We are starting to get requests from various departments for on-line approvals for certain processes. Some Examples (I use the term on-line loosely to mean in-baan, not through our intranet):

Our purchasing and accounting departments would like us to design an on-line purchase requisition in Baan that can be entered by a user, and then submitted to a department head who would be able to approve the requisition and then have it forwarded on-line to purchasing.

We have internal projects set up to accumulate costs for R&D and Cap-X. We already have an associated session that budget amounts are entered when the project is created. When an internal project exceeds its budget, the project manager, division manager and Finance is notified. At that point a form is filled out that needs approved by a VP for budget to be increased. We would like that form to be a session in Baan and have the approval process also be in Baan (on-line).

Cap-x purchases require a paper form filled out and then signed by various department heads for approval. We would like to see if we can get that form made into a session and have the electronic form passed on-line for approval.

Employee reimbursements (mileage, safety boots, safety glasses) and expense accounts could be entered into baan, processed, then forwarded on to the department manager before being sent to Finance for payment.

With current economic conditions, our company isn't too keen on purchasing third party software. Has anyone done anything similar to this in Baan? Does anybody have ideas on the on-line approval/verification?

I had an idea of flags that could be set in a 'hierarchy' structure and permissions based on username tables, but I would like to hear other points of view.

Thanks!

Hi Eddie,
We have a similar system @ my current client.
# 1 : We have a home grown Purchase Requisition (PR) system.
Basically the employees create a PR, which has an approval
loop.
For e.g. Tom creates a PR for a PC. His Supervisor
(Dick) is his PR’s reviewer. Dick can either approve the PR
or send it to the next Reviewer (His boss Harry).
Users have $ Amounts assigned to them.
Each user has a bin and the PRs to be approved come into
the bin. Once approved, the PR is converted to a PO.
You get the picture, right?

We have email notifications built into it.

# 2 : We have modified (we have the source !) the PUR module.
We have added a Purchase Order Approval step/session.
Each buyer has a Max $ amount assigned to him/her.
If the PO amount exceeds this amount then this step is
required. So basically the PO moves into the Supervisor's bin and da da da.

Hope this helps.
Lemme know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Popeye!

Unfortunately we do not (and won't) have source code. The bin idea is interesting... How is that set up? How you you verify the approvals? Are there flags that have to be set (and can only be set by certian users)?

Hi Eddie,
It's an old system. I wasn't involved in the project.
But I can always check the script.
Will let you know.
Cheers,
Madhu

Try iBaan procurement....Baan developed a system that is exactly waht you are looking for....and is not so expensive

I haven't worked with the iBaan Procurement but it certainly has sounded good.

Purchase Requisition functionality also made its way into the IVc4 Automotive extension. The requisition is entered, approved separately and then can be converted to a PO. Not as elegant as the customization described above but It looked like it went a long way towards filling the process gap between initiation (requisition) and actually entering a PO. Automotive is a NA extension but I assumed (a bad habit) that it probably was also in Baan IV supply chain extensions.

Don't what version you're on, but the Purchase Requisition functionality had nothing to do with other SCH or Automotive functions so perhaps it could be imported to other Baan versions.

Maybe someone who has had experience using it could comment?

Scott Johnson

We have manufacturing deviation processes that could benefit from an on-line approval process like what you described.

Production BOMS & Routings are changed on a one-off basis to deal with obsolete components, capcacity constraints, shortages etc.

I have considered building a module to handle this with,
request types
request costing
approval steps by request types
user authorization levels
approval routing by type

awaiting approval 'mailboxes'

all integrated with shop floor control.
This would be a fairly complex project, and it has not bubbled to the top of priority list yet, so I am keeping it in the back of my mind for now.