1. Accounting
  2. General Accounting
  3. SuiteApprovals SuiteApp
  4. Defining Approval Rules
  5. Approval Rule Setting Fields

Approval Rule Setting Fields

After you've set the basic information fields, you can further define the approval rule using approval routing, record locking and reapproval settings.

Approval Routing Fields

The following fields let you define how you want to route record types for approval.

Approval Routing Field

Description

Route Approvals Based on Amount

This setting applies to both standard employee hierarchy and custom approval chain approval routing types.

When you check this box, approval routing ends when the amount criteria is met. The record’s status changes to Approved or Rejected when the approver approves or rejects the record.

When you clear this box, the workflow automatically uses the custom approval chain you set up in the approval matrix. You also can't edit the following fields:

  • Amount Field Mapping

  • Currency

  • Record Amount Limit (Require Approval for Amounts Over)

  • Use Employee Limit (Apply if Higher than Record Amount Limit)

  • Use Standard Employee Hierarchy

  • Define Custom Approval Chain

  • All Levels of Approval

  • One Level of Approval Based on Approver's Approval Limit

  • Allow Record Editing Regardless of Record Status

  • Lock Record for Editing Based on Status

  • Select Statuses That Lock Records for Editing

  • No Approval Rerouting Regardless of Change in Record Amount

  • Tolerance %

  • Tolerance (Value)

For more information, see Define Custom Approval Chain approval rule setting. The record is routed to all specified approvers regardless of the transaction amount.

Note:

For NetSuite OneWorld accounts, the transaction amount is based on the subsidiary's base currency. If you don't have a OneWorld account, the amount is based on your account’s base currency.

Record Amount Limit (Require Approval for Amounts Over)

If a record's amount is less than or equal to the record amount limit you set, it's automatically approved.

The value can't be more than 999,999,999,999.99.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Amount Field Mapping

The record amount field you select is used to validate records for approval. You can select from any searchable Currency, Decimal, and Integer fields (including custom fields) in the record.

Default field values change depending on the record type you select.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Currency

A list of currencies available in your NetSuite account.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Use Employee Limit (Apply if Higher than Record Amount Limit)

A record with an amount that is less than or equal to the corresponding approval limit of the submitter’s is automatically approved.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Use Standard Employee Hierarchy

This approval routing type is the default routing type. Approval routing is based on the approval hierarchy of the employee or submitter of the record.

An employee’s approval hierarchy is determined by the information in their employee record. For more information, see Setting Employee Approval Information.

If an employee has both a supervisor and a record approver (such as expense approver), the approval hierarchy follows the Expense Approver’s.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Note:

If you're using SuiteApprovals for purchase orders or expense reports, the approval hierarchy follows the Employee field on the record. If there's no employee specified, the rule uses the submitter’s hierarchy.

Define Custom Approval Chain

This approval routing type lets you set up your own approval chain.

When you choose this approval routing type, the approval matrix becomes available. You set up the approval chain by adding approvers and setting the approval sequence.

This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

By default, the submitter’s supervisor is added as the first approver. You can remove the supervisor from the chain or move the supervisor to a different place in the approval sequence.

For purchase orders, the supervisor and department approver, follow the hierarchy of the employee specified in the record’s Employee field. If no employee is specified, the submitter’s hierarchy is used.

You can add up to 20 approvers of the following types:

  • Employee Supervisor – The direct supervisor of the employee or user who submits the record.

  • Specific Approver – Any employee in the same subsidiary as the rule, or any employee from another subsidiary who has a role with access to the rule’s subsidiary.

    For purchase orders, if there's an employee specified in the Employee field on the record, you can't select that employee as a Specific Approver.

    Additionally, you can't add any Group or Role approver types that include the employee to the approval matrix.

  • Project Manager – If the approval rule is for expense reports, purchase orders, or vendor bills linked to projects, you can select this approver type to require project manager approval.

    Note:

    You should only add this approver type to the approval matrix one time.

  • Department Approver – You can select a department approver only if there's already a record set up for one. For more information, see Setting Up Department Approvers.

  • Group (Any) – Select a group if you want at least one member to approve or reject the record. For more information, see Setting Up Group Approvers.

  • Group (All) – Select a group if you want all its members to approve or reject the record.

  • Role (Any) – Select a role if you want at least one employee with that role to approve or reject the record. For more information, see Setting Up Role Approvers.

  • Role (All) – Select a role if you want all employees with that role approve or reject the record.

    Note:

    Employees set up as final approvers are not available for selection. For more information, see Setting Up Final Approvers and Managing Records as a Final Approver.

Require Approval By (Custom Approval Routing)

This custom approval routing type is available when you check the Record Amount Limit (Require Approval for Amounts Over) box.

It provides you the following two options for setting your approval requirement, and one lets you skip approval.

  • All Levels of Approval – Choose this option if you want the workflow to go through all levels of approval until the rule’s amount requirements are met.

    This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

  • One Level of Approval Based on Approver’s Approval Limit – Choose this option if you want the workflow to automatically send the record to the approver with sufficient approval limits.

    This field is enabled if you check the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

    By choosing this option, you let the workflow skip approvers who have insufficient approval limits. This custom approval routing type is called skip approval.

Note:

If none of the approvers have sufficient approval limits, the record is automatically rejected. You can then edit the record and resubmit for approval. For more information, see Resubmitting Records for Approval.

Record Locking and Reapproval Settings

Note:

The Record Locking and Reapproval Settings feature is only applicable to purchase orders, vendor bills, and expense reports.

The following fields lets you define the record locking and reapproval settings you want to apply to the approval rule.

Setting

Field Name

Description

Record Locking

Allow Record Editing Regardless of Record Status

This record locking type lets you edit records regardless of their approval status.

Lock Record for Editing Based on Status

This record locking type restricts editing for records that are pending approval, approved, or both.

Users with Administrator roles are not affected by this setting and can still edit locked records.

Reapproval

No Approval Rerouting Regardless of Change in Record Amount

This reapproval type applies to your record locking setting. If there's no restriction, you can change the record amount.

By selecting this option, records with changed amounts are not rerouted or resubmitted for approval. The workflow proceeds using the same approval rule.

This setting is a function of the Route Approvals Based on Amount box.

Tolerance (%)

This tolerance setting lets you require approval rerouting if the record amount changes outside the tolerance percentage.

When you choose this setting, the Enter Percentage Tolerance Limit field becomes available. This field accepts values between 0 and 100.

If the change in record amount results in exceeding either the positive (+) or negative (-) limit, the record exceeds approval tolerances and will need reapproval. The reapproval uses the same approval rule.

Tolerance (Value)

This tolerance setting lets you require approval rerouting if the record amount changes outside the tolerance amount.

When you choose this setting, the Enter Amount Tolerance Limit field becomes available. This field accepts values between 0 and 100.

If the change in record amount results in exceeding either the positive (+) or negative (-) limit, the record exceeds approval tolerances and will need reapproval. The reapproval uses the same approval rule.

Related Topics

General Notices