Scenario:
When a user with an Employee Center role enters a Purchase Request, the Employee field is automatically set to the currently logged-in user, and this field is non-editable. This helps maintain the correct approval hierarchy, as routing is tied to the Employee field.
However, when a user logs in with roles other than Employee Center (e.g., Purchasing, Admin), and creates a Purchase Order, the Employee field does not auto-populate. This is due to a current system limitation and is tracked as an Enhancement Request #97543. As a result, users often forget or omit selecting an employee in this field.
If the Employee field is left blank, the PO is saved with a status of Pending Receipt, and does not go through the approval routing process, which violates the company’s internal approval controls.
Solution:
To ensure that Purchase Orders always route through the correct approval process, two key solutions are recommended:
1. Manual Entry with Mandatory Field Configuration
Make the Employee field mandatory on the Purchase Order form to ensure users cannot save the record without selecting an employee.
Steps:
- Go to Customization > Forms > Transaction Forms.
- Click Edit or Customize next to the preferred Purchase Order form.
- Navigate to the Screen Fields tab, then go to the Main sub-tab.
- Locate the Employee field and check the Mandatory box.
- Click Save.
This ensures that all Purchase Orders have the Employee field filled in, which is necessary for approval routing to trigger.
2. Standard PO Entry Process (Recommended for Non-Employee Center Roles)
Users with roles other than Employee Center should follow a standard process to ensure the correct fields are filled, especially the Employee field:
Steps:
- Navigate to Transactions > Purchases > Enter Purchase Orders.
- Vendor: Select the appropriate vendor.
- Employee: Manually select the employee (typically the requestor).
- Click the Items tab.
- Account: Choose the relevant account.
- Amount: Enter the appropriate amount.
- Click Save.
Note: To support the enhancement request for auto-populating the Employee field in roles other than Employee Center, users can vote for Enhancement #97543. Instructions for voting can be found in Article 10054 – Voting for Enhancements. Also, to maintain the integrity of the approval routing hierarchy, it is recommended that all purchase-related requests (Purchase Requests, Expense Reports) be entered through the Employee Center, even if the employee has other roles assigned.
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