Table of Contents

Bank Account Management & Approval Workflows

The Bank Account Management feature provides comprehensive approval workflows for vendor and customer bank account changes, ensuring proper controls and audit trails for critical financial data modifications.

🎯 Overview

This feature enhances Business Central's bank account management with sophisticated approval workflows that trigger when critical bank account information is modified. It provides complete change tracking, approval routing, and notification systems for vendor and customer bank account modifications.

✨ Key Features

Approval Workflow System

  • Automated Workflow Triggers: Automatic workflow initiation on bank account changes
  • Field-Specific Tracking: Monitors specific field changes (Bank Account No., IBAN, etc.)
  • Multi-Level Approvals: Support for complex approval hierarchies
  • Approval Notifications: Automated email notifications for approvers and requesters

Change Management

  • Real-Time Change Detection: Immediate detection of critical field modifications
  • Change History Tracking: Complete audit trail of all bank account changes
  • Rollback Capabilities: Ability to revert changes during approval process
  • Field-Level Restrictions: Restrict editing during approval processes

Bank Account Enhancements

  • Bank Branch Classification: Enhanced bank branch type management
  • Approval Status Tracking: Visual indicators for approval status
  • Record Restriction Management: Prevent unauthorized changes during approval
  • Integration with Standard Workflows: Seamless integration with Business Central workflows

Notification System

  • Approval Requests: Automated notifications to approvers
  • Status Updates: Real-time status updates to all stakeholders
  • Escalation Management: Automatic escalation for overdue approvals
  • Completion Notifications: Confirmation messages upon approval completion

📋 Setup Instructions

1. Workflow Configuration

Enable Bank Account Approval Workflows

  1. Open Workflow Templates from the search
  2. Look for Linc bank account workflow templates:
    • Vendor Bank Account Approval Workflow
    • Customer Bank Account Approval Workflow
  3. Create new workflows based on these templates or enable existing ones

Configure Approval User Setup

  1. Navigate to Approval User Setup
  2. Set up approval hierarchies for bank account changes: 
    User ID: JOHN
Approver ID: SUPERVISOR
Amount Approval Limit: Unlimited
Bank Account Approval: Yes

2. Bank Account Workflow Events

Available Workflow Events

  • Vendor Bank Account Send for Approval: Triggered when vendor bank account changes need approval
  • Customer Bank Account Send for Approval: Triggered when customer bank account changes need approval
  • Bank Account Change Detected: Triggered on any critical field change

Workflow Responses

  • Send Approval Request: Routes request to appropriate approver
  • Restrict Record: Prevents further changes during approval
  • Send Notification: Notifies stakeholders of status changes
  • Release Record: Removes restrictions after approval

3. Field-Level Configuration

Monitored Fields for Vendor Bank Accounts

  • Bank Account No.
  • IBAN
  • Bank Branch Code
  • Swift Code
  • Bank Account Name

Monitored Fields for Customer Bank Accounts

  • Bank Account No.
  • IBAN
  • Bank Branch Code
  • Currency Code

4. Permission Setup

Required Permissions

Users need appropriate permissions for:

  • Workflow Management: Create and modify workflows
  • Approval User Setup: Configure approval hierarchies
  • Bank Account Modifications: Edit bank account records
  • Approval Processing: Approve or reject requests

🔧 Configuration Options

Workflow Trigger Settings

Trigger Description Usage
On Field Change Triggers on specific field modifications Immediate approval for critical changes
On Record Modification Triggers on any bank account change Comprehensive approval for all changes
Manual Trigger User-initiated approval request Controlled approval timing

Approval Levels

Level Description Authority
Supervisor Department-level approval Standard bank account changes
Manager Management-level approval Significant changes or high-value accounts
Director Executive approval Critical vendor relationships
Finance Director Final approval All bank account modifications

Restriction Types

Type Description Impact
Full Record Lock Prevents all modifications Complete change prevention
Field-Specific Lock Restricts specific fields only Targeted change control
Read-Only Mode Allows viewing, prevents editing Information access maintained

💡 Business Benefits

Enhanced Security

  • Approval Controls: Prevent unauthorized bank account changes
  • Audit Compliance: Complete approval trail for regulatory requirements
  • Fraud Prevention: Multi-level approval prevents fraudulent changes
  • Change Monitoring: Real-time detection of critical modifications

Improved Governance

  • Segregation of Duties: Separate requesters from approvers
  • Approval Hierarchies: Appropriate approval levels for different changes
  • Documentation: Complete audit trail of all approvals
  • Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for financial data changes

Operational Efficiency

  • Automated Routing: Requests automatically sent to correct approvers
  • Parallel Processing: Multiple approval requests handled simultaneously
  • Escalation Management: Automatic escalation for overdue items
  • Status Tracking: Real-time visibility into approval status

📊 Usage Examples

Example 1: Vendor Bank Account Change

Scenario: Changing vendor bank account number
Trigger: User modifies Bank Account No. field
Action: 
1. System detects change
2. Workflow triggers approval request
3. Record becomes restricted
4. Notification sent to approver
5. Approver reviews and approves/rejects
6. System updates record and removes restrictions

Example 2: Approval Hierarchy

Change Type: IBAN modification for major vendor
Approval Path:
1. Department Supervisor (Auto-approved if < R10,000 monthly spend)
2. Finance Manager (Required for IBAN changes)
3. Finance Director (Required for vendors > R100,000 monthly spend)

Timeline:
- Request submitted: 09:00
- Supervisor approval: 09:15
- Manager approval: 10:30
- Director approval: 14:20
- Change completed: 14:21

Example 3: Emergency Override

Situation: Urgent vendor payment required, bank details changed
Process:
1. User submits change with emergency flag
2. Notification sent to all approvers
3. Director provides emergency approval
4. Change processed immediately
5. Post-approval audit trail maintained

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Workflow Not Triggering

Problem: Bank account changes not triggering approval workflows Solution:

  1. Verify workflow is enabled and active
  2. Check that workflow events are properly configured
  3. Ensure user has permission to trigger workflows
  4. Verify field changes are significant enough to trigger workflow

Approvals Stuck in Queue

Problem: Approval requests not being processed Solution:

  1. Check approver availability and permissions
  2. Verify notification delivery to approvers
  3. Check for workflow response configuration issues
  4. Review approval user setup for correct hierarchy

Record Restrictions Not Working

Problem: Users can still modify bank accounts during approval Solution:

  1. Verify workflow response includes record restriction
  2. Check user permissions don't override restrictions
  3. Ensure restriction codeunit is properly configured
  4. Review field-level restriction settings

Notifications Not Sending

Problem: Approvers not receiving approval requests Solution:

  1. Verify SMTP configuration for email notifications
  2. Check approver email addresses in user setup
  3. Review notification template configuration
  4. Test notification system with sample requests

📈 Monitoring & Reporting

Approval Analytics

  • Approval Turnaround Times: Monitor approval processing speeds
  • Approval Success Rates: Track approval vs. rejection rates
  • Bottleneck Analysis: Identify approval process delays
  • Compliance Reporting: Generate audit reports for compliance

Key Metrics

  • Average approval time by change type
  • Number of pending approvals by approver
  • Emergency approval usage statistics
  • Change frequency by vendor/customer

Dashboard Views

  • Pending Approvals: Real-time view of outstanding requests
  • Approval History: Historical approval data and trends
  • Risk Indicators: Flags for unusual or high-risk changes
  • Performance Metrics: Approval process efficiency indicators

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Custom Workflow Events

Create custom events for specific business requirements:

  • High-Value Vendor Changes: Special approval for vendors above threshold
  • Foreign Currency Accounts: Additional approval for non-local currency
  • Related Party Accounts: Enhanced approval for related business entities

Integration Points

  • External Approval Systems: Integration with third-party approval tools
  • Banking System Integration: Direct validation with banking systems
  • Risk Management Systems: Integration with risk assessment tools
  • Compliance Platforms: Direct reporting to compliance systems

🔗 Related Features

For additional support or feature requests, contact Linc Communications technical support.