MC Advanced Authorization
MC Advanced Authorization
MC Advanced Authorization
Advanced Authorization
Copyright by:
MICROS-FIDELIO GmbH
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D - 41460 Neuss
Date: January 2010
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INTRODUCTION: 4
SETUP & CONFIGURATION: ............................................................5
CONFIGURATION: ..........................................................................5
USER SETUP: .............................................................................13
ARTICLE SETUP: ......................................................................... 15
AUTHORIZATION RULES: ............................................................. 15
AUTHORIZATION RULE ASSIGNMENT:........................................... 20
WORKFLOW EXAMPLE: ............................................................... 23
SETUP: ......................................................................................23
... PLACE A PURCHASE REQUEST: ............................................... 28
Before activating this, all advantages and disadvantages must be discussed with the
users.
Due to the complexity of this model some features available in the Standard Authorization
model are not available in the Advanced model:
Most important points:
- Skipping inbetween authorizations: When using the Advanced Authorization model it
is not possible that e.g. a user with level 5 can authorize before the required
authorizations for lower levels were done (STRICTAUTH must be used!). In certain
scenarios this could be covered using the below described Stand In functionality.
- Change of Cost Center during authorization of documents. Since that could require
different authorization flows this cannot be allowed. The document must be rejected
back to the creator and this user must change the cost center.
- Increase of quantities. Since that could require different authorization flows this
cannot be allowed. The document must be rejected back to the creator and this user
must change the quantity.
NOTE: Before activating the Advanced Authorization, make sure that all existing
documents are authorized.
Documents created before the activation cannot be authorized with the new functionality.
(Documents created using the new functionality also cannot be authorized with the old
functionality!)
This chapter will explain the required parameters and the functionality as well as the
setup of users, authorization rules and authorization workflows.
CONFIGURATION:
Several parameters must be set in order to activate and configure the Advanced
Authorization model.
All parameters can be found in System > Configurations > FBV8.INI.
Some of the parameters are defined as hidden parameters by design as these have a
massive impact on the application functionality.
Please contact the Materials Control Support team to activate the visibility for hidden
parameters.
NOTE: The parameters related to the Standard Authorization mode (e.g. EXP_VALUE1-
6) are no longer considered when using the Advanced Authorization module.
Section CUSTOM:
NOTE: Before changing this parameter make sure that all documents requiring
authorization are fully processed.
Documents requiring authorization created in Standard (F) mode cannot be processed in
the Advanced (T) mode.
Documents requiring authorization created in Advanced (T) mode cannot be processed in
the Standard (F) mode.
This flag will activate the email notification functionality for this module.
T= The system will send notification emails via SMTP using the MC email
configuration parameters to the users who have to authorize
documents.
F or blank = No notification emails will be sent.
The system will then send an email to the creator of the document showing who has to
authorize the document…
Once the document was authorized completely again the creator is notified:
This parameter defined the default setting for external documents (Purchase orders,
Purchase Requests).
This parameter is optional when using the Standard Authorization functionality, but is an
absolute must in the logic of Advanced Authorization.
It is the main key in Advanced Authorization model that the document must strictly follow
the predefined rules.
This chapter will explain the required changes in the setup of the users.
st
Authorization Sequence: simply mirrors the value from 1 tab.
Max. Value Expenses: This is the value definition for the value based
authorization for this user for PC assigned positions.
The values in Configuration are not used in Advanced
Authorization mode.
Stand In: Here the user can select his stand-in user. All
documents will then be routed to this “replacement
user”.
The stand-in also can be selected in the module
“Change Password”.
The stand-in user then could select his identity in the
authorization module.
Here almost nothing was changed, except that fact that here also the Authorization levels
are no longer limited to 6.
Just keep in mind that for every level defined in the article setup at least one user should
exist in order to process the document.
AUTHORIZATION RULES:
Similar as to all other master data items in MC a name must be defined for the rule.
Please make sure that the name of the rule already shows the purpose of the rule.
Examples:
Main BEV Rule: General rule for all beverage articles, to be used if no further
detailed rule is defined.
Main FOOD Rule: General rule for all food articles, to be used if no further
detailed rule is defined.
Kitchen Caviar Rule: Detail Rule for Caviar ordered for the Kitchen
The Advanced Authorization functionality will use three different types of rules:
- Article Level Rule:
o This type of rule controls the authorization flow based on the authorization
levels assigned to the articles.
For every rule a Rule Alert User should be defined. This should be the main
administrator of the authorization rules. This user will be notified via email in case of an
invalid document routing.
This could happen if a user creates a document requiring authorization, but the valid rule
does not contain users with the highest required authorization level for this document.
(e.g. the document requires authorization up to level 10, but the valid rule only contains
users up to level 7).
The Rule Alert User now needs to adjust the rule or the article and the document must be
picked up be the creator and re-send again.
ATTENTION: The adjustment of the authorization level of an article could end in
unresolvable documents, if the article was already used in other documents!
Rule Description:
Here the user can enter a free-text description of the rule (up to 254 characters) to
explain the planned usage of the rule. This description is displayed in the module
Authorization Rule Assignment.
Columns:
SEQ: Here the authorization sequence of the user is shown.
Value: This column is filled for value based rules only and shows the
allowed authorization values of the users
Buttons:
Add User: Click on this button to add a new user to a rule.
Here you can select the user to be added. This listing also
shows the defined authorization sequences of the user.
Delete Flag: This is the usual Delete function to remove one or more
selected records from a list. The system will mark the records
and remove them on next save action.
NOTE: The authorization route (user A -> user B -> user C….) for a document is created
at the point when the document is sent to the authorization module by the creator.
Changes of the rules will affect new documents only. Existing documents will follow the
“old” rules.
o “Cost Center based Rules”, these will be used if the assigned cost
center is used in a document as requesting location
In most detailed cases a document could contain multiple rules per type and level.
If a user is listed in multiple rules, he needs to authorize only once.
At least the first level, “General Rules”, must be set up for all three types (article level,
value PC and value Expenses).
Examples for the different rules will be shown in the next chapter.
The new module can be found in the Master Data menu section:
On the second tab the rules per cost center can be assigned:
Please keep in mind that for all cost centers not having a rule assigned here the system
will use the general rule (or an item group based rule if valid!).
On the third tab the rules per cost center per item group can be assigned:
Please keep in mind that for all cost center/group combinations not having a rule
assigned here the system will use the cost center based rule (if existing) and/or the
general rule.
If a document contains e.g. some expense articles with a value higher than the allowed
value for the user and also some other profit contribution articles where an item group
NOTE: Please find below a workflow example which shows the main functionality. It is
strongly recommended to setup a similar test lab before implementing the functionality in
a live environment.
The following chapter will show a simple example of the workflow, but also shows clearly
how rules are considered by the system.
SETUP:
Users:
Requestor:
- here named “Anselm”
- defined with Authorization Sequence 0
- Max Value Profit Contribution 1.000
- Max Value Expenses 1.000
- assigned to the purchase manager
Authorizing users:
One user ...
- here named “Peter”
- defined with Authorization Sequence 2
- Max Value Profit Contribution 2.000
- Max Value Expenses 2.000
- not assigned to the purchase manager
Purchase Manager:
- here named “Thomas”
- defined with Authorization Sequence 5
- Max Value Profit Contribution 0
- Max Value Expenses 0
- defined as Purchase Manager
- assigned as Stand In for the General Manager!
General Manager:
- here named “Wilson”
- defined with Authorization Sequence 6
Articles:
Have at least one article defined with e.g. Authorization Level 6...
- here named “Remy Martin Louis XIII”
- assigned to the item group “Cognac/Brandy”
- having a price quote for EUR 550,00 per Bottle
Rules:
General Rules:
Article Level Rule: “Main BEV Sequence Rule” defined as:
You may have noticed that there are some other users included in these rules above, but
it mainly depends on the ordered articles, cost center and the value of the order which
rules are applied and which users have to authorize a document.
The AL of the article is shown in red since it is higher than the user’s level.
In the grid both buttons are active, “Set for Authorization” and “Request”.
o Click on Request:
General rules:
st
“Main BEV Sequence Rule” valid, but overruled 1 by item group based rule “Club
Cognac Sequence Rule”
“Main Val PC Rule”: not valid since the value of the order is just EUR
550,00 and the creator of the document is allowed to
order up to EUR 1.000,00
“Main Val EXP Rule”: not valid, no expense articles included in the
document
Adjust the quantity to 2 bottles and click again on “Request” and the i button:
General rules:
st
“Main BEV Sequence Rule” valid, but overruled 1 by item group based rule “Club
Cognac Sequence Rule”
“Main Val PC Rule”: valid since the value of the order is EUR 1.100,00
and the creator of the document is allowed to order
up to EUR 1.000,00 only
“Main Val EXP Rule”: not valid, no expense articles included in the
document
The system now compiles the authorization flow and (if configured) sends out the
emails.
st
To the 1 user who has to authorize:
This tab shows the exact authorization status of the document. Here in this case,
nothing was authorized before. Return to the main tab and authorize the document.
nd
To the 2 user who has to authorize:
The important point here is: The document requires the authorization from two users
on the same level. Both have to authorize before the document will be sent to the next
level.
As you may have seen the emails sent from the Thick client application have a slightly
different layout.
For the next user the MCweb client is used in this example.
At the right end of the screen you can see to columns containing hyperlinks. Here the
user can monitor the authorization process for the document similar as in the thick
client:
Open the document by using the hyperlink at the left side of the document listing:
In this case no email is generated since not all required authorizations are completed
for this level.
For the next authorization another interesting feature comes up. The next user who
has to authorize the document is the purchase manager. This user also is defined as
Stand In for the General Manager.
Now the purchase manager has to authorize the document a second time.
(regardless the “Out of Office” setting also the General Manager could authorize the
document, but he will not get a notification!)
Before authorizing the document take a look at the authorization flow again:
REPORT INI:
Standard Authorization:
[POBasket]
1=QUITT2.QRP, Standard, 1
2=QUITT2_P_REQ.QRP, Enhanced Purchase Request, 1
3=BESTBED2.QRP, Requirement List, 5
4=BESTSORT.QRP, Assortment List, 3
Advanced Authorization:
[POBasketAdvAuth]
1=QUITT2_ADV.QRP, Standard, 1
2=QUITT2_P_REQ_ADV.QRP, Enhanced Purchase Request, 1
3=BESTBED2.QRP, Requirement List, 5
4=BESTSORT.QRP, Assortment List, 3
Reports:
Standard Authorization Advanced Authorization:
QUITT2.QRP QUITT2_ADV.QRP
QUITT2_P_REQ.QRP QUITT2_P_REQ_ADV.QRP
Authorize the document for the last required level. Now the system sends out a last
email to the creator of the document: