Check Request Processing Version

Contents

Overview

This topic outlines how to set up and use check request processing. Accounts Payable must be activated at a site for check request processing to be available.

Check requests are user-initiated requests for invoice payment. These requests contain information that populates a manual invoice within Accounts Payable. Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Invoice Total, Vendor, and Pay To data can be entered on a check request, as well as check total and distribution detail amounts. When information on the check request is complete, and the check request is balanced and approved, AP staff can create an invoice from the check request and submit it for payment.

An approval workflow allows each check request to be reviewed by a single “direct” approver or routed to several approvers in an approver group. Every department that uses check request processing can identify a direct approver or approver group on its Accounts Payable department record.

Each approver has his/her own approval queue that contains check requests awaiting approval. An approver can select a check request from the queue for review. The approver can then approve the check request, reject it, or do nothing with it, pending further discussion or change.

Accounts Payable can send a notification to an approver when a check request is placed in the person's approval queue. When the request is approved or rejected, notification can also be sent to the user who originated the check request. You can also set up and use approval reminders to appear at specified intervals for check requests that have not been reviewed. Details are in the topic Approval reminders and redirected approvals.

Check request approvers can designate an "approver buddy." The approver buddy backs up the primary approver when the primary approver is out of the office -- with his/her Out-of-Office status set. In this case, check requests originally destined for the primary approver are routed to the approver buddy's queue.

You can attach documents and emails to a check request, create emails while editing or viewing a check request, and view existing documents attached to the request.

Check requests can be printed.

Check request processing is not available for purchase-order-generated invoices. However, purchase order numbers can be associated with check requests as a reference, if desired.

You can use statistical distribution lines in check requests.

Financial Reporting Fields

Security

Role Objects for Check Request Processing

Several role objects control access to check request creation, approval, and setup, including access to to check request lists and approval queues. You may need to change the settings of role objects for users who create, review, and administer check requests.

The documentation topic Set Up and Maintain Users, Administration, and Security explains role objects in more detail.
Note: You must be a System Administrator to access and set role objects.

The role objects for check requests are:

The ability to create and view check requests is also subject to the user's data profile. See Set Up and Maintain Users, Administration, and Security for details.

User Access to Check Request Documents

The "Documents" role object controls access to check request documents. The setting Create (or All) allows users to create and copy documents. The default setting is Create. Only users with the setting All can delete documents.

Set Up Check Request Processing

Setup for check request processing involves the following:

• Setting the appropriate role object security values for users who administer check request processing and for users who create and approve check requests.
• Setting notification options for check request users and approvers.
• Identifying individual approvers and approver buddies.
• Creating approver groups, if used at your site.
• Specifying either a direct approver or an approver group for each department that creates check requests.
• Entering reason codes.

Note: Setting up check request processing requires system administrator privileges and access to the Work in Administration menu.

Setting Notification Options

To set notification options, open user profiles as follows:

1. From Work in Administration on the main Contents, select Administration > Users. The Quick Click menu appears.
2. Use the Quick Click panel to locate the user of interest.
3. Click the edit icon to open the Users panel and edit the user profile.

Users who create check requests have the option of being notified when a check request has been approved or rejected by a check request approver.

To set the notification option for users who create check requests:

1. On the Users panel, click the AP Limits tab to open the AP Limits panel.
2. For the field Check Request Approval Notify Action, click the down arrow and select the appropriate option from the list (Figure 1).
3. Click Save and Submit.

Figure 1 - Setting the Approval Notification for a Check Request Creator

Users who approve check requests have the option to be notified when a check request has been added to their check request approval queue.

To set the notification option for users who approve check requests:

1. On the Users panel, click the Approver Limits tab to open the Approver Limits panel.
2. For the field Check Request Submit Notify Type, click the down arrow and select the appropriate option from the list (Figure 2).
3. Click Save and Submit.

Figure 2 - Setting the Check Request Approval Notification for an Approver

Email Notifications Link to Check Requests

When a notification arrives that you have a check request to approve, a link within the email notification takes you directly to the transaction needing approval, and avoids your having to navigate manually through ERP after receiving an email message.

If you are not logged in to the application, clicking the link opens the login panel, and you can log in. The system displays the transaction needing approval. The application remains open for other work.

Of course, you can also access a check request that needs approval through your approval queue.

Note: The link from an email is only available for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Mobile browsers, Firefox, Chrome, and others are not supported.

Designating a User as an Approver

Check request approvers (including members of approver groups) must have either the User Is Invoice Approver or the User is Requisition Approver box checked. (Both can be checked.) These fields are located on the user profile.

To set the User Is Invoice Approver/User is Requisition Approver field:

1. From Work in Administration on the main Contents, select Administration > Users.
2. Locate the user of interest on the list and click the edit icon to open the Users panel.
3. On the Users panel, click the User Roles tab to open the User Roles panel.
4. Click the box next to User is Invoice Approver and/or click the box next to User is Requisition Approver (Figure 3).
5. Click Save and Submit.

Figure 3 - Designating a User as an Approver

Identify a Department's Check Request Direct Approver or Approver Group

Check requests and invoices generated from check requests flow through the approvals process. Check requests can be assigned either a requisition direct approver/approver group or an invoice direct approver/approver group.

Requisition approver groups: A requisition approver group contains multiple users who approve requisitions and check requests. The group members have different approval responsibilities for dollar amounts. Each member of an approver group can approve or reject requisitions -- and check requests -- up to his/her dollar limit. Requisitions/check requests are routed within an approver group based on the cost, and each group member's approval dollar limit until the requisition or check request is signed off. Instructions for setting up a requisition approver group are in the topic Set Up Requisition Approver Groups and Define Approver's Dollar Limits.

Invoice approver groups: An invoice approver group contains several users who approve invoices and check requests. Invoices/check requests are routed among members of the group. In the routing process, the Total is compared to each approver's Maximum Approval Limit to determine whether the approver needs to review the invoice or check request. Each member of an approver group can approve or reject invoices/check requests up to his/her dollar limit. Instructions for setting up an invoice approver group are in the topic Set Up Invoice Approver Groups.

In his/her User Profile, the direct approver and each member of an approver group must be designated as either a requisition approver or an invoice approver (Figure 3).

Each department that uses check requests can specify either a direct approver or an approver group responsible for approving all its check requests. The direct approver/approver group assigned to the department is the default for the department's check requests. If no check request direct approver or approver group is specified on the department record, a user in that department making a check request must select a direct approver or approver group on the check request itself.

To identify check processing approvers for departments:

1. From the Materials Management main Contents, click Requisitioning > Departments. The Departments Quick Click menu appears.
2. On the Quick Click menu, under I would like to..., select Edit.
   
3. Enter the department code in the Ordered by... Starting with... Department field. Click Go. The Department edit panel appears (Figure 4).

Figure 4 - The Department Edit Panel: General Tab

4. Click the Approvals tab.
   The Approvals panel appears (Figure 5).

Figure 5 - The Department Edit Panel: Approvals Tab

5. Click the prompt to select values for fields on the Approvals tabbed panel. (The fields are similar to the fields on the user profile Requester Limits panel.)
   • Select an AP Check Request Approver Group or an AP Check Request Direct Approver (but not both).
6. Click Submit.
   Check request approval settings for the department are complete.

Requesters Who Are Also Approvers

Approvals for check requests and requisitions can be automatically escalated up the approver group ladder if the requester is also an approver in the group.

When enabled, this feature prevents users who are members of an approver group from approving their own requests. Approval for requisitions and check requests automatically route to the next approver in the approval group ladder, regardless of the Max Dollar limit for the next approver. This enhancement applies only to members of approver groups, not to direct approvers.

See "Approver group members creating requisitions/check requests" for instructions on how to enable this feature.

Using Approver Buddies for Check Request Approvals

Check request approvers can designate an approver buddy to handle their check requests that need approval when they are out of the office. Setting the Out-of-Office status triggers the routing of check requests to a primary approver's "approval buddy."

To designate an approver buddy for check requests:

1. From the Work in Administration main Contents, select Administration > Users.
   The Users list appears.
2. Locate the user of interest.
3. Click the edit icon to edit the user record.
4. Click the Approver Limits tab to open the Approver Limits panel (Figure 6).

Figure 6 - User Profile Approver Limits Tabbed Panel

5. For the field Check Request Approver Buddy, click the prompt and select an approver buddy.
6. Click Save and Submit.
   Note: If you do not designate a Check Request Approver Buddy, check requests are routed to the user specified as your Requisition Approver Buddy.

To set your Out-of-Office status:

1. From the main Contents, select Misc. Functions > Change My Out-of-Office Status.
   The system displays the My Out-of-Office Status panel (Figure 7).

   Areas where you have approval responsibility appear on the panel, with an ellipse to select an approval buddy, if none has been assigned on your User Profile.

Figure 7 - Set Out-of-Office Status

2. Select an approver buddy for each of your areas of responsibility, as applicable (Figure 7, red arrows).
   For example, if you need to identify a check request approver buddy, click the prompt for the field Check Request Approver Buddy and select an approver buddy.

• If you are leaving the office for a period that is long enough for your check request approvals to be covered by another approver, make sure that the Out Of Office field is selected.
• When you return to the office, click the Out Of Office field again, so that it is blank.

3. Click Submit. The system turns on your out-of-office status, and reroutes check requests that you normally approve to your approver buddy.

Entering Reason Codes

Reason Codes provide a shorthand method for communicating the reason for approval or rejection. They are required when an approver approves or rejects a check request. The approver selects a reason code from a list that the site's system administrator creates.

To create reason codes for approvers to select:

1. From the Accounts Payable main Contents, select Reason Codes > Reason for Approval Rejection.
   A list of reason codes appears, or No Data if none have been created.
2. To create a new reason code, click New.
   The Reason for Approval Rejection panel appears.
3. Enter the new reason code and its description in the appropriate fields.
4. Click Save and Submit.

Refresh the reason codes list. The new code appears.

Restricting GL Check Request Accounts

You can set up check request distribution reviews (and manual invoice distribution reviews) so that approvers can only see GL accounts that are relevant for distribution, and valid based on the users' Data Profiles.

This feature does the following:

• Allows approvers to see only GL distribution accounts that are valid for the organizations and departments in their data profiles. A new field on the organization record provides this capability (Figure 8).
• Lets accounting staff designate the particular accounts that are used for check request distribution.

Set Up Check Request Distribution Account Restriction

1. Check Distribution Review/Check Request Accounts on the Organization panel GL Info tab (Figure 8).

Figure 8 – Enabling Distribution Review Accounts for an Organization’s Distribution Reviewers

Materials Management or AP main Contents > Tables > Organizations > locate Organization > edit > GL Info tab

Note: If you set the Distribution Review / Check Request Account field for an organization, you must also specify the accounts that are distribution review accounts and vice versa.

2. Identify each account that is a check request account by selecting the field Distribution Review/Check Request Account on the account record (Figure 9).

Figure 9 – Specifying That a GL Account is a Distribution Review Account

Work in General Ledger > Account Management > GL Accounts > locate account > edit

Use Check Request Account Restriction

When the Distribution Review / Check Request Account field on the Organization record is checked and the appropriate accounts are designated as Distribution Review / Check Request accounts, this feature works as follows:

Check request reviewers: Clicking the GL Account prompt on the check request Distribution panel (Figure 10) displays only accounts that are valid for the organization(s) and department(s) in your Data Profile and that are designated as Distribution Review/Check Request Account.

Figure 10 – The Distribution Account Field on a Check Request

Accounts Payable main Contents > Check Requests > My Check Requests > locate check request > edit

If you click the GL Account prompt to enter a distribution review account and your organization and/or department is invalid for the invoice or check request, the list of accounts will be blank. Similarly, if you key in an account number that is not designated as a Distribution Review/Check Request Account, an error message also appears.

Note: The Search for the GL accounts list contains a new option for finding distribution review accounts. The list of accounts contains the new quick filter Distribution Review/Check Request Account (Figure 11). The quick filter is only visible when the Distribution Review/Check Request Account field is set for the organization.

Figure 11 – Distribution Review Quick Filter on GL Account Codes List

General Ledger main Contents > Account Management > GL Accounts >

Account mass maintenance users: For account mass maintenance, the new Distribution Review/Check Request Account field is also located on the Select Fields panel and available for sorting the accounts list. On the mass maintenance import, the field defaults to "blank" -- the flag is not set. When a new account is created, by default, the Distribution Review/Check Request Account field is not set.

Create a Check Request

You can create a check request from either Materials Management or Accounts Payable.

Note: You can also copy check requests. Copying a OneTime vendor does not, however, copy the vendor address, by design, since OneTime vendors are often not “vendors” in the strict sense, and have no AP location address. (Many sites use OneTime for patient refunds.)

• When you create (or copy) a check request for a OneTime vendor, you need to complete the address manually, since no address information is retrieved.

To create a check request:

1. From the Materials Management or Accounts Payable main Contents, select Check Requests > My Check Requests.
   The list of check requests appears (Figure 12). (No Data appears if no check requests exist.)

Figure 12 - My Check Requests List

The list displays your check requests. (Figure 12 has hidden the Quick Filter.)
The list is initially pre-filtered by user. Click Show All to display all check requests for departments that are valid in the user's data profile.

2. Click New.
   The Create Check Request panel appears (Figure 13)
   
   • The system populates the user, date, organization, and department with values from your Current Settings.
   • The Organization field is protected; it will only change if the department is changed to one within a different organization.
   • The Department must be selected from the prompt.
   • You must enter information in the required fields on the Request tab.
   • If no approvers have been assigned to your department, you must select either a direct approver or approver group on the Approval tab.

Figure 13 - Create Check Request Panel

• The Total Amount and Description fields are required.
  If you do not complete these fields, when you click Save, a warning message appears, and you cannot proceed. Complete information must be provided before the check request can be used to create an invoice.
• The Description field is limited to 50 characters in length.
• You may also enter information in the optional fields. When you enter the Vendor Number, the system populates the other fields related to the vendor automatically, including the default Invoicing Location.

3. If no approvers have been assigned to your department, click the Approval tab (Figure 14) to select a Direct Approver or Approver Group.

Figure 14 - Create Check Request Panel: Approval Fields

• If you wish to change your default Approval Notify Action, select the appropriate value in the Approval Notify Action field.
  Your user profile has the default setting for notification. The Approval Notify Action on the Approval panel overrides the default.
• If desired, select an Approval Needed By Date.

4. When you are ready to submit the check request for approval, click Submit.

The system displays a panel for you to enter distribution detail amounts for the check request (Figure 15). The distribution lines must balance to the Invoice Total amount before the check request can be used to create an invoice.

Figure 15 - Distribution Details Panel for a Check Request

5. Select a GL Account number and enter an Amount for the first line (Figure 15, red box).
6. Click Save. The account number and other information appears in the Check Request Distribution Lines list on the lower part of the panel (Figure 16).
7. Continue selecting the GL Account number and entering an Amount for each of the other lines (if any). Click Save after each entry.
   Note: The accounts that any user can select are governed by the user's data profile.
8. If you wish, you can attach documents to the check request (as described below).

Figure 16 - Completed Distribution Lines

9. When you have entered all the lines and the check request balances, click Finish Now.

• If you wish to come back to the check request later and edit it, click Finish Later.
  On the list of check requests, the Review Status of the check request is Entered.
  
  
• When you click Finish Now, the check request enters the approval process, and the Review Status is Pending Approval.
  The check request appears in the approver's queue for review.

If approved, the check request is displayed on the Approved Check Requests list. An invoice can be created from the check request.
If the check request is rejected, it returns to the user who created it. The user can edit the check request, and re-Submit it for approval.

Create Statistical Distribution Lines

You can enter statistical GL account information on a check request from the Distribution tab, just as you enter financial accounts for goods or charges.

To build a statistical distribution line,

1. Click the prompt next to GL Account to select an account for the line amount (See Figure 17).
   - Enter statistical in the Account Class field, and click Enter.
   A list of statistical accounts appears.
   - Select the account of interest.

Figure 17 - Entering a Distribution Line for a Statistical Account

When you select a statistical account for a distribution line, the application sets the Line Type to Statistical. The application will not let you change the Line Type when the GL Account field contains a statistical account. If you key in statistical account segments manually, you will need to set the Line Type to Statistical manually.

2. Enter the amount for the statistical distribution line in the Amount field.
   
3. Enter a Description of the line.
4. Click Save.
   The line appears under Check Request Distribution Lines. Distribution lines are initially sorted according to the account type, with lines for statistical accounts on the bottom.

Restriction for Statistical Account Lines: A check request cannot contain only statistical account lines. It must also contain lines for financial accounts.

Amounts for Statistical Account Lines

Amounts for statistical account lines are not added to other distributed totals for a check request. When you balance a check request with lines for statistical accounts, the value(s) that you entered in the Amount fields for each statistical distribution line are accumulated in the Statistical Amount field on the invoice header (Figure 18).

Figure 18 - The Statistical Amount Field on a Check Request Header

Documents for Check Requests

The Documents panel for a check request (Figure 19) is available when you edit or inquire on the check request. From the Documents panel, you can add documents to the check request, view the documents, and delete the documents.

Documents Containing Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI)

On the Documents panel, if you do not have ePHI access, and the "Contains ePHI Data" checkbox is selected, you cannot view a document. When you click the arrow to open the document, the Insufficient Authority message appears. For more information, see Securing Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).

For Bill Only documents, if the checkbox has previously been selected for "Contains ePHI Data," then only the Administrator can change the status of the document and select or unselect the "Contains ePHI Data," checkbox. This checkbox remains locked for everyone else.

To view and work with a check request's documents:

1. On the Check Request list (Accounts Payable > Check Requests > Check Requests), locate the check request of interest.
2. Next to the check request, click i for inquiry (or, if the check request is available for editing, click the pen icon ).
3. Click the Documents tab. The Check Request Documents panel appears (Figure 19).

A list of documents attached to the check request is displayed, if any have been uploaded.

To view a document:

• Click the arrow next to the document.
  The Microsoft Windows Download panel appears.
  - Click Open.
• You can attach a new document to a check request by clicking New (Figure 19, red box).

Figure 19 - The Documents Panel for Check Requests

To add a document to a check request:

1. Click the Documents tab when editing or inquiring on the check request.
2. Click New (Figure 19, red box).
   The Check Request Document Create panel appears (Figure 20).
3. Enter a name in the Document Name field.
   The name will be displayed on the Check Request Documents panel when the document is uploaded.

Figure 20 - Adding a Document to a Check Request

4. Click Browse.
   The Microsoft Windows Choose File panel appears.
5. Locate and select the file for the document that you wish to upload and add to the check request record.
   When you select the file, Windows populates the File name: field on the Choose File panel.
6. Click Open (on the bottom right of the Windows Choose File panel).
   The document path and file name appear in the Document to Upload field on the Check Request Document Create panel.
   - If the document contains ePHI information, and you are authorized to view ePHI data, check the box Contains ePHI Data. When the document appears on the Check Request Documents list, the Contains ePHI Data column will contain Yes. Unauthorized users will not be able to open the document.
7. Click Submit.
   A message tells you that the document is uploaded.
8. Click the back button or close the tab to close the message.
9. Click Refresh.
   The document appears on the Check Request Documents panel (Figure 19).

To delete a document:

1. Click Delete next to the document (Figure 19).
   The system asks you to confirm the deletion.
2. Click Delete.

Note:
When a document has been copied from a check request to an invoice, Delete removes all references to the document being deleted. The document is removed from both the check request and the invoice.

Viewing Departmental Check Requests

You can access all the check requests for a department from the menu on the Departments list.
Note: To access a department's data, your data profile must include the department. Also, to view the departmental Check Requests list, you must have the role object "CheckRequestAdmin" set to View or higher.

To view departmental check requests:

1. From the Materials Management main Contents, select Requisitioning > Departments.
2. On the Quick Click menu, for the column I would like to..., select Check Requests.
3. Under Ordered by..., select Department or Department Name.
4. In the box under Starting with..., enter the department number (for department) or department name (if you selected department name).
5. Click Go.
   The list of check requests for the department appears. Figure 21 (lower image) is an example.
   
   Note: You can also open the entire Departments list from the Quick Click menu by clicking Show All.
   When you locate the department on the list, click Menu > Check Requests to view the Check Requests list (Figure 21).

Figure 21 - Accessing the Check Requests List from the Departments Menu

The list (Figure 17) displays all check requests for the department. Check requests that have invoices already created appear on the list. Check requests cannot be rejected from the list, however.

Monitoring the Progress of a Check Request Through Approval

Once you have balanced and submitted a check request by clicking Finish Now, the check request is routed either to a direct approver or to an approver group, as assigned either for your department, or on the check request Approval tab (Figure 14). Several tools let you monitor the progress of a check request through approvals.

My Check Request Panel

• To display the list of checks that you have created, from the Materials Management or Accounts Payable main Contents, select Check Requests > My Check Requests.

The Status column displays one of these values for approvals purposes:

Open - the check request has been created, but not submitted for approval.
The person who created the check request can re-open it for editing and click Finish Now to send it to approval.

Pending Approval - the check request has been submitted for approval and is being reviewed.

• Only check requests that initially have the Entered Status can be changed to Pending Approval. This change occurs when you click Finish Now after entering a check request with either a direct approver or approver group assigned.
• Check requests with the Pending Approval Status stay as Pending Approval when an approver group member approves the check request, but further approvals within the approver group are needed.
• Check requests with the Pending Approval Status are changed to Approved when an approver group member approves the check request, and no further approvals within the group are needed.
  

Rejected - the check request was submitted for approval and rejected by an approver.

• Only check requests with the Pending Approval Status can be changed to Rejected. The change occurs when an check request approver rejects the check request.
• A rejected check request must be corrected by the original user who created it.
• Check requests that are in Rejected Status are changed back to Entered when a user makes any change in the check request.

Note: If the last approver in an approver group approves an check request, the check request can still end up with the Status of Rejected. This situation occurs if the check request Total exceeds the last approver's Dollar Limit. The clue to this occurrence is in the invoice approval history: the audit shows that the last approver approved the check request, but the check request Status changed from Pending Approval to Rejected.

Approved - the check request was submitted for approval, and was approved. The check request appears on the list of approved check requests.

• To display the Approved Check Requests panel, from the Materials Management or Accounts Payable main Contents, select Check Requests > Approved Check Requests.

AP staff responsible for invoicing can click Create Invoice to create an invoice from the check request. Once an invoice is created, the check request is no longer displayed on the Approved Check Requests panel.

• To view an invoice created from a check request, open the Invoices list:
  From the Materials Management or Accounts Payable main Contents, select Invoicing > Invoices.

Approved, Missing Info - the check request was approved, but needs additional information before it can be turned into an invoice for payment.

Note: When a check request has the status Approved or Approved, Missing Info, you cannot delete it. The Menu > Delete option is grayed out.

Reviewing Check Requests in Your Approval Queue

Approvers access check requests waiting for approval through approval queues. For check request approvers, the Accounts Payable and Materials Management main Contents link to the approval queues. Each approver has a queue containing check requests awaiting review and approval/rejection.

- My Check Request Approval Queue displays check requests for regular approval. The list also contains check requests for approval when the user is an approver buddy and the regular approver is "out-of-office." The column -- Approving for User -- indicates that the user is approving as an approver buddy. (Otherwise, for regular approval, this column is blank.) The column -- Approver Group -- displays the approver group ID and group name if the user is part of an approver group.

- All Check Request Approval Queues shows check requests assigned to all check request approvers.

- Consolidated Approval Queue shows check requests awaiting approval, and any other transactions documents (such as invoices) that you are also authorized to approve.

Direct approvers are solely responsible for the approval or rejection of a submitted check request. When a direct approver approves a check request, the check request Review Status is Approved (or, Approved, Missing Info if more information is needed to create an invoice).

With approval groups, check requests are assigned to each member of the group sequentially according to the approver's dollar limit. The Review Status is Pending Approval until routing reaches an approver whose dollar limit is greater than the check request. After the final approver approves a check request, its Review Status is Approved.

Note: If no approver has a dollar limit higher than the check request, the check request is rejected. The person who created the check request will need to edit it, and resubmit it for approval.

If you are set up to receive email notifications when a check request is ready for review, you can link directly to the check request from the email. (See the Notifications Setup section above.) You can also access check requests for review/approval from your approval queue.

To review and approve/reject check requests assigned to you:

1. From the Accounts Payable or Materials Management main Contents, select Check Requests > My Check Request Approval Queue.
   A list of check requests ready for approval appears. (Figure 22 displays a queue containing one check request.)
   
   The Review Status (Figure 22, red arrow) -- Not Reviewed -- is the status of the approval queue entry.
   The Review Status can have these values:

Not Reviewed - The approver has not looked at the check request.
Reviewed - The approver has looked at the check request but has not approved or rejected it.
Rejected - The approver has rejected the check request.
Approved - The approver has approved the check request.

Figure 22 - A Check Request in the User's Check Request Approval Queue

2. To approve a check request immediately (whether or not you have reviewed it), next to the check request in the queue (Figure 22), click Menu > Approve Now.
   An approval confirmation panel appears.
   - Select a Reason Code.
   - Click Submit.
3. To reject a check request immediately (whether or not you have reviewed it), next to the check request in the queue (Figure 22), click Menu > Reject Now.
   A rejection confirmation panel appears.
   - Select a Reason Code.
   - Click Submit.
4. To view or create user notes for the entire check request, click Menu > Check Request User Notes.
5. To review (and approve/reject) a check request, click Review Check Request.
   The check request appears. The check request in Figure 23 has two distribution lines.
   The Amount and Description fields can be edited.
   You can add a note to a distribution line by clicking Menu > Add User Note.
   You can copy the distribution line by clicking Copy.
   
   For approvals, you can take one of two possible actions:
   • Click Cancel to leave the check request as it is, without approval or rejection.

Figure 23 - A Check Request with Two Distribution Lines in Review Mode

• Click Submit to open the Approve/Reject panel (Figure 24) from which you can approve (or reject) the check request.

Figure 24 - Approve or Reject a Check Request from Review Mode

- Select Approve Now or Reject Now.
- Select a Reason Code
- Click Submit.
Based on the selected Approval Notify Action on the check request, the user who created the check request may be notified by an email when the check request is approved.

Note: When the Check Request Status is Pending Approval, the Finish Now button is disabled. A user who edits the check request cannot click Finish Now to process the check request. The check request must first be approved.

Using the All Check Request Approval Queues

A situation may occur at a medical center where no one is available to approve a department's check requests -- both the normal approver and approver buddy are out of the office. In this case, check requests could sit in a user's approval queue for days...or longer. The all-approver queues are designed to handle this situation.

Note: The "ChkRqstApprovalAdmin" role object provides access to the all-approver queue.

To display the all-approver queues:

• From the Accounts Payable or Materials Management main Contents, select Check Requests >All Check Request Approval Queues
  A list of check requests ready for approval appears. The list contains check requests for all users who are assigned to approve check requests.

The All Check Request Approval Queues list includes a column that indicates when the normal approver is "out-of-office." The approver buddy and his/her out-of-office status is also displayed in a different column.
The Approver Group column contains the approver group ID and group name when the check request is routed to an approver group.

Review Journal Vouchers from the Consolidated Approval Queue

This Consolidated Approval Queue consolidates all your check requests, invoices, journal vouchers, and requisitions needing approval in one place.
You can see all the transaction documents that you are authorized to review and approve or reject.

This panel is helpful for approvers who approve multiple types of transaction documents...such as check requests and invoices...so that they do not have to go multiple approval queues in the ERP application. Everything is in one queue.

To access the Consolidated Approval Queue,

From the Materials Management, Accounts Payable, or General Ledger main contents, select Consolidated Approval Queue (Figure 25).

Figure 25 - The Consolidated Approval Queue in Accounts Payable

The list of transaction documents awaiting your approval appears. On the list are check requests awaiting approval, but also any other documents that you are authorized to approve.

• From the Menu next to the check request, invoice, requisition, or journal voucher, select the appropriate action: Approve Now or Reject Now.
• Or, click Review to review the document, and accept or reject it.

The links and menu have the same capabilities as those on My Approval Queue or on All Approval Queues.

When a Check Request Has the Wrong Organization/Department (Cost Center)

When a check request with the wrong cost center (department) is in approval, and the check request is rejected because the department is wrong, you can correct the department and send the check request back through approval routing.

- Locate a rejected check request on My Check Requests list, and open it to edit the department.

Note: Selecting a new department (via the prompt) also may change the approver group or approval routing of the check request: the approval group/approver follows the approval rules of the new department selected.

Approval Routing when an Approver Buddy Belongs to an Approval Group

When an approver's Out of Office status is set, check requests for the approver go to his/her Approver Buddy. If an approval group is assigned to the check request, both the original approver and the person's Approver Buddy can belong to the approval group.

In this situation:

• As the check request for approval routes through the approval group, if the Approver Buddy is the next approver, but has already approved as a "buddy," he/she is skipped, and does not have to approve again.
• Conversely, if an approval group member approves the check request, and then serves as the Approver Buddy for a subsequent "Out of Office" approver in the group, the check request is not routed again to the Approver Buddy.
• The application writes a system note that indicating the duplicate routing was bypassed and the check request automatically approved.

The Approved Check Requests List

The list of approved check requests is controlled by the role object ""CheckRequestAdmin." By default, this role object setting is None. The system administrator at each site (or other authorized staff) will need to change the setting for users who access this list. The Approved Check Requests menu option does not appear unless the user has the setting View or higher for the role object.

To display the list of approved check requests:

• From the Accounts Payable or Materials Management main Contents, select Check Requests >Approved Check Requests.
  A list of approved check requests appears.

The Approved Check Requests list is pre-filtered to display check requests with the status Approved and Approved, Missing Info.

• Click Show All to display all check requests (except those that have invoices created for them).

Invoice approvers who have Modify (or higher) authority for the role object "ChkRqstApproval" can reject approved check requests from the Approved Check Requests list.

• To reject a check request with the status Approved or Approved, Missing Info, click the menu next to the check request, and select Reject Now. (See Figure 26.)

Figure 26 - Approved Check Requests List: Rejecting an Approved Check Request

The check request is set to rejected and must be edited and resubmitted.

Check Request Approvals/Rejections by Email

You can approve or reject check requests from a link on an email message.  ERP can send an email to check request approvers that only requires clicking the approval or rejection link. Approvers can also add comments before sending the email back to the application. The check request is then approved or rejected, as specified in the email.

Note: Email approval/rejection is also available for requisitions and invoices.

Setup

Here are the setup steps:

1. Create Reason Codes for approval/rejection, if you have not already done so.
   - From AP or Materials Management, select Reason Codes > Reason for Approval/Rejection.
   - Click New to create these new reason codes:
   Approved from Email Notification Link
   Rejected from Email Notification Link
2. For each approver, and each person who creates check requests, ensure that the person's User Profile has the following information:
   - A valid email address, located on the General panel.
   - A data profile, located on the User Roles panel, that includes organizations/departments whose data the approver or check request originator will work with.
   - A role, located on the User Roles panel, with the correct settings for the relevant role objects.
   
   Details on user administration are in the topic: Set Up and Maintain Users, Administration, Security. See the sections Work with User Roles and Work with Data Profiles.
   
   
3. On the Approver Limits panel, set Check Request Notify Type to Email on Submission.
4. On the AP Limits panel, set Check Request Notify Action to Email Approve or Reject.

Using Email Check Request Approvals/Rejections

When a departmental user creates a check request that must be approved, ERP marks the check request as Pending Approval (Figure 27) and sends an email message to the designated approver (Figure 28).

Figure 27 - A Check Request Awaiting Approval

Figure 28 - The Email Message for the Approver: Approve or Reject

• If you are the approver, open the email and click the link to approve or reject the check request. In Figure 28, the email recipient wishes to approve the check request by clicking Approve Check Request. The approver could alternately reject the check request.
• Optionally, you can add a comment before sending the email. Enter comments between the square braces [ ].
• You can also click the link Click here to view Check Request ... to login to ERP and view the check request in more detail.
• Clicking either Approve Check Request or Reject Check Request opens a new email. See Figure 29, for an approval.

Figure 29 - An Approval Message for Emailing Back to Materials Management

You will receive another email with the approval or rejection notification.
You can review the check request on the Check Requests List, with the approval Status as you specified in the email. In this example, the Status is Approved (Figure 30).

Figure 30- A Check Request Approved Using the Email Approval Process

On the email message (Figure 28), you can also click the link “Click here to view Requisition No XXX” to open ERP and look at the check request in detail, to accept or reject it. If you are not logged in to the application, clicking the link opens the ERP Sign On panel and you can sign in. The system displays the transaction needing approval. The application remains open for other work.

When you open ERP from the "Click here..." link on an approval email, you can access the entire ERP features menu directly from the approval queue. Here is an example:

1. You receive an email that a check request is ready for approval (Figure 28).
2. You click “Click here to view Check Request No XXX” to open ERP to the application Sign On page.
   - Sign in. ERP opens the application to the check request.
3. You can review and approve or reject the check request as usual.
   At the top of the Approval Queue panel in the menu bar, the Main Menu button appears (Figure 31).

Figure 31 - The Main Menu Button on an Approval Queue

4. Click Main Menu to open the application to the Welcome Page. All of the features that you are authorized to use are available. (If you go back to the approval queue, however, the Main Menu button does not appear again.)

Viewing Check Request Approval History

You can display the history of approvals for a check request from the check request inquiry.

To display a check request's approval history:

1. From the Accounts Payable or Materials Management main Contents, select Check Requests > My Check Requests.
   The My Check Requests panel appears.
2. On the panel, locate the check request of interest.
3. Next to the check request, click i for inquiry.
4. Click the Approval History tab.

The Approval History panel shows who has reviewed, approved, and/or rejected a check request. You can identify which approver currently has your check request in his/her queue. You can also see the length of time that each approver has/had the check request and other information.
The topic Approval Information on Inquiry Panels: Examples contains some sample Approval History panels. Approval history is only available from check request Inquiry.

Print a Check Request

You can print a check request from any of the check request lists available from the Check Requests main Contents.

For example, to print a check request from the list Approved Check Requests (Figure 26),

1. Locate the check request of interest on the list.
2. Select Menu > Print Check Request next to the check request (Figure 26).
   The check request print file is available from Reports > My Archived Reports.

Note: If a user note has been written for any line on the check request, the note appears on the printout for the line.

Figure 32 is an example of a printed check request. Notice that the printout has a user note for a line.

Figure 32 - Check Request Printout

Creating an Invoice from a Check Request

Once approved, check requests can be used to create and populate invoices. Approved check requests have complete invoice, vendor, pay to, and balanced distribution detail information. Check requests that have the Review Status Approved, Missing Info have gone through the approval process successfully, but still require missing values to be provided before an invoice can be created.

Invoices can be created from the Approved Check Requests list or from the departmental list of check requests, for approved check requests. Once an approved check request has an invoice, it is no longer displayed on the list.

Note: Check request invoices go through the invoice approvals process, if required at your site. So for any check request, you may have two rounds of approvals: one for the check request itself, and another for the check request invoice.

To create an invoice from a check request:

1. From the Accounts Payable or Materials Management main Contents, select Check Requests > Approved Check Requests.
2. Locate the check request of interest on the list.
3. Next to the check request, click Create Invoice (Figure 33).

Figure 33 - Creating an Invoice From an Approved Check Request

A panel appears asking you to confirm that you wish to create an invoice (Figure 34).

Figure 34 - Confirmation Panel to Create an Invoice From a Check Request

4. Review the information on the panel. You can change the Period and Accounting Year if they are incorrect.
5. Click Submit to create the invoice.
   (Click Cancel if you decide not to create the invoice. The check request remains on the Approved Check Requests list.)
   When you click Submit, the system creates the invoice in Entered status. All distribution detail lines, notes, and documents from the check request populate the new invoice. The Invoice Edit panel appears so that you can review the generated invoice, and make any updates or changes.

The AP staff responsible for the invoice review it, and approve the invoice for payment, or reject it. If the invoice is rejected it is routed back to the requester.

Viewing an Invoice Created from a Check Request

• To view invoices, from the Accounts Payable main Contents, select Invoicing > Invoices.
  The list of invoices appears.

The field Check Request ID (on the far right of the list) is populated for invoices that were generated from check requests (Figure 35). Clicking i opens the check request inquiry.

Figure 35 - Invoices List with Check Request ID Column (at far right)

When you Search the Invoices list, a new option in the Invoice Created field -- From Check Request -- lets you locate invoices created from check requests (Figure 36).

Figure 36 - New Option for Locating Check Request Invoices on the Invoice List Search

The Invoice Inquiry panel displays the Check Request Audits and Check Request Approval History tabs when the invoice was generated from a check request (Figure 37).

Figure 37 - Invoice Inquiry Panel for an Invoice Generated from a Check Request

Create Check Request Payments

Once you have an approved invoice for a check request, you can create the payment. As with other invoices, you have two options:

• Create a payment run that includes the check request.
• Create a quick single payment for the check request.

To create a payment run, from the Accounts Payable main Menu select Payments > Payment Runs. Detailed instructions are in the online topic "Payment Run Steps".

To create a quick, single payment for a check request, open the invoices list in Accounts Payable to the invoice for the check request. (Accounts Payable > Invoicing > Invoices). Next to the invoice, click Menu > Pay Invoice. Detailed instructions for quick payments are in the online topic "Making Quick Payments."

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