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Approval chains

Held sales, big purchase orders, write-offs and indents go to the right people in order before they go through. With no set-up the Trade Managers approve; you add levels, such as the owner for credit above an amount, without code.

PLANSFrom Growth

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The problem it solves

One salesman's word is enough to send goods on credit to a party that already owes too much.
The owner wants to see every write-off and every purchase order above a lakh, but the software knows only one approver.

How it works

Each kind of request has a chain per Entity, made when the feature is installed and for each new Entity. With no set-up, Trade hold and Indent have one level: the Trade Managers.
To add levels, an Approvals Administrator opens Approvals > Configuration > Approval Chains and picks the Trade hold or Indent chain. Then they add levels: named users, a group, or a person found on the request.
For only some requests, add a second chain with Only For and more levels. For example, credit holds with an amount above your limit. Keep one chain with an empty Only For for the rest.
When billing staff post a bill that breaks the credit limit, the hold starts its chain at once. The approvers of the first level are told and get a to-do.
They decide on the web in Trade > Sales > Orders > Holds or Approvals > To Approve, or in the SmartMy Trade app. After the last level the bill posts by itself; a rejection leaves it a draft with the reason.

Everything it does

What goes through a chain in SmartMy Trade

Trade hold: a bill or order over the credit limit, to a party with overdue bills or a cash-only party. A rate below the minimum or a discount above the party group's. A purchase order above the Purchase Order Limit, and every stock write-off. Trade Managers with no set-up (Growth)
Indent: an indent sent for approval before buying; Trade Managers with no set-up, levels by amount if you add them (Growth)
Store request: asking another shop or the store for stock; the Store Keepers (Scale)
Asset change: revaluing, impairing, changing the life of, selling or scrapping a fixed asset; the asset managers (Scale)
Non-conformance and CAPA: the decision on failed goods and the corrective plan; the quality managers (Scale)

Who approves a level you add

Users you name, everyone in a group of the request's Entity, or a person found on the request
The usual approvers: Trade Managers for holds and indents
Any one approver of a level decides; for two signatures, add two levels
If a level finds nobody: the request cannot be submitted (to start with), the level is skipped, or its usual approvers decide

Rules

Requester May Approve: on for every chain the system makes, so a manager who raised a hold may decide a level they approve
The person a request is about never decides it
Only For chains are tried from the top; the first that fits is used
Each Entity has its own chains; a new Entity copies those of its parent
Each level's decision, who and when, is kept on the hold or indent under Approval Levels

Who uses it

Trade ManagerApproves holds and indents with no set-up.

Owner or directorApproves the largest credits, purchase orders and write-offs at a level you add.

Approvals AdministratorAdds levels, Only For conditions and stand-ins.

Where you use it

Web: Approvals > Configuration > Approval Chains (Approvals Administrators); Approvals > To Approve and My Requests
Web: Trade > Sales > Orders > Holds; the Approval Levels tab on a hold or indent
The SmartMy Trade app: Approvals for Trade Managers, and My approvals for every approver (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
Not on Starter: Starter has no holds or indents

What you control

Settings

Levels and their approvers, per kind and Entity
Only For conditions, such as a hold's kind or amount
If Nobody: The request cannot be submitted, to start with
Requester May Approve: on to start with
The rules that make holds stay in Trade settings: Hold Over Credit Limit (on) and Hold When Bills Are Overdue (on). Also Days of Grace (0) and Purchase Order Limit (0, never)

Notifications

Request Waits for Your Approval: to the approvers of the level, in the app inbox and by email. App push is built in, not switched on yet
Hold Decided: to the person who asked, when a hold is approved or rejected; in the app inbox and by email
Approvers of holds and indents also get a to-do

Questions

Who approves holds before we set anything up?

The Trade Managers of the Entity. Any one of them decides, and the bill or order goes through at once.

Can credit holds above an amount go to the owner?

Yes. Add a Trade hold chain with Only For holds of kind Credit and an amount above your limit, with a second level for the owner.

Can the person who raised a hold approve it?

Yes, if they are an approver of the level: Requester May Approve is on to start with. Switch it off on the chain to make someone else decide.

Where is the approval limit for purchase orders?

In Trade settings: Purchase Order Limit. Above it a purchase order is held. Zero, the starting value, means never.

Related features

ORDERS, PURCHASE AND CREDITCredit limit, overdue and cash-only holdsSome credit bills and sales orders wait for a manager's approval. That is when over the party's credit limit, to a cash-only party, or to a party with overdue bills. Approved, it posts or confirms by itself.ORDERS, PURCHASE AND CREDITRates below the minimum held for approvalGive each item a minimum rate and each party group a largest discount. A bill or sales order with a line below the minimum, or a discount above the limit, waits for a manager. Approved, it goes through by itself.ORDERS, PURCHASE AND CREDITPurchase indents with approval and requests for quotationA shop or godown asks for what it needs on an indent. A manager approves it, or rejects it with a reason, through your approval chain. The approved indent makes requests for quotation, one for each supplier, delivered to the place that asked.BILLING AND STOCKStock write-offs with a reason and a photoDamaged, expired, lost or sample stock is written off on a slip with the item, place, batch, quantity, the reason and a photo. Every write-off waits for a manager's approval, and only then does the stock leave the books at its cost.GST AND APPROVALSApprovals in the appA sale held for credit or rate, a big purchase order or a write-off waits for you on your phone. Open Approvals in the SmartMy Trade app, read why it was held and the amount, and approve or reject with a reason. The bill or order goes through at once, and the person who asked is told.ACROSS SMARTMY TRADENotificationsParties hear when a credit bill is made, a payment comes in, or an order is confirmed or dispatched. They also hear when a bill falls due or a cheque bounces. The owner gets the day's summary each evening. Email and the in-app inbox need no set-up; WhatsApp and SMS use your message credits.

See your shop on it.

Tell us what you sell, how many shops and godowns you run and how you bill today. We will set up your items and parties with you and print your first bill.

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