Purchase order approval process

If you use operator-level settings for approving a purchase order (PO), a PO is put on hold if the order meets the minimum/maximum limits defined in SA Operator Setup. Setting minimum/maximum amounts enables you to add an approval process that requires a supervisor or manager to approve the total amount of a PO before the order is released to the vendor. For example, you can avoid an order that is too small to justify the shipping charges.

The purchase order status can be changed from Hold to Approved by an operator with correct security. You must complete these setups:

  • Administrator options: In SA Administrator Options-Documents-Purchase Orders-Entry Defaults, in the Approval Type for Amount Hold field, specify a hold code value to be assigned if the purchase order is outside the amount limits. Do not use the letter Y; this letter is used to indicate approval.
  • Operator security: In SA Operator Setup-Entry Options-OE/PO Entry Options, in the Purchase Order Amount Hold section, set one or more of the minimum/maximum limits. Specify an amount in DO Minimum, DO Maximum, PO/BR Minimum, or PO/BR Maximum.

    For a Direct Order (DO), Purchase Order (PO), or Blanket Release (BR) type order, when you specify an amount in one or more of these minimum or maximum fields, the order is automatically placed on hold if the value of the order is more than/less than the specified total amount. The hold code, as set up in SA Administrator Options, is assigned to the order. If you accept the default 0.00, the parameter is not included in the order approval validation. If the purchase order amount is within the minimum and maximum limits for the operator, the order is processed as usual. If these limits are not met, the purchase order is placed on hold and an event is created for the supervisor.

  • Operator security: In SA Operator Setup-Entry Options-OE Entry Options, select Allow Override of Order Approval Status.
  • Approval field: Ensure the Approval field is displayed in the Purchase Order Settings window of Purchase Order Entry-Select Products. Use the Personalize feature to add the field to the user interface.

Note: This functionality is part of an approval process that helps to meet some of the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.