Approval Foundation Elements

This section discusses the several foundation elements of the Approval Framework, their definition, and how they are used for Time and Labor approvals and delegations. The following elements are discussed here:

  • Process ID

  • Header record

  • Definition ID

  • User list

  • Approval events and actions

Process IDs

A process ID is a unique approval process identifier for the approval transaction. Process IDs are registered in the Approval Framework transaction registry using the Register Transaction page. The process ID is passed to the Approval Framework when the Time and Labor application invokes the Application Framework application classes. Time and Labor provides the following process IDs:

  • TLReportedTime

  • TLPayableTime

  • TLOvertimeRequest

Header Record

After an approval process is defined, validated, and made active, the system can process a transaction for approval. Each PeopleSoft application typically has a top-level database record that distinguishes one transaction from the next. These top-level records are called header records. When a transaction is submitted for approval, the Approval Framework combines the approval process definition with the header record instance and line records, if line level approval is configured, to create a unique approval process instance. Time and Labor uses the following records as header records for approvals:

  • TL_RPTD_TIME for reported time approvals.

  • TL_PAYABLE_TIME for payable time approvals.

  • TL_OT_DATA for overtime request approvals

Definition ID

Each approval process ID can have one or more definition IDs for an approval transaction. The definition ID, with the other elements on the Setup Process Definitions page, enables the Approval Framework to determine which approval process ID to initiate, and determines the stage, path, and steps the approval process uses.

Time and Labor delivers the following definition IDs:

  • TLByDeptManager

  • TLByPosnDeptMgr

  • TLByPosnSupervisor

  • TLByPosMgmt

  • TLBySupervisorID

  • TLGroupSingleStageALL

  • TLGroupMultiStageSOME

  • TLGroupMultiStageALL

    Note:

    The TLGroupMultiStageALL Definition ID is not provided for the TLOvertimeRequest Process ID

Note:

All delivered Time and Labor definition IDs use the TL Approval Administrator in the Admin Role, which is the role used by workflow to route the transaction to all users filling that role in case of an error during approval processing. The error conditions are no approvers or not enough approvers.

User List

A user list is a collection of users (PeopleSoft Operator IDs) expressed as the result of an SQL statement, PeopleSoft role, or PeopleSoft Application Class. The system routes approval transactions to these users, based on the step level definition created on the Setup Process Definitions page. Time and Labor user lists are based on either the delivered user lists for HCM or the Time and Labor group.

The user lists based on the delivered user lists for HCM are:

  • TLAdhocGroup

  • TLByDeptManager

  • TLByGroup1

  • TLByGroup2

  • TLByPosMgmt

  • TLByPosnDeptMgr

  • TLByPosnSupervisor

  • TLBySupervisor ID

You can use Time and Labor groups for approvals, whether you are using department security or Time and Labor group security, on the Static Group page (TL_GROUP_S1) or the Dynamic Group page (TL_GROUP_D1).