docs-piam/user-guide-pr-approval.md

Purchase Requisition Approval - User Guide

Document Information

• Document Type: User Guide
• Audience: Procurement Staff, Department Heads, Finance Controllers
• Last Updated: 2025-10-30
• Version: 1.0

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Overview

This guide explains how to create, submit, and approve Purchase Requisitions (PRs) in the PIAM system. Understanding the approval workflow and document immutability rules is essential for efficient procurement operations.

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Table of Contents

1. Purchase Requisition Lifecycle
2. Creating a Purchase Requisition
3. Submitting for Approval
4. Approval Process
5. Document Immutability Rules
6. What You Can and Cannot Do
7. Common Scenarios
8. Troubleshooting

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Purchase Requisition Lifecycle

A Purchase Requisition moves through several statuses:

Draft → Pending Approval → Approved → Converted to RFQ/PO → Closed
  ↑          ↓
  └────(rejected)

Status Descriptions

Status	Description	Can Edit?	Can Approve?
Draft	Initial state, not yet submitted	✅ Yes	❌ No
Pending Approval	Submitted and awaiting approval	❌ No	✅ Yes
Approved	Approved and ready for procurement	❌ No	❌ No
Rejected	Rejected by approver, returns to Draft	✅ Yes	❌ No
Converted to RFQ	Converted to Request for Quotation	❌ No	❌ No
Converted to PO	Converted to Purchase Order	❌ No	❌ No
Closed	Completed or cancelled	❌ No	❌ No

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Creating a Purchase Requisition

Step 1: Access the PR Form

1. Navigate to Procurement → Purchase Requisitions
2. Click "Create New Requisition" button
3. The system creates a new PR in Draft status

Step 2: Fill in Required Information

General Information

• Requisition Number: Auto-generated by system
• Department: Select your department from dropdown
• Requested Date: Date when items are needed
• Purpose: Describe why these items are needed
• Priority: Select urgency level

Budget Information

• Budget Code: Select the budget to charge
• Company Code: Select company/entity
• Cost Center: Select appropriate cost center

Line Items

For each item you need:

1. Click "Add Item"
2. Search and select the item
3. Enter Quantity and Unit
4. Enter Unit Price (if known)
5. Add Remarks if needed

Step 3: Save Your Work

• Click "Save Draft" to save without submitting
• You can return later to continue editing
• Draft PRs remain editable until submitted

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Submitting for Approval

When to Submit

Submit your PR when:

• All required information is complete
• Line items are accurate
• Budget information is correct
• You're ready for approval

How to Submit

1. Review all information carefully
2. Click "Submit for Approval"
3. Confirm submission in the dialog
4. PR status changes to "Pending Approval"

What Happens After Submission

Once submitted:

• ❌ You cannot edit the PR anymore
• ✅ Approvers receive notification
• ✅ PR enters the approval workflow
• ✅ You can view PR status anytime

Important Notes

• Double-check all details before submitting
• Once submitted, you cannot make changes
• If rejected, PR returns to Draft for corrections
• Keep track of your PR number for reference

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Approval Process

Who Can Approve?

Approvers are typically:

• Department Heads: For departmental purchases
• Finance Controllers: For budget approval
• Procurement Managers: For procurement approval

Note: Your organization's approval hierarchy may vary

How to Approve a PR

1. Navigate to Procurement → Purchase Requisitions
2. Filter by "Pending Approval" status
3. Click on the PR to review
4. Review all details carefully:
   • Items requested
   • Quantities and prices
   • Budget information
   • Purpose and justification
5. Click "Approve" button
6. Add approval remarks (optional)
7. Confirm approval

How to Reject a PR

If corrections are needed:

1. Click "Reject" button
2. Add rejection reason (required)
3. Confirm rejection
4. PR returns to Draft status
5. Requester can make corrections and resubmit

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Document Immutability Rules

Why Are Approved PRs Locked?

Once a PR is approved:

• Financial Control: Budget is committed
• Audit Compliance: Approved amounts must be traceable
• Process Integrity: Prevents unauthorized changes
• Procurement Accuracy: What was approved is what gets procured

Visual Indicators

When viewing a locked PR, you'll see:

• 🔒 Lock icon in the header
• "Document Locked" banner at the top
• "View Only" badge
• All fields are grayed out/disabled
• No Save or Submit buttons

What Statuses Are Locked?

Status	Locked?	Reason
Draft	❌ No	Still being prepared
Pending Approval	✅ Yes	In approval workflow
Approved	✅ Yes	Budget committed
Rejected	❌ No	Returned for correction
Converted to RFQ/PO	✅ Yes	Already converted
Closed	✅ Yes	Process complete

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What You Can and Cannot Do

✅ What You CAN Do

With Draft PRs:

• Edit all fields and line items
• Add or remove items
• Change quantities and prices
• Update budget information
• Save changes anytime
• Delete the PR if not needed

With Approved PRs:

• View all information
• Print or export the PR
• Track conversion to RFQ/PO
• View approval history
• View audit logs

With Rejected PRs:

• Make requested corrections
• Update based on rejection remarks
• Resubmit for approval

❌ What You CANNOT Do

With Approved PRs:

• Edit any field
• Change line items
• Modify quantities or prices
• Change budget information
• Delete the PR

With Pending Approval PRs:

• Edit while waiting for approval
• Change submitted information
• Cancel submission (must be rejected)

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Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: I Need to Change an Approved PR

Problem: You discovered an error after approval

Solution:

1. Contact your supervisor or procurement manager
2. Explain what needs to be changed
3. If the PR is not yet converted:
   • Admin may be able to help
   • May need to create a new PR
4. If already converted to RFQ/PO:
   • Changes must be made in RFQ/PO document
   • Original PR remains unchanged for audit

Best Practice: Always double-check before submitting!

Scenario 2: My PR Was Rejected

Problem: Your PR status shows "Rejected"

Solution:

1. Open the PR to view rejection remarks
2. Review what needs to be corrected
3. Make the necessary changes
4. Resubmit for approval
5. The PR will go through approval again

Scenario 3: I Submitted the Wrong PR

Problem: You accidentally submitted a PR that's not ready

Solution:

1. Contact the approver immediately
2. Ask them to reject the PR
3. Add a note explaining it was submitted early
4. Make corrections when it returns to Draft
5. Resubmit when ready

Scenario 4: I Can't Edit My Draft PR

Problem: The form shows "View Only" even though status is Draft

Possible Causes:

1. You're viewing the PR, not editing it
   • Solution: Click "Edit" button
2. You're on the list view or detail view
   • Solution: Navigate to edit page
3. Browser cache issue
   • Solution: Refresh the page (Ctrl+F5)

Scenario 5: System Shows "Document Locked" Error

Problem: You see an error message about document being locked

What It Means:

• The PR status doesn't allow editing
• This is a security feature to protect approved documents

Solution:

• If PR is Pending Approval: Wait for approval/rejection
• If PR is Approved: Cannot edit (see Scenario 1)
• If you believe this is an error: Contact system administrator

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Troubleshooting

Error Messages

"Cannot modify purchase requisition in '[Status]' status"

• Meaning: PR is locked due to its status
• Solution: Check PR status; only Draft PRs can be edited

"This document is locked and cannot be edited"

• Meaning: PR has been approved or is beyond approval
• Solution: See Scenario 1

"Purchase requisition not found"

• Meaning: PR may have been deleted or ID is incorrect
• Solution: Check PR number and try again

Common Issues

Save Button Not Appearing

• Check: Is PR in Draft status?
• Check: Are you on the edit page (URL contains /edit)?
• Check: Do you have permission to edit?

Cannot Submit for Approval

• Check: Are all required fields filled?
• Check: Are there validation errors?
• Check: Is at least one line item added?
• Check: Is budget code valid?

PR Disappeared from List

• Check: Filter settings (status, date range)
• Check: Search for PR number directly
• Check: PR may have been deleted (if it was Draft)

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Best Practices

Before Creating a PR

1. ✅ Verify budget availability
2. ✅ Gather all item specifications
3. ✅ Check with department for requirements
4. ✅ Confirm requested delivery date

Before Submitting

1. ✅ Review all line items carefully
2. ✅ Verify quantities and units
3. ✅ Double-check budget code
4. ✅ Ensure purpose is clear
5. ✅ Check all required fields are filled
6. ✅ Review total amount

For Approvers

1. ✅ Review budget availability
2. ✅ Verify items are appropriate
3. ✅ Check quantities are reasonable
4. ✅ Ensure prices are acceptable
5. ✅ Provide clear rejection reasons
6. ✅ Approve promptly to avoid delays

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Getting Help

Internal Support

• Technical Issues: Contact IT Support
• Approval Questions: Contact your supervisor
• Budget Questions: Contact Finance Department
• Procurement Process: Contact Procurement Department

Documentation

• System Administrator Guide: For technical details
• FAQ Document: For common questions
• Training Materials: Available from IT Department

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Glossary

Draft: Initial status of a PR, allows editing

Immutable: Cannot be changed or modified

Line Item: A single item/material on the PR

Pending Approval: PR is submitted and awaiting approval

Purchase Requisition (PR): Internal document requesting to purchase items

Rejection Remarks: Reason provided when PR is rejected

Status: Current state of the PR in its lifecycle

Workflow: Series of steps a PR goes through from creation to approval

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Appendix: Quick Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+S	Save Draft (on edit page)
Esc	Close dialog/cancel action

Status Color Codes

• Gray: Draft
• Yellow/Amber: Pending Approval
• Green: Approved
• Red: Rejected
• Blue: Converted/Closed

Important Reminders

1. 📌 Only Draft PRs can be edited
2. 📌 Always review before submitting
3. 📌 Approved PRs are permanently locked
4. 📌 Save your work frequently
5. 📌 Keep PR numbers for reference

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Document End

For technical details and configuration, see System Administrator Guide