Odoo 18 Enterprise Book - Approvals

3. Configuration Menu

In Odoo 18, the 'Configuration' menu within the Approvals module is used to set up and customize the approval systems. Its primary purpose is to allow companies to define their own Approval Types, Products, and Product Variants.

1. Approval Types

The ‘Approval Types’ settings feature can be used to configure rules, and set approver requirements to match their specific workflows. Through this menu, users can create and manage approval types such as Business Trip Requests, Purchase Requests, Equipment Requests, and Time Off Requests, each customizable based on the information that needs to be collected.

To create a new Approval Type, click on the ‘New’ button and define required fields like the Approval type name and a Description. Then, activate the Automated Sequence, Code, and Company details.

By selecting 'Required,' 'Optional,' or 'None' for each field, you may indicate its relevance in the approval request configuration's 'FIELDS' tab. The 'None' completely conceals the field. The 'Required' guarantees that it must be filled up prior to submission, and 'Optional' permits it to remain blank but still accessible for input. This feature can be used for the purpose of managing field visibility and to customize approval forms according to your requirements.

The ‘APPROVERS’ tab of the Operations configuration tab options allows managers to set the Employee’s Manager, Approvers Sequence, and Minimum Approval Required. By specifying the ‘Approvers,’ who must approve a request, whether specific users, managers, or roles. You can also establish mandatory approvers, minimum approval counts, or hierarchical approval chains, as depicted in the screenshot below.

The new approval type will show up on the Approvals dashboard when the details have been saved. This will enable you to submit approval requests under this category, as depicted in the screenshot below.

2. Products

Odoo 18's Approval module uses the 'Product' menu to track specific products or items for approval requests. Users can associate products with requests for equipment, purchases, or asset allocation, and access the product catalog. You can see the product catalog in a kanban dashboard, as illustrated in the screenshot below.

The process for creating and maintaining products in Odoo 18's Approval module is quite similar to those of other Odoo modules, including Sales, Purchase, or Inventory. Just click on the "New" button to add a new product. This will open the normal product configuration form. You can then enter the required information in several tabs. Enter basic details like the product Name, Type, Cost, and Sales price under the "General Information" tab.

Size and color variants of the product may be defined under the 'Attributes & Variants' page. Configure relevant parameters, including vendor details, price, and sales descriptions, under the "Sales" and "Purchase" tabs.

Retail-specific settings are handled by the "Point of Sale" tab, while stock-related information, such as routes, logistics, and tracking, is managed by the "Inventory" tab. Lastly, you may create tax information, revenue and spending accounts, and fiscal positioning using the "Accounting" page. By guaranteeing that product data are accurate and consistent across all modules, this extensive form facilitates smooth interaction with the larger Odoo system.

3. Product Variants

The 'Product Variants' menu of the Approval Module allows users to view, create and manage product versions based on attributes like size, color, or material. This is useful for approvals involving multiple variations, where each variant may need to be selected or tracked individually. The menu displays all product variants generated from attribute combinations under the main product and allows users to manage variant-specific details like Internal References, Name, Website, Cost, Sales Price, and Inventory Quantities, as depicted in the screenshot below.

Creation of a new product variant is also similar to the basic production creation process. After opening a new product variant configuration window, edit the product details in the designated fields.

While configuring an approval request, you can utilize these products and product variants according to the requirement of the approval request inside the ‘Product’ tab of the approval configuration form, as illustrated in the screenshot below.

Here, You can see a demonstration approval request for borrowing a product from the above screenshot. The feature enhances product selection accuracy, improves tracking and reporting, and supports inventory or asset-related approvals. It also enhances flexibility and precision in product-related workflows and integrating with the Odoo ecosystem.

Overall, the Odoo 18 Approval module empowers businesses to implement a more automated, compliant, and efficient approach to handling authorization workflows.