approval versus review flow on contract document

[Former Member]

In the standard functionality of workflow the approver can only "approve" or "deny". During this approval/deny there is an option to add comments or attach a document.

What I am after is a way that "approvers" in a real live workflow are actually reviewers that amend the contract document.

I feel this could be achieved without the workflow concept in the tool, via

- a make sense phase configuration (draft, vendor draft, internal client, legal, management)

- collaborator roles with read/write access

but unfortunately this solution does not

- send out targetted emails to only the person intended to review

- would allow all other collaborator - not intended to act in a particular phase - still give the option to interfere with the review of that phase....

==> Is there a creative way to impose a strict "review" process

Txs

FV

[Former Member]

Hi Tripid,

We have been doing everything you mention from 1 to 4.

Unfortunately, as stated in the initial post, the issue at hand is the fact that the workflow definition is resulting in a "LOCKED" contract document that the approver can only 'approve' or 'deny'... .

==> what we are after is rather a REVIEWER that can EDIT during a particular phase, and cannot edit during all other phases.

Phrased differently, the contract document is LOCKED for everyone, except for the APROVER who can edit the document via a check in/out functionality....

Filip

[tridip_chakraborthy]

Hi Philip

Please see my earlier thread if this helps

Or else we can work this further

Cheers

Tridip

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[tridip_chakraborthy]

Hi Filip

You have indeed asked a very important question and the answers to it are many, but the most optimal way would definately be

1) Identify the contract types in your organization (Sales, Legal purchasing / other)

2) Identify all the approval processes that exist in your organzation, study them, optimize them to have a final set (for all the departments that are going to use the Collaborative contract management of SAP E-Sourcing)

3) Check if the Out of the Box Phases can meet your requirement, most of the times they dont

4) Check if the out of the box roles(Collaborator, Reviewer, Sponsor etc) are sufficient, if not create custom roles

4) So as a next step create Custom Phases that suit your organization in addition to the Out of the box phases

5) Code the requirement using XPDL editor to have the custom phases behave according to your logic

6) Ensure that the email alerts/workbench alerts are configured in a way that the stake holders (Collaborator, reviewer sponsor or custom roles created) are trigerred by the workflow

Try to build as many test cases possible and do a thorough negative test

Let me know if this approach is OK and inline to what you are looking at, as your question was demanding an approach rather than a technical procedure

Cheers

Tridip

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