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Small and medium business | Business Central, N...
Answered

Purchase document approval created status

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Posted on by 65

Hi

I am using BC on SaaS and have a weird Workflow issue.  If I raise a purchase document (Order), it is in "Open" status.  If I go to release it, it flashes up that an approval is required.  When I send it to Approvals, it correctly changes status to "Pending Approval."

However, in "Approval Entries" list, it shows as status "Created" and is not sent to the approvers, as per the workflow.  I have tried both Workflow User Group and Approver ID.  If I am in the WUG, my line shows as "Approved" and the other two in the group (all sequence 1) as "created" but going back to the PO, it still shows as Pending Approval.

I tried copying over the Sales Order Approval Workflow template, which works as it should, changing it to "Purchase document" from Sales, changed it to PURCHDOC group and enabled it.  Raised a PO, released it (needs approval), sent it to be approved, status changed to "Pending Approval" but it ends up in approval Entries listing as created again.

It does not show up on the home page cue card/tile as a request to approve and when I open up Approval Requests and change the filter to "Open" and "Created" it is there.  However, it cannot be approved as it is in "Created" status.

I am at my wit's end - any ideas please would be gratefully accepted!?

Thanks

Simon

PO-App-1.JPG

PO-App-2.JPG

PO-App-3.JPG

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  • Verified answer
    Vanessa Garcia Profile Picture
    on at

    Hi Simon,

    I think I know what could be happening.

    Please check the following:

    a) Do you control in the workflow the "Pending Approvals" > 0? and if so, you "Send the Approval Request for the record..:"?

    pastedimage1608211908205v1.png

    If you don't control this and you have more than 1 approver, the other approvals does not change for Created to Open status as they won't get the Request to approve.

    (This applies for Approval Chain, and also for Workflow User group where you have different Sequence Nos. for the different approvers).

    If you have this setup but it does not work, please also check that you have the "Next Then..." response correctly indicated for this response:

    pastedimage1608212316905v3.png

    This need to point out to the "Send Approval Request for the record..:" of the first block (Approval of a Purchase Document is requested)

    pastedimage1608212402996v4.png

    If you have those things setup like that, it should work as expected.

    b) In case you don't control this because you need just 1 approver to approve it, you need to Auto-Approve the other pending approval request.

    You can do this with "Approve the approval request for the record", and not controlling the "Pending Approvals > 0"

    pastedimage1608212187530v2.png

    Then the first approver will Release the document already, and the other Request to Approve will be Auto-approved.

    Let me know if that helps :-)

  • Simon A Profile Picture
    65 on at

    Hi Vanessa

    Thank you for your answer which answers the question I raised fully.

    However, to expand on it a bit more, I am trying to set it such that clerks can authorise POs up to a certain limit (say, £ 2 k) on their own, but that anything above that needs to go for a second approval from the management team.

    I have tried to adapt what you suggested, but if the amount exceeds £ 2k it will not work, below that it automatically authorises it and changes the status to Released.

    I have two workflow user groups, one with all three users as seq 1, who can sign off below £ 2 k and the other with two approvers, again at the same seq number.  I had an alternative set up with the first group all as seq 1 and the second group all as seq 2, but that didn't work either.

    The attached images show what my workflow currently looks like.

    2020_2D00_12_2D00_19-1.JPG

    2020_2D00_12_2D00_19-2.JPG

    Again, a nudge in the correct direction would be gratefully appreciated.

  • Suggested answer
    Vanessa Garcia Profile Picture
    on at

    Hi Simon :-),

    I think that maybe what was discussed here is of help for the scenario you are describing now:

    community.dynamics.com/.../1123955

    Take into account that you need to control the "Send Approval Request for the record and send a notification" if you need more approvers to approve the same document, so I would add that if Amount > 2000.

    Also, if you use the "Approve the approval request for the record" before you send this new "Send Approval Request for the record and send a notification" you will AUTO-Approve ALL remaining ones, including the management team ones. Could it be? So in that "On Condition" when "Number of approved request: 1" you may want to add the limit Amount, so "Number of approved request: 1" AND "Amount <=2000", so it's only approved when the management team is not involved, otherwise you wait for a new approval from management until "Pending Approvals: 0". 

    Let me know if that helps,

    Cheers,

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