Approval process

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With the approval function of 1C:Perform, you can change a document or catalog status when executing a process that consists of multiple steps. To set up approval rules depending on the object kind, go to the Infobase catalogs or Infobase documents catalog in Current infobase.

"Infobase catalogs" and "Infobase documents"

To set up the approval, use attributes on the Approval tab of the Infobase catalogs or Infobase documents catalog item:

Attribute company. Determines the attribute of the object to approve when addressing the role by companies. The system will use a business unit from this object to find the user (role assignee).
Attribute project. Determines the attribute of the object to approve when addressing the role by projects. The system will use a project from this object to find the user (role assignee).

If the Being approved check box is selected, you can approve the current application object. The user cannot edit it. The check box value is predefined in the application. It depends on the ObjectsForApproval type. To learn more how to edit the application to extend the list of objects to approve, read below.

State attribute type is a value type used to identify a set of possible states of the approval object.

The following attributes help to map object states and process statuses: Draft, Pending approval, Confirmed, and Rejected. You can assign a state to an object during a process. There are no predefined algorithms to process an event of setting each state in the system, but there are algorithms to process status change. Object states and process statuses are mapped to make these algorithms run.

Do not lock attributes on approval check box. It is cleared by default. In this state, you cannot change any attributes in the approved object form. If you select the check box, you can change object attributes. The object approval must be completed and have the Confirmed status.

Split responsibility assignment matrix by companies check box. If you select the check box, the rules in the responsibility assignment matrix will be set broken down by business units. If you clear the check box, all companies will have unified approval rules.

Split responsibility assignment matrix by projects check box. If you select the check box, the rules in the responsibility assignment matrix will be set broken down by projects. If you clear the check box, all projects will have unified approval rules.

To open the "Responsibility assignment matrix" with filters matching the current object, click Open responsibility assignment matrix.

Click Available forms of attribute schemes to open a list form that defines multiple forms of the current object. You can set up the availability of attributes for these forms as an approval step.

Types of approval process steps

Below you can find descriptions of step types used in the approval process route.

"Approval"

In the Approval type step, you can receive authentications for the object to approve from one or multiple users.

The Set status to approval object when step is confirmed attribute determines the status that the approval object will get when the step processing starts.

The Set up attributes availability attribute determines the setting when the step processing starts. The setting helps to identify whether the attributes in the form of the object to approve are available. The user can determine the attribute availability settings and their parameters in the Attribute availability settings on approval catalog.

If the user does not respond, use the Baseline duration (hours) and Automatic confirmation on expiration of approval time parameters to set up automatic transition to the next process step. In some cases, this helps you to avoid process delays and increase the performance of approval participants.

Select the Enter comment on approval or On rejection check box to require the user to fill a comment upon approval confirmation or approval rejection.

To specify a list of users who must approve the step, use the List of approvers table. When the step processing starts, approval tasks will be simultaneously generated for all listed users and their substitutes. Once any task is completed, the step processing will be completed. Other tasks will become irrelevant and the process will move on to the next step.

You can define an approver in the List of approvers table using a role or extended addressing. For more information about methods for addressing approval tasks, read below.

"Conditional transition"

The Conditional transition step type is a process branch point that depends on whether the condition specified in the step settings is met. The process step of this type is executed automatically, without user intervention.

In the transition settings, you can use standard condition If-Then-Else or multiple condition Select-When...When-Else.

The standard condition directs the process in one of two directions. It depends on whether the specified condition is met.

The Select-When...When-Else construction can include multiple conditions. The process will go in the direction of the first fulfilled condition on the list. If no condition is met, the direction specified after Else will be selected.

You can add multiple actions to one condition, which means adding transitions to multiple following steps. So, multiple steps are executed simultaneously right after the conditional transition.

In the condition, you can analyze: process parameters, attributes of the object to approve or the Reporting period management document, predefined function values, and data sources. Use the data sources to access any information both from the current infobase and external infobases. Select an object to analyze in the list on the right and drag it to the left into the required cell of the branch designer field.

The function currently selected in the condition tree is used to calculate the condition value. To determine parameter values for this function, go to the bottom left table. The same function can be used in multiple conditions at the same time. Set parameter values for each condition separately.

"Optional transition"

The Optional transition step type is a process branch point at the user's decision.

To specify a list of users that select a process execution route, go to the Optional transition step form table. Filling the table is similar to filling the list of approvers in the Approval step type. In the list, you can specify more than one user. All listed users will receive tasks for selecting the process execution route. Once any of the user makes a decision, the processing is over. Other tasks will become irrelevant and the process will move on to the next step.

To set up directions of transition from the Optional transition step, in the step settings form, click Open successor step list and use the List of successor stages form, or select some steps and click Add link in the form of the process template diagram.

"Attached process"

This step type allows you to use other route templates as subprocesses.

This step will be considered confirmed once the attached process is completed.

"Object is approved" and "Object is rejected"

You can use steps of these types only in approval processes. An Object is approved step sets the Confirmed status for the object to approve, while an Object is rejected step sets the Rejected status. If you activate any of the steps, the process execution along parallel route branches stops.

"Processing"

Use this step type when a task must be completed during the process. This can be either a task for the user or automatic processing.

To assign tasks to users, fill List of responsible persons. Once each user completes their task, the process will move on to the next step.

In the Step procedure field, you can specify the algorithm of automatic data processing. It will be executed when the step is activated.

To pause the process until the user explicitly marks this step as completed in the "Process management console", select the Manual approval check box.

"Notification"

Use this step type to send users a message about the beginning or completion of any of the steps, or about any intermediate process events. To make the Notification step send notifications to users, set up processing of the Notification system event for the Notification step.

In the settings, specify a list of recipients and a text template that users will receive in a notification. To describe the template, use process parameters.

If the user needs to be notified by email, select the Notify by email check box for the user. A notification will be sent to the email address specified in the user settings.

"Awaiting event"

This step is executed as long as the specified condition is true. Once the condition ceases to be true, the transition to the next step is made. You can also make the transition to the next step by timeout (in hours).

You can see the transition condition and direction in the Conditional transition settings form. In the condition, you can analyze: process parameters, attributes of the object to approve or the Reporting period management document, predefined function values, and data sources. Use the data sources to access any information both from the current infobase and external infobases. Select an object to analyze in the list on the right and drag it to the left into the required cell of the branch designer field.

"Pause"

This step type sets a delay interval in hours. At this step, the process will be paused for the specified period of time. Then it will automatically transition to the next step.

Methods for addressing approval tasks

User

User is the easiest addressing method when a task assignee in the Parameter column of the List of approvers table is explicitly selected from the Users catalog.

Role

To make setting up universal processes easier, specify a role as an assignee. At the process execution step, the role from the step settings is translated to a specific user according to the correspondence specified in the Addressing matrix form for the Business units catalog.

To translate a role to a specific user, the business unit is required. To get its value, go to one of the approval object attributes. To identify the attribute, see the Infobase documents catalog or Infobase catalog on the Approval tab of the Key attributes for roles subsection.

Extended addressing

Use extended addressing when addressing options for a specific user or role are not enough. To apply the method, in the List of approvers table of the approval step settings, select Extended addressing in the Addressing method column and one of the Extended negotiation addressing catalog items in the Parameter column.

Items of the Extended negotiation addressing catalog are linked to the object to approve. So, you can use same items in multiple route templates.

The following addressing kinds are available in the catalog item form:

User from attribute. Specify an attribute of the object to approve with the Catalog.Users type. When the process is running, the approval task will be assigned to the user specified in this attribute. To address the task to the manager of the user from the approval object attribute, select the Forward to manager check box.
Role by attribute. Select a role and specify an approval object attribute in the extended addressing settings. The addressing subject will be received from this attribute. Any catalog can be an addressing subject. For example, if you specify the Counterparty attribute, the role assignee for the approval object counterparty will be created according to the correspondence specified in the Addressing matrix form for the Counterparties catalog.
Role by fixed object. Similar to Role by attribute. The only difference is that you specify an addressing subject in the Fixed addressing object field of the addressing settings, instead of in the addressing object.
Process initiator. The addressing task is assigned to the user who initiates the approval process by clicking For approval in the object to approve.
Arbitrary code. Sets approval tasks using code in the Extended negotiation addressing catalog item form. The addressing code is executed in the ProcessInstance document kind. You can receive it from the ProcessDocumentInputParameter variable. The code execution result must be an array of values of the Catalog.Users type. Save the array to the ParameterValue variable.

Addressing matrix

The addressing matrix identifies users acting as role assignees for items of different catalogs. It also defines business unit staff so that the system can identify user managers.

The following addressing matrix modes are available:

Tree mode (by default). At the top, you must select the catalog of the current infobase for which addressing elements will be created. In the table on the left, add values of the items of the selected catalog. Add values one by one, or click Fill in/Missing elements from the catalog. To fill the Addressing elements table with all items of the selected catalog considering the hierarchy, click Fill in/Elements and hierarchy by catalog. In the Roles table, add a role and users matching the current role for each addressing element. The Business units catalog has an additional Fill in/Managers command. The command generates a predefined Manager role for each company. Fill the role manually.
List mode. The addressing matrix is displayed as a dynamic list with the following columns:
- □ Current catalog name.
- □ Role.
- □ User.

Operating in the current mode is similar to operating with a standard dynamic list.

Assigning role assignees

To assign role assignees, select a catalog of the current application. Then, fill the Business unit staff determination table.

Responsibility assignment matrix

The responsibility assignment matrix distributes responsibilities for reporting or budget preparation and approval of different objects (catalogs, documents, and report instances) among users.

The responsibility assignment matrix dimensions depend on the selected object and its settings. You can access the object settings right from the choice form, or you can open the object. In the settings form, the following parameters affect the responsibility assignment matrix: Divide responsible persons by companies and Divide responsible persons by projects. Both parameters are on the Approval tab. The parameters enable or disable dimension by companies or projects in the responsibility assignment matrix.

In the responsibility assignment matrix, the Approval column is displayed for any objects. The column shows the user, role, or universal process route that will be used for the object approval. In addition to the Approval column, the Report instance object also has the Execution column. In this column, an assignee is determined as a user or role. The assignee is responsible for instance filling.

The responsibility assignment matrix can be presented as a matrix or as a list. To switch between the presentations, click the Matrix or List tab in the responsibility assignment matrix form. To set up and analyze responsibilities, use the matrix presentation. To add new elements to matrix dimensions, use the list presentation. For example, to set up responsibilities broken down by projects, you can add them to the matrix only as a list. Once you add at least one project rule in the list form, you can continue setup in the matrix form. It already includes all specified projects.

Starting, monitoring, and stopping approval

To use universal processes for coordinating approval functions, do the following:

Activate an approval tool for required objects.
Describe approval routes.
Fill the "Responsibility assignment matrix".

If you manage the approval process using universal processes, you can:

Start the approval process.
Stop the approval process.
Process tasks and notifications.
Monitor the approval progress.

Use approval processes for catalogs and documents with the Being approved check box selected in the DBCatalogs or DBDocuments catalog.

In the catalog settings form, to set approval rules separately for entities, select or clear the Divide responsible persons by companies check box. To set an individual rule for each company, select the check box. To set one approval rule for the entire catalog, clear the check box. Select or clear the Divide responsible persons by projects check box in the same way.

You can start the approval process in one of the following ways:

In the form of the object to approve, click Accept for approval.
In the list form, click Approval – Accept for approval. If you select multiple objects, you will start the approval process for all of them.
Use "Process management console". It applies to any universal process.

You can also track the approval status by a special attribute value. Each object to approve has it. A universal process saves the following approval statuses:

Draft. The approval process is stopped.
Pending approval. The approval process is started.
Confirmed. The approval process is completed.
Rejected. The object to approve is rejected.

To set up this attribute for each object, go toIntegration and master data management – Catalog settings or Document settings, and then go to the Approval settings tab.

Approval

To approve an object, open the item form of the object to approve or the list form of the object to approve, go to the Approval submenu, and click Approve. In the object form, only the user responsible for the current approval step can see this command. Click Approve to open an authentication form. Previous authentications left by approval participants are displayed at the top of the form. At the bottom of the form, the is a text field where the current approver can enter an arbitrary comment.

If the user clicks Approve, the approval process proceeds to the next step.
If the user clicks Reject, the approval process goes back to the initial step.
If any of the previous steps are approved, the Step back button is available. If the user clicks it, the approval task is assigned to the previous approver.

Assigning additional approvers

Additional approvers are users approving the current step. To complete the step, the current user and all additional approvers must approve it.

To assign additional approvers, go to the Comment and approval form, and click Additional approvers to open the Additional approval form. To access the form, open the My tasks and notifications window or the form of the object to approve and click Approval.

Assigning substitutes

The user receiving event or task notifications can assign substitutes or additional approvers.

Substitutes receive copies of the current user's notifications. They can also see and execute the user's tasks. To assign substitutes, the user goes to the My tasks and notifications form, clicks Assign substitute, and uses the Substitutes for user form.

On separate tabs of the My tasks and notifications form, the substitute can see all incomplete approval tasks. The substitute cannot see old notifications. They receive new notifications as the current user receives ones. If the user is excluded from the substitute list, they cannot see the current user's tasks and execute tasks for the previously received notifications.

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