Approval rules designate certain users who must approve an operation before it may be completed. For example, you may define approval rules to require permission to post invoices, deactivate accounts, change the phase of a matter. The Rule Triggers table lists the available operations for approval rules.

Use approval rules in conjunction with routes to define approval processes. A Route specifies a logical sequence of approvers used in an approval process. These approvers are included in routes through their user group memberships, since routes are based on groups, not individual users. For more details about routes, see Creating Routes.

TeamConnect performs the following operations when an approval rule is triggered:

•When a user attempts a triggering operation, TeamConnect executes applicable approval rules after all security and validation rules for the operation are executed, as described in the execution order listed in Points to Remember.

For example, if there is a security rule preventing users from deleting a record when it is in a certain phase, this rule is executed before the approval rule sends the deletion for approval.

•If the qualifier defined in the approval rule is met, the operation (also known as a request) is put into a pending status.

•The specified message appears at the top of the record, such as This object has an action that is pending approval and it cannot be modified.

•The approval request goes through the specified route of approvers. As each approver receives the request, it appears on his or her My Approvals screen.

•If the required users approve the operation, TeamConnect completes the requested operation.

•If the required users reject the operation, TeamConnect does not do the requested operation.

•During the approval process, decisions are listed on the Workflow tab of the record. If the needed approval is for deleting the record, the decisions cannot be accessed after the record is deleted.

You may create qualifiers for approval rules so that the user's attempt to perform an operation only goes for approval under certain conditions. For example, you may create an approval rule that requires approval for deleting a closed dispute record only if the deletion is attempted by a user in the Dispute Attorney group.

You may also specify an approval period for approval rules. You must use a value other than zero when specifying the length of an approval process. Otherwise, the approval period expires almost immediately.

If you do not set any qualifier information for an approval rule, the operation requires approval under all circumstances.

If an approval rule is triggered by the only user who is included in the route, the rule still requires that user's approval. The workflow status message immediately appears at the top of the record and the user must approve the operation before it is completed.

Many other actions and events may take place during an approval process.