Configure an approval step
Important
This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.
Applies To: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R2, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Feature Pack, Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012
To configure an approval step, in the workflow editor, right-click the approval step, and then click Properties to open the Properties form. Use the following procedures to configure the properties of the approval step.
Name the step
Follow these steps to enter a name for the approval step.
In the left pane, click Basic Settings.
In the Name field, enter a unique name for the approval step.
Enter a subject line and instructions
You must provide a subject line and instructions to users who are assigned to the approval step.
For example, if you are configuring an approval step for purchase requisitions, the user who is assigned to the step sees the subject line and instructions in the Purchase requisitions form. The subject line appears in the message bar of the form. The user can click the icon in the message bar. The following figure shows the location of the message bar and the icon that the user clicks to view instructions.
.gif "Workflow message bar with the Actions button")
Follow these steps to enter a subject line and instructions.
In the left pane, click Basic Settings.
In the Work item subject text box, enter the subject line.
To personalize the subject line, you can insert placeholders. Placeholders are replaced with the appropriate data when they are displayed to users. Follow these steps to insert a placeholder:
Click in the text box at the location where the placeholder should appear.
Click Insert placeholder.
In the list that is displayed, select the placeholder to insert.
Click Insert.
To add translations of the subject line, click Translations. In the form that is displayed, follow these steps:
Click Add.
In the list that is displayed, select the language in which you will enter the text.
In the Translated text text box, enter the text.
To personalize the text, insert placeholders.
Click Close.
In the Work item instructions text box, enter the instructions.
To personalize the instructions, you can insert placeholders. Placeholders are replaced with the appropriate data when they are displayed to users. Follow these steps to insert a placeholder:
Click in the text box at the location where the placeholder should appear.
Click Insert placeholder.
In the list that is displayed, select the placeholder to insert.
Click Insert.
To add translations of the instructions, click Translations. In the form that is displayed, follow these steps:
Click Add.
In the list that is displayed, select the language in which you will enter the text.
In the Translated text text box, enter the text.
To personalize the text, insert placeholders.
Click Close.
Assign the approval step
Follow these steps to specify who you want the approval step to be assigned to.
In the left pane, click Assignment.
On the Assignment type tab, select one of the options in the following table, and then follow the additional steps for the option before you go to step 3.
Option
Assigned users
Additional steps
Participant
Users who are assigned to a specific group or role
After you select Participant, click the Role based tab.
In the Type of participant list, select the type of group or role that you want to assign the step to.
In the Participant list, select the group or role that you want to assign the step to.
Hierarchy
Users in a specific organizational hierarchy
After you select Hierarchy, click the Hierarchy selection tab.
In the Hierarchy type list, select the type of hierarchy that you want to assign the step to.
The system must retrieve a range of user names from the hierarchy. These names represent users that the step may be assigned to. Follow these steps to specify the starting point and ending point of the range of user names that the system retrieves:
To specify the starting point, select a person in the Start from list.
To specify the ending point, click Add condition. Then enter a condition that determines where in the hierarchy the system stops retrieving names.
Click the Hierarchy options tab.
Specify which users in the range the step is assigned to:
Assign to all users retrieved – The step is assigned to all users in the range.
Assign only to last user retrieved – The step is assigned only to the last user in the range.
Exclude users with the following condition: – The step is not assigned to any users in the range who meet a specific condition. Click Add condition to specify the condition.
Workflow user
Users in the current workflow
After you select Workflow user, click the Workflow user tab.
In the Workflow user list, select a user who participates in the workflow.
User
Specific Microsoft Dynamics AX users
After you select User, click the User tab.
The Available users: list includes all Microsoft Dynamics AX users. Select the users that you want to assign the step to, and then move these users to the Selected users: list.
Click the Time limit tab.
In the Duration field, specify how much time the user has to act on, or respond to, documents that reach the approval step. Select one of the following options:
Hours – Enter the number of hours that the user has to respond. Then select the calendar that your organization uses, and enter information about your organization's work week.
Days – Enter the number of days that the user has to respond. Then select the calendar that your organization uses, and enter information about your organization's work week.
Weeks – Enter the number of weeks that the user has to respond.
Months – Select the day and week by which the user must respond. For example, you may want the user to respond by Friday of the third week of the month.
Years – Select the day, week, and month by which the user must respond. For example, you may want the user to respond by Friday of the third week of December.
If the user does not act on the document in the allotted time, the document is overdue. A document that is overdue is escalated, based on the options that you select in the Escalation area of this form.
If you assigned the approval step to multiple users, or to a group of users, click the Completion policy tab, and then select one of the following options:
Single approver – The action that is applied to the document is determined by the first person who responds.
For example, Sam has submitted an expense report for USD 15,000. The expense report is currently assigned to Sue, Jo, and Bill. If Sue is the first person who responds to the document, the action that she takes is applied to the document. If Sue rejects the document, it is rejected and sent back to Sam. If Sue approves the document, it is sent to Ann for approval.
.gif "Workflow that has an approval process")
Majority of approvers – The action that is applied to the document is determined when most of the approvers respond.
For example, Sam has submitted an expense report for USD 15,000. The expense report is currently assigned to Sue, Jo, and Bill. If Sue and Jo are the first two approvers who respond, the action that they take is applied to the document.
If Sue approves the document, but Jo rejects it, the document is rejected and sent back to Sam.
If both Sue and Jo approve the document, it is sent to Ann for approval.
Percentage of approvers – The action that is applied to the document is determined when a specific percentage of the approvers respond.
For example, Sam has submitted an expense report for USD 15,000. The expense report is currently assigned to Sue, Jo, and Bill, and you entered 50 as the percentage. If Sue and Jo are the first two approvers who respond, the action that they take is applied to the document because they meet the requirement for 50 percent of approvers.
If Sue approves the document, but Jo rejects it, the document is rejected and sent back to Sam.
If both Sue and Jo approve the document, it is sent to Ann for approval.
All approvers – All the approvers must approve the document. Otherwise, the workflow cannot continue.
For example, Sam has submitted an expense report for USD 15,000. The expense report is currently assigned to Sue, Jo, and Bill. If Sue and Joe approve the document, but Bill rejects it, the document is rejected and sent back to Sam. If Sue, Jo, and Bill all approve the document, it is sent to Ann for approval.
Specify when the approval step is required
You can specify when the approval step is required. The approval step may always be required, or it may be required only if specific conditions are met.
The approval step is always required
Follow these steps if the approval step is always required.
In the left pane, click Condition.
Select the Always run this step option.
The approval step is required in specific conditions
The approval step that you are configuring may be required only if specific conditions are met. For example, if you are configuring an approval step for a purchase requisition workflow, you may want the approval step to occur only if the amount of the purchase requisition is more than USD 10,000.
Follow these steps to specify when the approval step is required.
In the left pane, click Condition.
Select the Run this step only when the following condition is met option.
Enter a condition.
Enter additional conditions, as needed.
To verify that the conditions that you entered are configured correctly, complete the following steps:
Click Test. The Test workflow condition form is displayed.
Select a record in the Validate condition area of the form.
Click Test. The system evaluates the record to determine whether it meets the conditions that you defined.
Click OK or Cancel to return to the Properties form.
Specify what happens when the document is overdue
If a user does not act on a document in the allotted time, the document is overdue. A document that is overdue can be escalated, or assigned automatically to another user for approval. Follow these steps to escalate the document if it is overdue.
In the left pane, click Escalation.
Select the Use escalation path check box to create an escalation path. The system automatically assigns the document to the users who are listed in the escalation path.
For example, the following table represents an escalation path.
Sequence
Escalation path
1
Assign to: Donna
2
Assign to: Erin
3
Final action: Reject
In this example, the system assigns the overdue document to Donna. If Donna does not respond in the allotted time, the system assigns the document to Erin. If Erin does not respond in the allotted time, the system rejects the document.
To add a user to the escalation path, click Add escalation. Click the Assignment type tab, select one of the options in the following table, and then follow the additional steps for the option before you go to step 4.
Option
Users that the document is escalated to
Additional steps
Hierarchy
Users in a specific organizational hierarchy
After you select Hierarchy, click the Hierarchy selection tab.
In the Hierarchy type list, select the type of hierarchy to escalate the document to.
The system must retrieve a range of user names from the hierarchy. These names represent users that the document may be escalated to. Follow these steps to specify the starting point and ending point of the range of user names that the system retrieves:
To specify the starting point, select a person in the Start from list.
To specify the ending point, click Add condition. Then enter a condition that determines where in the hierarchy the system stops retrieving names.
Click the Hierarchy options tab.
Specify which users in the range the document is escalated to:
Assign to all users retrieved – The document is escalated to all users in the range.
Assign only to last user retrieved – The document is escalated only to the last user in the range.
Exclude users with the following condition: – The document is not escalated to any users in the range who meet a specific condition. Click Add condition to specify the condition.
Workflow user
Users in the current workflow
After you select Workflow user, click the Workflow user tab.
In the Workflow user list, select a user who participates in the workflow.
User
Specific Microsoft Dynamics AX users
After you select User, click the User tab.
The Available users: list includes all Microsoft Dynamics AX users. Select the users to escalate the document to, and then move these users to the Selected users: list.
Click the Time limit tab.
In the Duration field, specify how much time the user has to act on, or respond to, documents. Select one of the following options:
Hours – Enter the number of hours that the user has to respond. Then select the calendar that your organization uses, and enter information about your organization's work week.
Days – Enter the number of days that the user has to respond. Then select the calendar that your organization uses, and enter information about your organization's work week.
Weeks – Enter the number of weeks that the user has to respond.
Months – Select the day and week by which the user must respond. For example, you may want the user to respond by Friday of the third week of the month.
Years – Select the day, week, and month by which the user must respond. For example, you may want the user to respond by Friday of the third week of December.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each user to add to the escalation path. You can change the order of the users.
If the users in the escalation path do not respond in the allotted time, the system automatically acts on the document. To specify the action that the system takes, select the Action row. Then select an action on the End action tab.