Travel Approval Workflow Explained

Published 03/05/2011 03:24 PM

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Updated 02/07/2014 01:16 AM

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SuiteFlow (Workflow ) : Workflow Samples : Travel Approval Workflow : Travel Approval Workflow in Detail : Travel Approval
Workflow Explained

Travel Approval Workflow Explained

This section provides a state-by-state discussion of the Travel Approval workflow. For a visual
depiction of this workflow, see the Travel Approval Workflow Diagram.

Entry
The Travel Request workflow is initiated when employees submit new travel requests (Lists >
Custom > Travel Request > New). When a new travel request is submitted, the Status field on on
the travel request record is set to Pending, and the request enters the Pending Approval state. The
Current Approval workflow instance field is also set to Pending. The Current Approver workflow
instance field is set to the employee's supervisor, if the employee has a supervisor. If the employee
does not have a supervisor, the travel request skips the Pending Approval state and enters the
Pending Accounting Approval state, where it remains until the request is approved by the
Accounting Department.

Pending Approval
If the employee submitting the travel request has a supervisor, the request enters into the Pending
Approval state, at which point the employee's supervisor is notified by email that there is a new
travel request to be reviewed. If the supervisor rejects the request, the request enters the
Rejected state and the workflow terminates. If the supervisor approves the travel request, the
request enters the Evaluate Approval Limit state, where the amount of the travel request is
evaluated by the system.

Evaluate Approval Limit

If the amount of the travel request is greater than the supervisor's budget, the travel request goes

If the amount of the travel request is greater than the supervisor's budget, the travel request goes
to the Next Approver state, where the Current Approver workflow instance field is dynamically set
to the supervisor's supervisor. The Current Approval workflow instance field is set to Pending.
If the amount of the travel request is not greater that the supervisor's budget, the request is sent
to the Pending Accounting Approval state, where the Travel Accounting Approval sub-workflow is
initiated and the request is reviewed by the Accounting Department.

Next Approver
The travel request enters the Next Approver state if the employee's initial supervisor has approved
a request that has an estimated budget which exceeds the supervisor's budget.
If the initial supervisor has a supervisor, the travel request loops back through the approval
process and re-enters the Pending Approval state, where the supervisor's supervisor is emailed
that there is a new travel request to be reviewed.
If the initial supervisor does not have a supervisor, the travel request enters the Pending Accounting
Approval state, where the Travel Accounting Approval sub-workflow is initiated and the request is
reviewed by the Accounting Department.

Pending Accounting Approval

When travel requests enter the Pending Accounting Approval state, the Initiate Workflow action is
executed and the Travel Accounting Approval sub-workflow is initiated. This sub-workflow contains
its own Pending Approval state. The travel request remains in this state until it is approved by the
Accounting Department. Once the request is approved, the travel request enters the Approved
state and the workflow terminates.

Approved
All approved travel requests enter the Approved state when the Accounting Department has
approved the request and the Travel Accounting Approval sub-workflow completes.

Rejected
Travel requests that are rejected in the Pending Approval state are put into the Rejected state and
the Travel Approval workflow terminates.

Related Topics
Workflows Overview
Workflow Core Concepts

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