance-Based | Route based on variance amount | When tolerance exceeded |
| Emergency Override | Direct to senior approver | Urgent approvals needed |
| Parallel Approval | Multiple approvers simultaneously | High-risk changes |
Change Tracking Levels
| Level | Description | What's Tracked |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Essential field changes only | Key business fields |
| Standard | Common business fields | Most user-accessible fields |
| Comprehensive | All field modifications | Every field change |
| Custom | User-defined field set | Specific business requirements |
💡 Business Benefits
Enhanced Control
- Tolerance Management: Automatic routing based on variance amounts
- Risk Reduction: Additional controls for high-risk transactions
- Compliance: Complete audit trail for regulatory requirements
- Flexibility: Configurable rules for different business scenarios
Improved Efficiency
- Automated Routing: Intelligent approval routing reduces delays
- Batch Processing: Process multiple approvals simultaneously
- Exception Management: Focus on exceptions that need attention
- Delegation Support: Maintain approval flow during absences
Better Governance
- Segregation of Duties: Clear separation between requesters and approvers
- Audit Trail: Complete record of all approval decisions
- Change Management: Full visibility into what changed and why
- Performance Monitoring: Track approval process efficiency
📊 Usage Examples
Example 1: Tolerance-Based Purchase Approval
Scenario: Purchase order amount increased after approval
Original Amount: 10,000.00
New Amount: 10,800.00
Variance: 800.00 (8%)
User Tolerance: 5% or 500.00
Result: Variance exceeds tolerance, re-approval required
Action: Route to next approver in hierarchy
Example 2: Change Tracking
Record: Customer CUST001
Field Changes During Approval:
- Credit Limit: 50,000.00 → 75,000.00
- Payment Terms: 30 DAYS → NET 15
- Currency Code: ZAR → USD
Status: Tracked in Workflow Record Change table
Approver View: Before/after comparison available
Example 3: Emergency Override
Situation: Critical supplier payment, approval needed urgently
Normal Flow: Supervisor → Manager → Director (2-3 days)
Emergency Override: Direct to Finance Director
Override Reason: "Critical supplier payment to prevent service disruption"
Audit Trail: Emergency override recorded with justification
Post-Review: Standard approval process review for compliance
Example 4: GL Account Approval Workflow
Change: GL Account posting restriction modification
Trigger: User attempts to change "Direct Posting" from No to Yes
Workflow: GL Account modification approval required
Approver: Chart of Accounts Manager
Notification: "GL Account 12345 direct posting change requires approval"
Decision: Approved with business justification
🔍 Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Tolerance Calculations Not Working
Problem: Approval not routing correctly based on tolerances Solution:
- Verify tolerance settings in Purchases & Payables Setup
- Check user-specific tolerance overrides
- Ensure percentage and amount tolerances are set correctly
- Review approval amount change detection logic
Change Tracking Missing Records
Problem: Field changes not being tracked Solution:
- Verify change tracking is enabled for the record type
- Check that workflow record change table permissions are correct
- Ensure field modifications trigger change tracking events
- Review field-level change detection configuration
Workflow Not Triggering
Problem: Advanced workflow events not firing Solution:
- Check workflow event conditions are met
- Verify workflow is enabled and active
- Ensure user has permission to trigger workflows
- Review workflow event table for proper configuration
Approval Routing Issues
Problem: Approvals going to wrong users Solution:
- Review approval user setup hierarchy
- Check tolerance-based routing configuration
- Verify user approval limits and authorities
- Test approval routing with sample documents
📈 Monitoring & Analytics
Approval Performance Metrics
- Average Approval Time: Monitor approval processing speeds
- Tolerance Exception Rate: Track how often tolerances are exceeded
- Approval Success Rate: Monitor approval vs. rejection rates
- Change Frequency: Track how often records are modified during approval
Key Performance Indicators
- Percentage of approvals within tolerance
- Average approval cycle time by document type
- Number of emergency overrides per period
- Approval bottlenecks by user or department
Reporting Capabilities
- Approval Dashboard: Real-time approval status overview
- Tolerance Analysis: Analysis of tolerance exceptions
- Change Audit Report: Complete change tracking audit trail
- Performance Analytics: Approval process efficiency metrics
🔧 Advanced Features
Custom Approval Scenarios
- Multi-Criteria Approval: Approval based on multiple business rules
- Risk-Based Routing: Route based on customer/vendor risk scores
- Time-Sensitive Approvals: Special handling for time-critical approvals
- Cross-Company Approvals: Approval workflows across multiple companies
Integration Capabilities
- External Approval Systems: Integration with third-party approval tools
- Mobile Approval: Mobile device approval capabilities
- Email Integration: Rich email notifications with approval actions
- BI Integration: Approval data integration with business intelligence tools
🔗 Related Features
- Bank Account Management - Bank account approval workflows
- Vendor Management Enhancements - Vendor approval processes
- Customer Management Enhancements - Customer approval workflows
- Data Validation & Controls - Additional validation rules
For additional support or feature requests, contact Linc Communications technical support.