The Process Workflow feature is used to force purchase orders that meet a defined criteria to follow a specific approval/review process. You can create and use a workflow from the PM module.

1. Create the PO and PO items. You can do this using any of the following forms.

   • Estimate / Purchase Details tab on the PM Pending Change Orders form.

   • PM Material Detail - You can use this form to create PO items and assign them to a PO.

   • Non-Interfaced tab of PM Purchase Orders form - You can use this form to create the PO and PO items at the same time.

2. Open the PO in the PM Purchase Orders form. The panel at the bottom of the form is used to process the purchase order using the Process Workflow feature. This panel only displays if you have the Workflow module.
3. Click the Workflow button to view the users that need to review/approve the PO.
4. Open the PO in the PM Purchase Orders form.
5. Open the PO in the PM Purchase Orders form. Click the Submit for Approval button to submit the PO for approval. The users that need to review/approve the PO will be notified.
6. Once the PO has been submitted for approval, you can view its progress in several ways:

   • Workflow History tab - Comments display on the Workflow History tab on the form used to create the PO, for example the PM Purchase Orders or PO Pending Change Orders forms. This tab displays the history of the PO, for example the comments entered by reviewers/approvers, when it was submitted for approval, and when it was approved/rejected.

   • Work Center - Open the My Documents in Workflow query in the Work Center that you use to process purchase orders. This displays a list of purchase orders that you have created and their progress in a workflow.

   • Workflow button - Click the Workflow button on the form that was used to create the PO - for example the PM Purchase Orders or PO Pending Purchase Orders form. This will launch the PO Workflow Item Reviewers form, which displays the progress of the PO in the workflow process and any comments that have been entered.

7. Optional: Enter comments for the reviewer on a PO item. If you want to enter comments on a PO item for the reviewer/approver, click the Workflow button, double click in the Comments field on the form that displays, and then enter the comments. The reviewer/approver will see these comments when they review/approve the PO item.
8. Optional: You can make changes to the PO after it has been submitted, but changing the PO items will remove the PO from the workflow process. Once you have made your changes, click the Submit for Approval button to resubmit it for review/approval.
   Note: If the PO has already been approved, the status of the PO will be Approved and you won't be able to change it.
9. Open the Work Center that you use to review/approve purchase orders and then open the My Documents to Review option in the Work Center menu. A list of POs that you need to approve/review will display. Perform an action:
   • View the PO Items - Double click on a PO to drill down and view the PO items.
   • Open/Edit a purchase order - To open or edit a PO/PO item, select it in the list and click the Open () icon. This will open the PO in the form that was used to create it. For example if the PO was entered using the PO Pending Purchase Orders form, the PO will open in that form. When you edit the items on a PO, you take ownership of the PO and become its originator. This means that you are pulling the PO out of the current work flow. If the PO needs to be processed in a workflow after you make the changes, you will have to submit the PO for approval just like if you were the one that originally created the PO.
   • Approve a purchase order - When you approve a PO, you approve all of the PO items where you are set up as a reviewer/approver. This means that you cannot approve/reject specific items on the PO.
   • Approve the PO. From the Workflow Document Review, select a PO that needs to be approved and click the Approve Document () icon. This will approve all of the PO items on the purchase order where you are set up as an approver. If there are items on the PO that need to be approved by others, the PO will change to the "Partially Approved" status. You can see this by opening the PO /PO item in the form that was used to create it, and looking in the Workflow Status field.
   • Reject a PO - When you reject a PO, you reject the entire PO, not just the PO items where you are set up as a reviewer/approver. This means you cannot reject specific items on a PO. If any portion of the PO is rejected, the originator of the PO receives a message that the PO has been rejected and the entire PO is pulled out of the workflow process. From the Workflow Document Review, select a PO that needs to be rejected and click the Document () icon. This will reject all of the PO items on the purchase order, and the user that created the PO will receive a message that the PO has been rejected.
   • Add a comment - To add a comment, double click on a PO in the My Documents to Review query in the Work Center, and then select a PO item and click the Add Comments () icon. This will open the WF Document Review Edit form.
   • Add an attachment - You can add attachments to PO items directly from a Work Center. From the My Documents to Review query, double click on a PO and then select a PO item that displays. Click on the Attachments () icon at the top of the grid to add an attachment to the selected PO item.
   Note: If you are using using the PO/SL review feature in Vista Web, you can also review and approve purchase orders via the Approval menu. For more information, see Pending PO / Subcontract Review.
10. Process the PO.
    1. Open the PO in the PM Purchase Orders form.
    2. Verify that Approved displays in the Workflow Status field.
    3. Check the Approved box. This field is only enabled after the PO has been approved. Click the Save icon to save your changes.
    4. Open the PM Interface form. The approved PO will now display on this form.
    5. Use the PM Interface form to interface the PO/send it to the PO module.