The Invoice Approval Workflow automates your invoice approval process. Based on the rules you define, the workflow determines if an entire invoice or invoices lines need approval, who the approvers are, and in what order approvers should approve payment of the invoice. The workflow then sequentially asks each approver in the approval list to approve invoices online. If both invoice lines and the invoice need to be approved, all the lines of the invoice requiring approval must be approved before the invoice can be approved. For example, you can define rules so invoice lines over $10,000 require CFO approval, and invoices over $100,000 require CEO approval as well. For more information, see: Invoice Approval Workflow Overview.
When you start this program, it updates the approval statuses of the invoice, document, and invoice lines to Initiated. The invoice is then placed in the WF_DEFERRED queue. The next time the Workflow Agent Listener runs, the system initiates Invoice Approval Workflow for the invoice.
Prerequisites
Before you can use the approval process for an invoice or invoice lines, you must:
Define all your invoice approval rules in Oracle Approvals Management (AME). For information on defining rules in AME, refer to the Oracle Approvals Management User Guide.
Set up, and optionally customize, the Invoice Approval Workflow. See: Setting Up Invoice Approval Workflow.
Enable the Use Invoice Approval Workflow Payables option. See Invoice Payables Options.
Note: Self service invoices that are not matched to purchase orders, which are created using Oracle iSupplier Portal and the Payables Request Functionality do not use this option. Approval is always required for these invoices.
Schedule the Workflow Agent Listener to run regularly using the Submit Request window. The system administrator usually performs this procedure.
Each invoice must meet all selection criteria to be processed by the Invoice Approval Workflow. See: Invoice Selection Criteria.
In the Invoices window, query and select one or more invoices that you want the workflow to process.
Choose the Actions button.
In the Invoice Actions window, select the Initiate Approval option and choose OK.
In the Submit Request window, select Invoice Approval Workflow Program as the request Name, and enter the parameters of your choice. See: Invoice Approval Workflow Program Parameters. Choose OK.
Choose the Submit button to submit your request.
In the Submit Request window, select Invoice Approval Workflow Program as the request Name, and enter the parameters of your choice. See: Invoice Approval Workflow Program Parameters. Choose OK.
Define your submission options in the Schedule window. Specify the intervals in which you want to submit the Invoice Approval Workflow. Payables will submit the Invoice Approval Workflow using the parameters that you define, up until the end date that you specify. See also: Submitting Standard Reports, Programs, and Listings.
Supplier Name. If you want to process invoices for a specific supplier, then enter the supplier name. If you do not enter a supplier name, then the program will process eligible invoices for all suppliers.
Invoice Number. If you want to process a single invoice, then enter the invoice number. If you do not enter an invoice number, then the program will process all eligible invoices.
From/To Invoice Date. If you want the Invoice Approval Workflow to process only invoices with invoice dates in a specified date range, then enter the date range.