Understanding the Journal Entry Approval Process

This topic provides an overview of the journal entry approval process and discusses how to set up journal entry approval in Oracle's PeopleSoft Workflow.

If you enable the journal approval process in PeopleSoft General Ledger, journal entries are automatically marked to post once they are approved. You can enable specific users to mark a journal to post by granting them access to certain pages in User Security or by approving journals through PeopleSoft Workflow.

You can select to use one of two journal approval methods from the Installation Options - General Ledger Page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Install, Installation Options, General Ledger):

  • Approval Framework: (default) PeopleSoft Enterprise Components Approval Framework (AF) feature provides a configurable framework and page interface to implement workflow approval without using Application Designer.

    See Understanding Configurable Workflow.

  • Virtual Approver: PeopleSoft workflow approval method used in prior releases.

    Not recommended for users on release 9.2 or higher.

See Installation Options - General Ledger Page.

To approve journal entries using PeopleSoft Workflow:

  1. Deselect the Mark Journal(s) to Post option on the User Preferences - General Ledger page.

  2. Restrict access to the Mark Journals for Posting page so that it is available to only those who have the highest authority to approve journals because users of this page can bypass the journal approval process.

  3. Hide the Mark Journal(s) to Post option on the Edit Journal Request page by replacing the entire content of JRNL_EDIT_REQ.MARK_POST_OPTN RowInit PeopleCode with the following code: 

    JRNL_POST_OPTN = "N";
Hide (JRNL)POST)OPTN);
MARK_POST_OPTN = "N";
Hide (MARK_POST_OPTN);

Note: You cannot post an online journal that needs approval.

You can use PeopleSoft system security to authorize approvals for users that PeopleTools provides. Using this method, you grant access to key pages and processes to specific users. For example, the key pages for marking a journal to post and posting are the Mark Journals for Posting page, the Edit Journal Request page, and the Post Journals page.

To prevent specific users from marking a journal to post, do not assign them to a role that has access to these pages. If the user is not permitted to use the Journal Edit (GL_JEDIT) or the Journal Post (GL_JP) Application Engine processes, a message displays informing them that they are not authorized to edit or post a journal using the options on the Journal Entry - Lines pages.

If you employ the user security approach rather than PeopleSoft Workflow for journal approvals, ensure that the Approval Active option in the properties is not selected for the approval rule set JOURNAL_ENTRY_APPROVAL in PeopleSoft Application Designer. You can remove the Approval Work page (APPR_WRK_01) and Workflow Functions page (WF_FUNCTIONS_01) from the Journal Entry component (JOURNAL_ENTRY_IE) in Application Designer because removing these pages decreases the number of cache files that are built when you access the component for the first time. Removal of these pages, however, is not required.

PeopleTools Documentation: Security Administration, "Understanding PeopleSoft Security"

Note: By default, the Approval Active check box is selected when you receive the approval rule in the sample data.

Oracle PeopleSoft delivers Notification Composer Framework in Enterprise Components to manage the setup and administration of notifications in one central location.

Once you have adopted the Notification Composer feature, you must use it to create new notifications and manage your existing notifications.

These PeopleSoft General Ledger business processes, which are delivered with FSCM Update Image 49, must use Notification Composer:

  • Journal Posting

  • Journal Unposting

For more information about Notification Composer Framework, see Understanding Notification Composer.