This topic lists the setup steps to use Oracle Approvals Management (AME) for purchase order review, approval, and multiple e-signatures.
For information about the functionality, see: Using AME for Purchase Order Review, Approval, and Multiple E-Signatures
You must have working knowledge of Oracle Approvals Management (AME) to complete the steps. For information about AME, refer to the Oracle Approvals Management Implementation Guide
This setup assumes that purchase orders are routed for review, approval, and multiple e-signatures. This setup also assumes that the predefined Purchase Order Approval transaction type is used. Oracle Purchasing provides the flexibility to define parallel or serial process and use the following voting methods: First responder wins, Consensus, or Serial. The processes and voting methods described in this setup are for example only.
In this example, in addition to the supervisor or position hierarchy that is used for PO approval, the purchasing administrator completes the setup for approvers (additional), reviewers, and signers.
Navigate to the Approvals Management Administrator responsibility.
Search for the Purchase Order Approval (PURCHASE_ORDER) transaction type.
View the item classes, mandatory attributes, and configuration variables.
Navigate to the Approvals Management Business Analyst responsibility.
Select the Business Analyst Dashboard menu.
Search for the Purchase Order Approval transaction type. In this example setup, you will use the predefined attributes. If required, you can create conditions based on your business requirements.
Create rules.
For example:
Approver Rule with following values:
Rule Type = List Creation
Category = Approver
Condition
Action Type = Supervisory level
Action = Require approvals up to the first superior.
Reviewer Rule with the following values:
Rule Type = Combination (While creating rule for reviewers, you must choose Combination: List Creation or Combination:List Modification rule type)
Category = Approver
Condition
Action Type = Production rule and Action = Reviewer/Yes (reviewer is identified through Production rule and the Reviewer/Yes action).
Action Type = approval-group chain of authority and select an appropriate Action value.
Signer Rule with the following values:
Rule Type = Post List Approver Group(while creating rule for signers, you must select the Post List Approver Group. All persons with this rule type are recognised assigners).
Category = Approver
Condition
Action Type = post-chain-of-authority approvals. Note that for approver and review rules, you can use any action type. But for signer, you must select post chain of authority approvals as the action type.
Create approver groups.
For example:
Approver group, where the voting method is Serial and select the approvers. Note that these are additional approvers, in addition to the people listed in the supervisor hierarchy.
E-signature group, where the voting method is Serial and select the individuals who have to provide the e-signature.
Review group, where the voting method is First Responder Wins and select the individuals who will review documents.
Test your setup using Test Workbench feature.
Navigate to the Purchasing responsibility.
Select Document Styles (Setup > Purchasing). You can create a document style or update an existing document style.
Navigate to the Document Controls region in the Create Document Style (StyleEditPG) or Update Document Style (StyleEditPG).
Ensure that you make the following selections to enable AME for a purchasing document. This example uses predefined values.
PO Approval in the Approval Workflow field.
PO AME Approval Top Process in the Workflow Startup Process field.
Purchase Order Approval in the AME Transaction Type.
After you complete these setup steps and when buyers click Approval Options for purchase orders or agreements, Oracle Purchasing displays the Approvers region (AME Approval region). Based on the setup, the Approvers region displays approvers, reviewers, and signers. In the Add Adhoc Approver region, buyers can select adhoc approvers or individuals for e-signature. They cannot select reviewers. Only if a person is added in the post or after post approval group, then that person is recognized as the signer. Therefore, buyers must select an existing signer and then add an individual before or after the existing signer using insertion point. Buyers can identify reviewers and signers in the Approvers region using the action type. Signers are associated with the post-chain-of-authority approvals action type. Reviewers are associated with the Production rule action type. Oracle Purchasing routes the document for review, approval, and e-signature based on the AME and workflow rules setup.