Process Flow Approvers on Vacation

Jeremy,
I include the MIB Link on the Email (Notification that they need to approve something.)
Even if on Vacation they can approve from any device.

Currently we are doing approvals only for Special Reqs and implementing Online Catering Approvals utilizing RQC.

With catering approvals we are allowing the Exec Assistants to approve for the VP's as well.
I have setup a code in HR07 (I utilize 2 User fields)
One is to coorespond with a Task. (i.e. VP_CIO, VP_COO, VP_CFO)
I assign these tasks to the user astion as well as the Level. (In PFadmin they get the same as the VP)

The 2nd hr07 userfield I put in the Position # of the exec asst. I will use this to find the employee and get their Email address from HR11.

(Hopefully HR will maintain any changes to HR07... )

In addition, a couple of us (Lawson IT Support) are setup as tech Approvers and we can always move it along if they confirm that the approval is needed.)

Hope this helps...

For our HR work flows the time-out action (after 10 days) does a re-assign to a task (HRProxyForMgr). That task is filtered by process level and each process level has a super user that is assigned to the HRProxyForMgr time-out task. You can also time-out to a new path in the flow, and we also do that for a few selected flows.

Jeremy,

The way we handle it is by requiring at least 2 approvers at each approval level (within each cost center/accounting unit). This way, since it is first-to-act, the chances of anyone needing to approve requisitions while out of the office is greatly reduced. We also utilize the escalation routines, so if nobody acts, it gets escalated to a team in Materials Management for review and follow-up.

Thank you for the responses. I had also suggested the two-users-as-approvers method, but it was shot down by our administration.

I'm not sure that utilizing the HR07 method would work for us as we also have depeartment managers that need to approve requisitions. They wouldn't have any type of assistant to setup. Plus, that is similar to the two-user approach that I had shot down.

Thank you, everyone!

While we don't utilize HR. For requisition approvals I designed a means for the app rover to establish and manage a proxy rule which the flow uses when determining routing. Not perfect but it gets me out of the business of managing them through BPM.

We also setup backup approvers in our time sensative departments like the Operating Room, Cardio Lab, etc where its important for a quick turnaround to assure the departments have the supplies they need.

We've developed different solutions for many different clients and have been brainstorming a solution that would fit 80% of our client base. Although we're not there yet - we have different strategies that we're trying to parse down to one simple process.

Proxy (or Out of Office) entry form - we have incorporated this into both a custom MSS solution or a Design Studio form.
ProcessFlow - the custom form triggers a flow that performs the user setup and any Security updates (WFUser setting or adding a Group or Role).
User setup - we've used custom tables and/or WF tables.
Approval flow - we've set the flow to check the custom tables or to include to a "Proxy" Task on the UserAction.

I'll be happy to post an update once we think we have a solution that should meet the overall need but wanted to give you some ideas to play with in the mean time.

Maintenance of Requisition Approver is indeed a very time consuming and tedious job. I have developed a solution for this exact scenario. The solution is a bundle of interface and some online screens. There is no custom tables involves in this solution but rather it updates Lawson Workflow tables. When some approver goes on long Vacation, they notify our Material Management. They run this interface which moves the current approver’s Tasks and their Categories (cost centers) to the temporary approver. When the original approver comes back, they run again this interface which put back their approval tasks, cost centers and also remove the category and cost centers from the temporary approver. If anybody interested, I can help them out to develop this solution for their organization.

David and Nirav:
You both sound like you have similar ideas to what I was thinking about doing. I was thinking about just using SQL to right directly to the database tables. But, I've NEVER written to the SQL tables outside of Lawson approved methods, so I'm trying to avoid it!

Jermey,
I wouldn't update Lawson tables outside Lawson recommended approach. I have created the Lawson 4GL program.

Thanks,

Nirav Bhatt

Jeremy,

We have multiple approval Levels defined based on HR job codes and monetary limits (eg. Managers can approve up to $15000, Directors up to $50000, VPs up to $250000, etc). If no action is taken on a req withing 72hrs business hours (we exclude weekends), the req automatically progresses to the next Level. We also have a ProcessFlow tool that we designed where the user can turn on "out-of-office" (to immediately escalate the req to the next level without having to wait for 72hrs business hours to pass). If the absense is for an extended period of time, we also developed a ProcessFlow delegation tool where the user can delegate his or her approval to an approved list of delegates (the delegate has to have the same approval rights or higher and must report up through the same chain of command). For Audit and tracking purposes, system generated emails are sent to all approval parties when either tool is activated or deactivated.

Hope this helps!

csa106:

This sounds EXACTLY like what I'm needing. Is there any way you could share what you made and how you did it?

I think it is very much similar to what we developed.

The delegation tool we developed remains in control of Material Management folks. It is 4GL Cobol program which moves the user's approval tasks and cost centers to his or her delegated person.

When the approver comes back, MM will run again the interface which sets back the approvals and cost centers. This process will also remove Tasks and Cost Centers from the delegated user.

My interface looks the WFUSERTASK and WFUSERCAT tables.

Nirav Bhatt
nirav_beenita@yahoo.com

Unfortunately I didn't write the flows, I just helped define the logic. I can tell you that we have several flows that monitor and evaluate the monetary value and req create dates/times. We also are looking at WFUSERTASK and WFUSERCAT, and we use WFMETRICS to help with timing. Also, I know that our developer (who unfortunately is no longer with our company) created a "D-" (Delegate) task for every approval task defined in WFTASK that is assigned to delegates for the date range as populated in the Start and Stop dates in WFUSERTASK. The date range gets populated through a tool that was built into Portal, but I'm not sure how the tool was coded. I'll see if I can get more info about the coding and flow design.

Nirav, Your approach to this problem seems to be an exact match to the solution I was talking about today to our approver person as a means of automating this effort. I agree that Lawson’s database functions in which they maintain referential integrity is the recommended and safest way to make the changes. Any insight on development time, pit falls, or other assistance you might be willing to share would be appreciated.

It's been two years since the last post on this topic.  We have Infor Process Automation v 10.  Has Infor provided an easier solution to reassign tasks to a backup person when the approver is on vacation, etc...?

Thanks

New version allows for users to reassign their tasks to others (if you give them that ability)

Terry, do you have information how to do that? We looked at the proxy functionality in v10 and it seemed to do Landmark Security, not ProcessFlow tasks and filters.

You have to make sure and add the Security Class ProcessAutomationProxy_ST to the role for the person who will do Proxies. Then at least in the version of 10.x that we are in the midst of implementing, there is a page for Process Automation that has a "My Proxies" where I believe you can assign your tasks to someone else.

You have to make sure and add the Security Class ProcessAutomationProxy_ST to the role for the person who will do Proxies. Then at least in the version of 10.x that we are in the midst of implementing, there is a page for Process Automation that has a "My Proxies" where I believe you can assign your tasks to someone else.

What Terry P just described is exactly how I understand this function to work. We, too, are in the development and implementation stage right now and this is our plan.

That display was from Ming.le, or this is what it is from the Rich Client

Interesting. I looked for the ProcessAutomationProxy_ST security class, but couldn't find one. I'm on 10.0.4, what version are you running?

Hi - Thanks for the updates.  I do have My Proxies access and see where to make those changes.  If this has to be done on the Rich Client then we will need to assign this to one or two people to manage for all of the supervisor/managers/VP etc...  Is there a way to give access to 'My Proxies' via the dashboards in Portal (we are not on Mingle yet)?  If so then we can allow the managers to update their proxy when needed.