12.1.3.5 Approval

Approval cycles often involve multiple individuals before changes can be implemented. This is especially true for business activities subject to change that may impact various roles and resources, necessitating their consent prior to implementation. These cycles can vary based on organizational needs and the significance of the requested changes. The EPC supports both parallel and serial approval cycles to accommodate diverse approval processes:

• Parallel: All approval requests are simultaneously sent to approvers, and changes are approved once all approvers have granted consent. E.g., a request for approval is simultaneously sent to a controller, VP of Finance, and CEO.
• Serial: Approval requests follow a sequential path, where each approver is notified in succession. E.g., the first approval request is sent to a controller, followed by the VP of Finance, and finally, the CEO.
  

Setting an Approval Cycle

Modelers can configure approval cycles for all EPC objects using the Approval button available under the object’s Details view on the toolbar.

*Modelers need to ensure they have Write permission on the object and their displayed content is set to Latest.

1. Navigate to the Details view of the desired object and click on the box.
2. Choose “Approval” from the drop-down menu.

3. The “Assign Approval Cycle to Object” form will appear.

• Select Approval Cycle Type: Choose between Serial and Parallel, as explained above.
• Signature Required: If checked, approvers will need to add their e-signature to approve the object. Deselect it if no e-signature is required.
• Select Approvers: Choose the approver(s)
  • Filter Type: Filter the suggestions for Resources or Roles.
  • Type to find a Role or Resource: Type the name of the desired approver(s) here. As you type, a drop-down will appear with suggestions based on key wording.
  • Tree selector ( ): The tree selector allows to explore the Organization hierarchy to select an approver.
• Suggested Approvers: Expand this section to view suggested approvers from a similar objects. Select “Apply Cycle” to the desired suggestion to add them as approver(s).
• Apply changes to all children: If checked, the current approval cycle configuration will be applied to this object’s children (sub-objects).

4. When approver(s) have been selected, they will appear in a table.

• To remove an approver, click on “x”
• To reorder approvers, click on “ “

5. Click ‘Save’ to confirm the configuration.

Sending an Object for Approval

1. Go to the object’s Details view.
2. Click on the “Send for Approval” button.

3. The “Send for Approval Confirmation” pop-up window will open.

• Approval Comment: Leave a comment for the approvers if needed.
• Version: Define the “to-be” release version (e.g., version 2.0), rather than waiting until the time of publishing. This ensures that the approved version matches the published version. If no approval cycle is required, the user must define the “to-be” release version during the publishing process.
  

  **In the event that the approval is rejected or cancelled, the “to-be” release version will not be consumed. Instead, it will automatically revert to a .01 minor version increment (e.g., version 1.14), allowing the major version (e.g., 2.0) to be reused when relaunching the approval cycle.

• Due Date: Set a due date by which assigned approvers must complete this task.
• Add a File: Allows to attach a file that approvers will be able to view. This can be detailed instructions or guidelines, for example.

4. Click “Send for Approval” to confirm.

Editing Approval Configuration

Modelers can modify approval cycle configurations during an ongoing cycle, including adding/deleting approvers, changing the cycle type, or altering the order of approvers. However, certain settings like e-signature requirement and “Apply changes to all children” cannot be changed during an ongoing cycle.

Approving an Object

To learn how to approve an object, please refer to this topic.

When the object has successfully been approved, the Modeler will be able to publish the object.

Approval Cycle Management by UDA Value & Subtype

Admins can effectively manage approval configurations based on User Defined Attributes (UDAs) and object subtypes. This approach streamlines administrative tasks by enabling specific roles or resources to be automatically added or removed from approval cycles, allowing for dynamic adjustments as organizational needs evolve.

When utilizing these features, organizations should consider the following key points:

• Comprehensive Resource Integration: When an object type with a configuration using resources A and B is combined with a UDA configuration using resources B and C, the resulting object will include all relevant resources (A, B, and C). This ensures a comprehensive approval workflow that reflects the combined requirements of both the object type and the UDAs.
• Flexibility for Individual Adjustments: Users still have the option to modify the approval configuration for individual objects as needed.
• Protection Against Unintentional Changes: If a role is linked to multiple approval cycles, the system safeguards against unintentional removals by prompting the user or blocking the action. This feature ensures that critical approval workflows remain intact and functional.
  

Rules & Limitations

• Define the “to-be” release version (e.g., version 2.0) when submitting for approval, rather than waiting until the time of publishing. This ensures that the approved version matches the published version. If no approval cycle is required, the user must define the “to-be” release version during the publishing process.
• In the event that the approval is rejected or cancelled, the “to-be” release version will not be consumed. Instead, it will automatically revert to a .01 minor version increment (e.g., version 1.14), allowing the major version (e.g., 2.0) to be reused when relaunching the approval cycle.