3683622 - System skips “Approval by Recipient” Rule for Supplier Invoices

The supplier invoice is posted without approval, even when approval is expected

SAP Business ByDesign

Note: Approval Process contains Approval by Recipient as Work Distribution

1. Go to Supplier Invoicing work center.
2. Select Invoices and Credit Memos view.
3. Search for Supplier Invoice ID ABC (ABC refers to Supplier Invoice ID) with filter as "All Documents".
4. Supplier Invoice is in "posted" status.
5. Select Edit button.
6. Navigate to Approvals tab and verify that the approval is not started.
7. check if the approver determined is the same user which is maintained in Recipient field.

To check the Supplier Invoice ABC Approval Task Status,

1. Go to Application and User Management work center.
2. Select Business Task Management view.
3. Search with Supplier Invoice ID ABC.
4. Observe task available with "In Progress" or "New".

• Cause 1-The Recipient of the Supplier Invoice is not an active Business User at the time the approval process was triggered.
• Cause 2-In the Approval Process Step that uses the rule “Approval by Recipient” has the Automatic Approval checkbox is selected. When this checkbox is enabled, the document is automatically approved if no approver is determined.
  
  To check why the approver is not determined - follow the steps below,

1. Go to Application User Management work center.
2. Select Business Task Management view.
3. Search with the Supplier Invoice ID ABC with filter as "All Tasks".
4. Select the relevant Approval Task.
5. Choose "Determine Assignment" button.
6. An Application Log is created with the reason, why the approver not determined.

• Cause 3- Creator of the Supplier Invoice and the Recipient are the same person.

To prevent the Supplier Invoice from automatically being posted when the approver is not determined,

For Cause 1:

Kindly maintain the approval process for active Business User.

For Cause 2:

1. Go to Application and User Management work center.
2. Go to Approval Process view.
3. Search and select the active Approval Process for the Supplier Invoice.
4. Copy the Approval Process.
5. Select the step which has the rule "Approval by Recipient".
6. Uncheck the "Automatic Approval" checkbox.
7. Save and activate the Approval Process.

Now the Supplier Invoices will not automatically Posted if the approver was not determined. 

For Cause 3-The system behavior is designed such that if the creator of the Supplier Invoice and the Recipient are the same person, then the system does not require approval and the invoice is posted directly. 

Approval Process; Supplier Invoice; Approval Not Triggered; Approval Task Not Created; Approval Not Necessary; Active Business User; Recipient; Business Task Management; Supplier Invoicing; Approval By Recipient; Automatic Approval , KBA , SRD-SRM-SI , Supplier Invoicing , How To