Understanding Purchase Order Approvals
Within PeopleSoft Purchasing, you can use workflow to approve purchase orders. This enables you to direct approvals to the correct people in the correct order. At the purchasing business unit level, you can choose one of two different workflow methods:
PeopleTools Workflow Technology documented in the PeopleTools : Workflow Technology. This workflow method enables you to approve the purchase order at the header level. You can route a purchase order for approval based on the amount, the ChartFields used, or both. When you use the PeopleTools Workflow Technology approval method, purchase orders are approved using workflow roles, rules, and routings. To implement workflow approvals, define the roles, rules, and routings using the PeopleSoft Application Designer, PeopleCode, and Workflow Administrator. Your system is delivered with basic approval rules already established.
PeopleSoft Approval Framework documented in the PeopleSoft Approval Framework . This workflow method enables you to approve the purchase order at the header level, line level, or both. You can also hold or pushback a purchase order or purchase order line. A pushback returns the transaction to the previous approval step, requiring the prior approver to reevaluate the approval. With proper authorization, an approver can add other approvers, called ad-hoc approvers, to the current or a later stage of the approval process. Reviewers and ad-hoc reviewers can be part of the workflow. Reviewers see the purchase order or purchase order line but do not approve it.
Regardless of the workflow method used, all approval requirements must be met before a purchase order is eligible for dispatch. You can prevent approved purchase orders from dispatching by performing one of these steps:
Selecting the Hold From Further Processing check box on the Maintain Purchase Order - Purchase Order page.
Clearing the Dispatch When Approved option on the Maintain Purchase Order - Purchase Order page.
Clearing the Dispatch check box on the Maintain Purchase Order - PO Header Details page.
Manually changing the status of the purchase order to Open.
Approvers or managers can use the Delegation Framework to delegate purchase order approval authority to other users. For more information about setting up and using Delegation Framework, see: