How to configure 2-tier authorization

[Christine Khor]

Hi
We have a need for a 2-tier authorization by the nearest manager & then the nearest manager's manager. newScale says that this is possible and quite easy to configure but we haven't received any instructions so I hope one or some of you can help. We're very new in newScale RC so please provide dummy-prove & non-technical instructions :o)

What we need is this: A user submits an order which goes to his/her nearest manager for approval. The data about the nearest manager is already in the system via AD, so the first level authorization process is working fine. For the 2nd level newScale suggests the easiest way by using 'Select person' field to promt the nearest manager to enter his/her manager's authorization. We like this solution becaus it also makes it more flexible for other types of authorization.

Can anyone please tell us how we can set this up? Remember in dummy-prove easy to understand language :o) Thanks & I appreciate it very much.

[Craig Christiane]

Hi Christine,

First off you would need to create an Active Form Component for this dynamic approval to work, create the AFC with a Person Search Field created and have this present on the services requiring this approval flow. Use the Access Control to only have this viewable during the authorisation moments.

Create the two approval tasks for for given approval method (i.e. Departmental Authorization, you have configured the first approval to work as you need)

On the second Approval task configure the approval to be assigned from an expression, you can then use the following CN=#Service.Data.Approval.2ndApprover# where Approval is the Dictionary Name and 2ndApprover is the Dictionary field.

Once the above has been configured you would need to instruct the first approver to update the form with the name of the next approver. You can provide a person search field on the form for this and once the correct approver has been inputted onto the form they first approver can approve the requisition. When the next approval task is started it will look for that Dictionary Field (Approval.2ndApprover) and assign it to that person for approval.

For further info on assigning approval tasks based on what has been put on a form see pg 15 of the newScale 9.1 Namespace guide.

[Christine Khor]

Hi Craig

Thank you very much for your instruction. I manage to get the 2-tier authorization to work. The emails are sent to the correct recipients and the links & namespaces work too. If requisition is rejected by first approver, the it then just ends there as it should. I only use the Authorization tab to configure the authorization process. I'm not using the Plan tab for this purpose at all. Is this correct, or do I also have to use the Plan tab?

How do I prompt the first approver to fill in the AFC with person search field and not allow him/her to proceed to 'Approve' if field is empty? How do I instruct the first approver to update the form with the 2nd approver?

Thanks.

[Darwin Hammons]

Excellent solution !

[Craig Christiane]

Hi Christine,

You do not need to use the Plan Tab, for the second question of ensuring the first approver always sets the second approver is possible but there will be restrictions.

Make the 2nd Approver Field mandatory during the Authorisation Task moment you have configured, this can be done using the AFC rules in newScale. This however will present a problem if the first approver just wants to reject the service they will always have to populate this field even if they are going to reject it. This could be seen as not being very user friendly but this will ensure the approval flow will be correct. Hope this meets your requirements

[Ant Erickson]

Hi Craig, I thought if you reject an approval it ignores the mandatory rules?  I think we've seen that function on 2008.1 but now we're on v9 it may be different.

Thanks,

Ant