Line-Level Approval
Line-Level Approval is an independent, per-line approval workflow that runs alongside the header-level Four-Eyes Approval. When enabled, each purchase line on a document is individually routed to an approver and tracks its own approval status. Different lines on the same document can be assigned to different approvers.
Prerequisites
Line-Level Approval requires the following:
- Enable Centara Approval Workflow must be turned on (master toggle).
- Purchase Lines Approvals must be enabled in Purchases & Payables Setup.
- The Four-Eyes Approval workflow must also be enabled. Line-level approval cannot operate independently.
How it works
- A purchase document is submitted to approval.
- The system evaluates each purchase line and determines the approver using the approver assignment priority chain.
- Each line receives its own approval request, potentially addressed to a different approver.
- Approvers see only the lines assigned to them and can approve or reject each line independently.
- All lines must be approved before the header-level approval can proceed.
Line status tracking
Each purchase line tracks its own approval status, independent of the document header and other lines.
| Line Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | Line has not been submitted for approval. |
| Pending Approval | Line is waiting for its assigned approver to act. |
| Approved | Line has been approved by its assigned approver. |
| Rejected | Line has been rejected. A rejection code is attached. |
Approver assignment for lines
Line approvers are derived from Vendor Posting Setup. The system uses the combination of vendor, item, and cost centre to resolve the most specific approver for each line.
For the full resolution priority chain, see Approver Assignment.
Example
Consider an incoming invoice with three lines, each coded to a different department:
| Line | Description | Department | Resolved Approver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Office supplies | Marketing | Sarah Johnson |
| 2 | Server hardware | IT | James Chen |
| 3 | Cleaning services | Facilities | Lisa Martinez |
Each approver receives a notification for their line only. Line 1 can be approved by Sarah while Line 2 is still pending with James.
Standard mode vs Group mode
Like the header-level workflow, line-level approval supports both modes.
| Aspect | Standard (User-based) | User Group |
|---|---|---|
| Line approver | Named user from Vendor Posting Setup | Workflow User Group |
| BC Workflow code | PURCHDOCLINEAPPROVAL | PURCHDOCLINEAPPRGROUPS |
| Absence coverage | Via substitute user | Any group member can approve |
Interaction with header approval
Line-level and header-level approvals are independent but coordinated workflows.
Sequencing rules
- Lines before header: All lines must reach Approved status before the header-level Four-Eyes Approval can complete.
- Rejected lines block header: If any line has Rejected status, the document cannot proceed to header approval. The rejected lines must be resolved first.
- Header rejection cascades to lines: If the header is rejected, all lines with Pending Approval status are automatically set to Rejected.
Resolution workflow for rejected lines
When one or more lines are rejected:
- The approver rejects the line and selects a rejection code.
- The AP processor reviews the rejection reason.
- The document is reopened (all line approval requests are cancelled, all lines reset to Open).
- The AP processor corrects the line (account coding, amount, description, etc.).
- The document is resubmitted to approval. All lines go through the approval process again.
Editing lines during approval
By default, purchase lines cannot be modified while the document is in Pending Approval status. The setting Allow to Modify Pending Document Line in Purchases & Payables Setup overrides this restriction, allowing AP staff to edit lines without reopening the document.
Changes to a line while in pending status do not reset the line’s approval. The approver should be aware that the line content may have changed after initial submission.
Related pages
- Approval Workflows Overview — module overview and modes
- Four-Eyes Approval — header-level approval and document status
- Approver Assignment — how approvers are resolved