A/R Credit Limit approval with Remote Action Service

Overview

A company wants to configure workflow using Orchid Extender to control who can approve A/R Customer credit limits. Refer to A/R Credit Limit Approval.

Some of the approvers need to approve without logging into Sage 300. They use Extender and a subscription to the Remote Action Service.

Prerequisites - EXTENDER SETUP KEY STEPS

This A/R Credit Limit workflow template is designed to be started automatically when the A/R Credit Limit field is updated in Sage 300. The workflow will restore the original credit limit until the request is approved.

Approver receives an email with a one time link to the Remote Action form.

Using the Sample files

Workflow Template example- You can import the RemoteActionExamples module from the Orchid website: Remote Action Examples

Step 1: Create 2 workflow colours: Sales and Urgent - (Workflow Colours)

Step 2: Add Workflow Users - Extender License and Workflow Users

Step 3: Create a Workflow user group called FINMGR and assign users to it. (Workflow User Groups)

Step 4: Go to Extender Setup > Modules and import the file.

Step 5: Change Action 50 in Check step if you want to assign the workflow to another group/user.

Step 6: Review message templates (In the example workflow, the following templates are used: 
REMOTEACTIONEXAMPLES.CUSTCLEMAIL and REMOTEACTIONEXAMPLES.CUSTCLFORM when the credit limit changes (Check and Reassign steps), REMOTEACTIONEXAMPLES.CUSTCLAPPROVED when request is approved,
REMOTEACTIONEXAMPLES.CUSTCLREJECTED when request is rejected) and
REMOTEACTIONEXAMPLES.WFERRORNOTIF when an error occurs in the workflow (e.g. user doesn't have security rights) (Message Templates )

Step 7: Update the user's email address in Sage 300.

Step 8: Configure Process Scheduler to automate processing of completed forms. Configure Process Scheduler if required

Notes:

Attached to ViewEventsScriptsWorkflow AR0024 view, AMTCRLIMT field - refer to Attach workflow to AR0024 {AMTCRLMT} Field

It includes the Workflow template as well as the required message templates.

To configure workflow icons on screens, refer to Configure Information Manager

Requires Extender PU7.10 or above and subscription to Remote Action Service

Workflow template - Step by step guide

It is recommended to add the main steps as defined on the process flowchart first, and then configure the detailed actions for each step.

This tutorial highlights the Remote Action components. Refer to A/R Credit Limit Approval for a detailed description of the A/R Credit Limit approval example.

 

For details, refer to Workflow Templates - Screen Guide

AR Credit Limit Approval Remote Action

Template ID - Enter a descriptive name.

The name cannot be updated after it is created

Can start manually: set to No as the workflow will start whenever the Credit Limit changes and will be attached to the A/R Customer view.

Auto Delete instance when complete: No - while testing.

You can set it to Yes later- if there are too many records in the Console, as the workflow history is accessible in the Log.

Add 5 steps - The detailed actions for each steps will be configured below.

  • Check - Entry Step: Compare the credit limit requested to the business limits and based on the result, determine what actions to take, is an approval required, is an alert or notification required?
  • Wait - Record is waiting for approval.
  • Approve - Approving User to confirm the amount approved, enter a comment and when the credit limit is updated in Sage, send an email confirmation to the user who started the workflow.
  • Reject - Rejecting user to enter a comment.
  • Reassign - this template uses a custom Reassign action so that the new user assigned can receive an email with the one-time link to approve using Remote Action.

Progress-to steps are used when a user needs to select the next Step to progress the workflow. Progress-to steps add Controls to the workflow console. If workflow screen icons are configured in Information Manager, Progress-to steps can be run from the configured Sage 300 screen.

For A/R Credit Approval, the request can be Approved or Rejected.

  • Select the Wait Step, add 2 steps that a user can select: Approve and Reject

Values are used in the workflow and saved in the workflow history.

Values updated in the Remote Action forms are saved in {APPROVALCOMMENT} and {APPROVALAMOUNT} and can be used in the Approve/Reject step.

For each step, the template includes a series of actions to match the process flow requirements. In the A/R Customer Credit Limit approval, the most commonly used actions are configured.

To enable users to approve using Remote Action service, select one of the Remote Actions. In this example, we use SendRemoteActionCommentAmountFormEmail. The user can change the requested amount and enter a comment on the Remote Form.

SetDrilldown: Set the CUSTOMER value to the current customer to enable drilldown from the console

Evaluate: Used to compare the requested credit limit to the Amounts that require approval. If the Credit Limit is greater than $10,000, go to the True action to evaluate if it is greater or not than $50,000.

If it is not greater than $10,000, go to the False action (complete the workflow as no approval is required).

AssignUser: Enter the appropriate user based on the amount

AssignColour: Enter the required colour based on the amount

SetField: Used to restore the original credit limit - This prevents the credit limit being saved

Tip: Make sure that the False action notifies the user that there was an issue preventing the update.

SetDescription: This will be displayed on the console. Use {NAMECUST}-{IDGRP} to show the Customer name and Group.

GoToStep: Choose Wait step if approval is required so that users can Approve or Reject on the console.

This step has no action, as it is waiting for a User to progress the workflow.

Important! This step can be performed with Remote Action. Workflow value use the Remote Action names.

AddParameter: Add 2 fields: 

  • APPROVALAMOUNT to confirm the Approved credit limit. Defaults to {TOVALUE}, the requested value.
  • APPROVALCOMMENT: for approver to enter a comment

AskForParameters: always required after AddParameter to display the popup screen and wait for user to enter Input. This doesn't popup when Remote Action poller progresses the workflow.

SetField: This action will save the credit limit entered on the screen. The value should be the parameter name as entered above {APPROVALAMOUNT}.

The True action can complete the workflow.

False Action: this means the Credit Limit wasn't updated (for example, the approver doesn't have rights to Sage 300). Make sure this goes back to the Wait step and doesn't complete the workflow.

SendEmailToStarter: Select a template. The action will use the email address in the Sage 300 user profile of the user who started the workflow.

GoToStep: Go back to Wait if the field update has not been successful.

Important! This step can be performed with Remote Action. Workflow value use the Remote Action names.

AddParameter: Add 2 fields: 

  • APPROVALCOMMENT: for user to enter a comment / reason for rejection

AskForParameters: always required after AddParameter to display the popup screen and wait for user to enter Input.

SendEmailToStarter: Select a template. The action will use the email address in the Sage 300 user profile of the user who started the workflow.

Complete: Completes the workflow. Will be deleted from the Console if "Auto delete"is set to Yes.

Attach workflow to AR0024 {AMTCRLMT} Field

The workflow template is attached to the A/R Customer view (AR0024) so that the workflow starts automatically when the Credit Limit is updated.

Extender Setup > View Events and Scripts.

For detailed steps, refer to View Events, Scripts & WF

Select AR0024 view, on the Workflow Tab, select the Customer Credit Limit workflow and "Check" as the Entry step.

Tip:

You can also use up to 4 parameters configured in View Events and Scripts > Workflow Tab. Parameters need to be used in the Workflow template using SetValue.

Using Parameters in Workflow

Configure Information Manager

Optionally, you can configure the Information Manager tray to display Extender buttons on relevant Sage 300 screens.

Extender Workflow- Notes/DML/Extender Tray

Configure Process Scheduler to run Poller script.

Configure Process Scheduler, create a schedule to run the RemoteAction.Poller script.

Configure Windows Task Scheduler to automatically retrieve completed forms to update Sage 300 and progress the workflow. .

For details, refer to Process Scheduler > Setup > Schedules >

testing Sage 300 workflow setup

The workflow is started when the A/R Customer credit limit is updated (by a user on a Sage 300 screen or by an import or a custom process using the Sage 300 Views).

Update the credit limit for a Customer in A/R - E.g. change the credit limit from $10,000 to $15,000

When you save the A/R Customer, the credit limit remains set to $10,000.

View the email of users who can approve.

  • Review the email content.
  • Follow the link to the form
  • Review the form
  • Select Approve
Tip: Note: If the user can logon to Sage 300, you can use the email smartlink to open the workflow console and view more details in Sage 300.
Requirement!

This functionality is available in Extender Levels Configurator and Developer.

This functionality requires Extender Developer.

To approve on the Remote form without logging to Sage 300 first, you need an active subscription to the Remote Action Service. You can then configure the workflow template to use Remote Action.

To use the Workflow console, configure the user as a "Workflow User". Refer to Understanding Workflow Users

To use the Tray Icon on the Sage 300 screens, you need to install Information Manager, configure the tray icons and configure the user as a "Workflow User".

To view the workflow history and progress active workflow from the AR Customer screen, configure Information Manager , I/M Setup > Options > Notes/DML/Extender hotkey

Extender Workflow- Notes/DML/Extender Tray

As the workflow cannot be started manually, do not select an Entry Step.