1What this screen is for #
- Menu path: Warehouse Management > Control > Warehouse Approval Rules. Route /warehouse/approval-rules .
- The four approvals: Count variance (decided on the Count Desk), Unplanned receipt (Exceptions), Short dispatch (Dispatch) and Transfer shortage (Transfers).
- A rule is for one approval, in every storage space or in one . Where both exist, the storage space's own rule is used.
- Level 1 approvers are asked first. Any one of them decides.
- Level 2 by value : a request worth the value or more goes to level 2 instead of level 1. It is one decision, sent to the right level - not two decisions one after the other.
- Level 2 by hours : a request nobody has decided after the hours given is sent to level 2 as well. From then on either level decides. The system checks every ten minutes.
- The value is the quantity that differs at the cost of the item's latest lot in the price table - the item master's cost price where it has no lot (for a transfer, at the rate of its dispatch voucher). A receipt without an order and a short dispatch carry no value.
- A rule narrows who decides. It does not give the right: the person still needs Approve on the action's own object in User Manager. An administrator may always decide.
2Conditions #
- A rule applies to requests raised after it is saved. A request already waiting keeps the alert it sent, but only the people the rule names may decide it.
- A rule switched off, a rule with no level 1 approver, and a rule whose approvers are all inactive or in an empty group are ignored - the holders of the Approve right are asked.
- The hold itself is not set here. Whether a receipt without an order is held is a setting of the voucher type; the count tolerance is in WMS Settings.
- Approvers are users or user groups (Admin > User Group). Adding a user to a group takes effect at once.
3Toolbar & keyboard #
- Refresh (F2) , New rule (F3) , Modify , Remove . While adding or changing: Save (F5) , Cancel (Esc) . In View, Esc closes the page.
- After Save the screen stays on the rule, in View.
- Rights, on the object WMS - Approval Rules: View opens the screen, Alter adds, changes and removes.
4If something does not work #
"You do not hold the right to open Warehouse Approval Rules. An administrator grants it in User Manager, Masters tab, on the object WMS - Approval Rules (View)." / "... change a warehouse approval rule ... (Alter)" / "... remove a warehouse approval rule ... (Alter)"
- Why
- The screen opens with View on WMS - Approval Rules; New rule, Modify, Save and Remove need Alter.
- What to do
- An administrator ticks the right for you in User Manager, Masters tab.
New rule, Modify and Remove are greyed
- Why
- You hold View but not Alter on WMS - Approval Rules, or the rule tables are not installed.
- What to do
- Ask an administrator for Alter; see the first entry for the tables.
"Pick the approval the rule is for: Count variance, Unplanned receipt, Short dispatch, Transfer shortage."
- Why
- A rule belongs to one of the four approvals.
- What to do
- Pick one in Approval.
"Name at least one level 1 approver - the people asked first. A rule with nobody to ask would hold every request for nobody." / "Pick the approvers from the list - users or user groups."
- Why
- Level 1 is empty, or an approver was not picked from the list.
- What to do
- Pick at least one user or user group under Level 1 approvers.
"The value from which level 2 decides must be above zero - or leave it empty."
- Why
- A value of zero or less would send every request to level 2.
- What to do
- Give a value above zero, or clear the box for a rule that does not look at value.
"A value for level 2 works for Count variance and Transfer shortage only: ... carries no value yet. Use the hours instead."
- Why
- A receipt without an order and a short dispatch are not valued, so a value could never send them to level 2.
- What to do
- Clear the value and give Ask level 2 as well after (hours).
"Escalate after is 1 to 720 hours - or leave it empty."
- Why
- The hours are outside 1 to 720 (thirty days).
- What to do
- Give a whole number of hours in that range, or clear the box.
"A value or hours for level 2 is given, but no level 2 approver is named. Name one, or clear the value and the hours."
- Why
- Something sends requests to level 2, but level 2 is nobody.
- What to do
- Pick users or groups under Level 2 approvers, or clear the value and the hours.
"Level 2 approvers are named, but nothing sends a request to them. Give a value, or hours to escalate after - or clear level 2."
- Why
- Level 2 is named, yet neither a value nor hours is given, so they would never be asked.
- What to do
- Give a value or hours, or clear Level 2 approvers.
"A user group named as approver has nobody in it, or is inactive. Nobody would be asked."
- Why
- A group picked as approver is empty or switched off in Admin > User Group.
- What to do
- Add users to the group, activate it, or pick another approver.
"This storage space already has a rule for this approval - change that one." / "This approval already has a rule for every storage space - change that one, or make this one for a single storage space."
- Why
- There is one rule an approval and storage space, and one for every storage space.
- What to do
- Select the existing rule on the left and press Modify.
"The note can't exceed 300 characters."
- Why
- The note is too long.
- What to do
- Shorten it.
"That storage space is not run by the WMS, or is not open to the branch you signed in to. Pick one from the list, or Every storage space." / "That rule is for a storage space that is not open to the branch you signed in to."
- Why
- A rule can name only a storage space run by the WMS that your branch may use.
- What to do
- Pick a storage space from the list, or sign in to the branch that owns it.
"The rule was changed or removed by someone else while you had it open. It is read again - make your change once more." / "That rule no longer exists. Press Refresh."
- Why
- Another user saved or removed the rule after you opened it.
- What to do
- The screen shows the rule as it is now. Make the change again.
A rule is saved, yet someone it does not name still got the alert
- Why
- The rule applies to requests raised after it was saved. A request already waiting keeps the alert it sent - but only the people the rule names may now decide it.
- What to do
- Nothing to do; the others are refused if they try to decide.
A rule is saved, yet everyone with the Approve right is asked
- Why
- The rule is switched off, or its level 1 approvers resolve to nobody (an inactive user, an empty or inactive group), or a rule for the storage space itself does not exist and the rule for every storage space is off.
- What to do
- Open the rule: check Switched on and the level 1 approvers.
A request worth more than the level 2 value went to level 1
- Why
- The rule's level 2 approvers resolve to nobody, so level 1 keeps it; or the approval is a receipt without an order or a short dispatch, which carry no value.
- What to do
- Check the level 2 approvers. For those two approvals use the hours.
Level 2 was not asked after the hours
- Why
- The background check runs every ten minutes, so the alert may be up to ten minutes late; or level 2 names only people already asked at level 1; or the request was raised again (a new round starts its own clock).
- What to do
- Wait for the next round. Warehouse Approvals shows Level 1, escalated to level 2 once it has happened.
This is the help InvoiceNET® ERP shows beside the Warehouse Approval Rules screen. Whether you have the screen depends on the modules of your licence and the rights your administrator has given you.
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