What is Approval Bypass?

Learn about the feature called Approval Bypass in Jack, which removes the need for an Approver to approve a transaction multiple times.

Table of Contents

• Drafter as Approver
• Single Approval for Multiple Steps
• Role as the Designated Approvers
• Releaser Step
• Related Articles

This article explores the Approval Bypass capability in Jack. It highlights how this feature optimizes the approval workflow, prevents self-approval conflicts, and ensures the integrity of the process. Understanding the functionality of Approval Bypass is essential for streamlining approvals and maintaining effective controls within the system.

Drafter as Approver

If an Approver happens to be the Drafter of a transaction, Jack's system automatically recognizes this and bypasses their approval step. This intelligent recognition streamlines the process, eliminating the need for the same user to approve their own transaction. By bypassing the Drafter's approval step, the system enhances efficiency and reduces redundancy.

Use Case

Suppose the approval workflow is configured as shown at the image above. User A creates a transaction (they are also a Drafter in this module). With this configuration, after user A creates the transaction, the system will recognize this and User A will not be required to approve that transaction.

Single Approval for Multiple Steps

Jack's system considers if a user is assigned as an Approver for multiple steps within the approval workflow. In such cases, the user only needs to approve the transaction at their last designated approval step. This eliminates redundant approval requests, simplifying the process and reducing the workload for the user.

Use Case

Let’s say User B creates a transaction following the approval process as shown at the image above. The transaction will be passed to User A to be approved and processed. To streamline the approval procedure and eliminate the need for duplicate approvals, the system will skip the first approval step and proceed directly to the second approval. As a result, User A will only be required to review and approve the transaction once.

Role as the Designated Approvers

When a role is designated as the Approver, it's important to note that if the Drafter of a transaction belongs to that role, self-approval is not allowed. This safeguard ensures that proper checks and balances are in place, preventing conflicts of interest or potential abuse within the system. By disallowing self-approval, Jack ensures transparency, accountability, and compliance with internal controls.

Use Case

Assume User A has an Admin role, and they created a transaction within that module. Without approval bypass, when the approval is on step number two, User A can still approve their own transaction. With approval bypass, User A will not be able to approve the transaction following these rule:

1. If there are other Admins, then the approval will be passed to the other Admins.

2. If User A is the sole Admin in the company, then the approval step number 2 will be bypassed.

Releaser Step

The Releaser step, which is the final approval before a transaction is released, cannot be bypassed by any user or system function. This ensures that the final authorization for the release of funds or completion of the transaction is upheld. Even when a Drafter is the Releaser of that transaction, the Releaser step will not be bypassed, so the Releaser (in this case, the Drafter) is still required to release the transaction. By maintaining the integrity of the Releaser step, Jack provides an additional layer of security and accountability within the approval workflow.

The Approval Bypass capability in Jack streamlines the approval workflow, eliminates self-approval conflicts, and ensures proper checks and balances. By automatically recognizing Drafters who are also Approvers and optimizing approvals for users with multiple steps, the system enhances efficiency. However, Jack upholds the integrity of the process by disallowing self-approval for designated Approvers and maintaining the final authorization through the Releaser step.

Related Articles

• How to Setup an Approval Workflow
• How to Approve or Reject a Transaction