How to configure and activate the “rule-based approval matrix”?

How to configure and activate the “rule-based approval matrix”?

1.1. Add the approval value levels.

The “approval value levels” represent the limits on an order value a user is authorized to approve. They can also serve as an orders approval chain or steps.

1.2. Create your approval rules with conditions

Each rule can be configured to assign users to one or more of the approval levels, should the rules conditions be met.

1.3. Test your Rule-based approval matrix

A test function is available, allowing you to test that your configured rules meet your expectations

1.4. Activate the “Rule-based approval matrix”

Once the required approval rules have been configured, the function needs to be activated in order to affect the approval process in TM Master.

1.1 How to add “approval value levels”

Log on to TM Master with a user with access to configure PO settings in the system

1.        Click [System] → [Settings] → “Order settings” tab → “Approval rules” sub tab

 [Manage levels] button in the top grid menu bar

3. 

1. Enter a “Level Name” and the level “up to” approval limit.  

Approval limit currency will always be entered in the system’s “Base currency”

1. Add as many levels as required. Note that an approval level’s span will cover from it’s defined value down to the value of the level that is numerically below it. However, this does not apply for the highest level that is defined.  The highest level defined will cover any values above the second highest level.

Example:  

• Level “One” is set up to 10.000, since no lower limit is found the level spans from 0 to 10.000
• Level “Two” is set up to 20.000, the second level will then span from 10.000 to 20.000
• Level “Five” is set to 500.000
• Level “Six” is the highest level and set to “500.001” and will span from 500.000 (previous level and upward) The actual level value set on the highest level will not set any numerical limits for approval. As long it is the highest level it will span from the second highest level to infinity (500.000 (in this example) and upward)

1.2 How to add approval rules?

Before adding any rules, make sure the “Approval levels” described above have been set up. You are required to configure at least one approval level and one rule for the “rule-based approval matrix” to work.  

1. Log on to TM Master with a user with access to configure PO settings in the system
2. Click [System] → [Settings] → “Order settings” tab → “Approval rules” sub tab
3. Click the    [Add New Rule] button in the top grid menu bar
4. Give the rule a name
5. Enter a rule rank. The rule “Rank” will represent the order in which rules are considered when looking for a level approver.  A low rank number will be considered before a high rank number.  
6. To assign a user or role to an approval level for this rule, Double click the approval level in the grid on the “Default approvers” sub tab and select a specific “user” or “role”. (roles will be described later in this document) If the conditions for the rule are met by an order, the approval levels specified under “Default Approvers” will be assigned for the order, unless a previous rule (with a lower rank number) has already populated the level with a default approver name.

1. Click the “Condition” sub tab
2. Click the [Add condition] button

1. Select a condition parameter type.

Unit: Adding a unit condition will restrict the rule to orders that are for the specified unit(s). It is possible to add multiple units as conditions for a rule

Unit Group: Adding a unit group condition will restrict the rule to orders that are for the specified unit(s) in the unit groups. It is possible to add multiple unit groups.  

Account: Adding an account condition will restrict the rule to orders using the specified account(s). One rule can include multiple account conditions

Account Group: Adding an account group condition will restrict the rule to any orders using an account found in that group. One rule can include multiple account groups.

Cost Code: Adding a cost code condition will restrict the rule to orders using the specified cost code(s). One rule can include multiple cost code conditions.

WBS: Adding one or more WBS code conditions will restrict the rule to orders using the specified WBS code(s).

Order type: Adding one or more Order type conditions will restrict the rule to orders of the specified order type(s).

1. To add “Alternative approvers” to any of the levels, click the “Alternative Approvers” tab.
   1. Click “Add User” to select a single user
   2. Click [Add User Group] to select a group of users.
2. Select the desired “user” or “user group”, and select which level the user\user group should be able to approve.
3. [Save and Close] the rule.
4. You may now test the rules (ref next chapter)

1.3 How to use the [Check Rules] function?

To test that your rule configuration works as intended, you can use the [Check Rule] function. This tool will simulate the population of approval levels for orders using the current configuration.

1. Log on to TM Master with a user with access to configure PO settings in the system
2. Click [System] → [Settings] → “Order settings” tab → “Approval rules” sub tab 3.       Click the [Check Rules] button  

1. You can now set any desired conditions for your simulation
   1. Unit: Will allow you to select any one of the units in the system
   2. WBS: Will allow you to select one of the WBS codes available in the system.
   3. Order type: Will allow you to select any of the order types.
   4. Account: Will allow you to select any of the existing accounts.
   5. Cost code: Will allow you to select any of the cost code available
2. Click the [Check Rule] button
3. All approval levels should be populated when testing (if not there are holes in your matrix)
4. In the column “Rule Name”, you will be able to see what rule was used to find the approver for the level  

1.4 How to activate the rule-based approval matrix?

Once the rule-based matrix has been configured with rules and testing them gives the expected result. You can activate the “Rule-Base Approval Matrix” function.

1. Please set up your rules
2. Click [System] → [Settings] →”Order settings” tab → “General” sub tab 3.             On the “General” sub tab the following group of settings may be found.

1. Select “ApprovalRules” in the “Approval:” field.
2. Click [Save] in the top menu.  
3. Ticking the “Select supplier before approval” is recommended, as it will force the users to select a supplier before the approval process can be started. If supplier is not selected, the order may not have the correct value.

Using “roles” on an approval level?

It is, of course, possible to create one rule for each vessel and add the actual person (user) to the level in question. However, a different approach would be to use a “role”, which will only require one rule that would apply to all units to achieve the same thing.  In some instances, the approver should be a position or a role for a single unit, as it is likely that different people fulfil this role for each individual unit at different times.  Here is how you would do this.

1. Create your Unit and/or Fleet roles.
2. Assign users to the different roles
3. Select the role as the approver for an approval level