Mandatory Approval of Time and Miscellaneous Costs on Work Orders

Introduction

For time and miscellaneous costs reported on work orders, you can configure a mandatory approval step that then takes place before the transactions update the maintenance customer order (MCO) invoice specification and before accounting is updated. This approval allows for increased control over what transactions are reported, accounted, and invoiced to the customer on a work order. This step is also important for large businesses where, for example, several levels of managers exist or reported overtime requires approval. Parameters on the work order type 'Work Order Type. Open' (MOS120) and the cost type 'Cost Type. Open for Miscellaneous Costs' (COS160) control whether mandatory approval is activated on work orders or not.

'WO Operation. Time Transactions' (MOS810) is the core program for viewing reported time transactions. The intended usage is for technicians and managers to get a consolidated view of reported time transactions and the ability to edit, submit, approve, and reject the reported time transactions.

This document provides this information:

  • Concept of mandatory approval of time and miscellaneous cost transactions on work orders
  • How to activate mandatory approval of time and miscellaneous cost transactions on work orders
  • How to process time transactions that require approval
  • This document does not in detail describe how to process miscellaneous costs that require approval. Note that the details are described in a separate document for 'Report Miscellaneous Cost. Open' (COS155).

Setup

These conditions are required to activate work order time and expense approval process:

  • In (MOS120), parameter 380 'Mandatory approval of time transactions' must be set to 1 or 2 to activate mandatory approval of time transactions.
    • If you select 1, reported time transactions stop in status 10 in (MOS810) and require a two-step review before accounting, and the MCO invoice specification is updated. The intention is to have one step for review by the employee who has reported the time, and a second approval by a manager or similar.
    • If you select 2, reported time transactions stop in status 20 in (MOS810) and require one approval step before accounting, and the MCO invoice specification is updated.
  • In 'Cost Types. Require Approval' (MOS129), you can, in addition to setting 380 in (MOS120), define which work order types, facilities, or cost types (for example, only overtime transactions) require approval. If this program is left blank, setting 380 in (MOS120) assigns values for all work order types, facilities, and cost type.
  • In (COS160), the 'Mandatory approval of expenses' parameter must be set to 1 to activate a mandatory approval of miscellaneous costs in (COS155). If activated, miscellaneous costs stop in status 20 after they have been submitted. An approval step is mandatory before the miscellaneous costs get to status 90 and before accounting and the MCO invoice specification are updated.
  • In 'Service Manager. Open' (SOS422), service managers must be created. A user must be added as a service manager in (SOS422) to approve transactions in (MOS810). Employees in 'Person. Open' (CRS530) can be connected to service managers.
Related topics