Exploring the Approve Then Book Process

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to identify key considerations for the Approve then Book process.

Overview of Approve Then Book Process

Use the Approve then Book option to see the estimated amounts for segments in the request. These amounts show in the budget as Pending Spend. Approvers will receive alert notifications if the remaining budgets exceeds the alert or control limits set in the Budget Settings tab.

In addition to these notifications, approvers who receive the submitted requests for approval will see alerts under View Budget. By selecting View Budget, the approver is directed to the Budget Dashboards page, where they can review the details of the spend. Based on these details, the approver can take the appropriate action to approve or reject the request.

Let's review three scenarios to identify the type of alerts the approver can see under View Budget.

Scenario 1. Remaining Budget is Under the Alert Limit Percentage

The total budget is $50,000. The user submits a request for approval for $350. The remaining budget is under the Alert Limit Percentage.

Approval Page

As soon the user submits the request for approval, the remaining budget balance is below the Alert Limit Percentage set in Budget Settings. The View Budget link displays no exceptions.

The approver can select View Budget to see the budget details under Budget Dashboards.

The image shows a screenshot of a Concur Request interface displaying an expense request for Training to Chicago with a total of $350, submitted and pending approval. It lists an Air Ticket expense for a round trip from Cleveland to Chicago. Options include View Budget, Approve, and More Actions.

Budget Dashboards Page

The budget shows a remaining balance of $49,650 based on the pending request, with the spent amount displayed in green.

The best course of action for the approver is to approve the request, as the remaining balance of the budget is under the Alert Limit Percentage.

The image shows a screenshot of a budget for Hugo First with a total budget of $50,000. It displays $350 as pending, with $49,650 remaining, and $0 spent. The View Hugo First 2023 Budget Details link is visible. An expense for Training to Chicago, requested by Jack Aranda for airfare, uses $350 or 0.70% of the budget.

Scenario 2. Remaining Budget is Between the Alert Limit Percentage and Control Limit Percentage

The total budget is $50,000. The user submits a request for approval for $41,000. The remaining budget is between the Alert Limit Percentage and the Control Limit Percentage.

Approval Page

As soon as the user submits the request for approval, the remaining budget balance falls between the Alert Limit Percentage and the Control Limit Percentage. The View Budget link displays a yellow warning exception.

The approver can select View Budget to see the budget details under Budget Dashboards.

The image shows a screenshot of a Concur Request interface displaying an expense request for Training to Chicago with a total of $41,000, submitted and pending approval. It lists an Air Ticket expense for a round-trip flight from Cleveland to Chicago. Options include View Budget, Approve, and More Actions.

Budget Dashboards Page

The budget balance shows a remaining amount of $9,000 based on the pending request, with the spent amount highlighted in yellow. The approver has two options:

Approve the request - the requested amount moves from Pending to Spent.
Reject the request - the requested amount is removed from Pending and will not affect the remaining balance.

The image shows a screenshot of a budget for Hugo First with a total budget of $50,000. It displays $41,000 as pending, with $9,000 remaining, and $0 spent. The View Hugo First 2023 Budget Details link is visible. An expense for Training to Chicago, requested by Jack Aranda for airfare, uses $41,000 or 82% of the budget.

Scenario 3. Remaining Budget is Over the Control Limit Percentage

The total budget is $50,000. The user submits for approval a request for $52,000. The remaining budget is over the Control Limit Percentage.

Approval Page

As soon the user submits the request for approval, the remaining budget balance is over the Control Limit Percentage set in Budget Settings. The View Budget link displays a red exception.

The approver can select View Budget to see the budget details under Budget Dashboards.

The image shows a screenshot of a Concur Request interface displaying an expense request for Training to Chicago with a total of $52,000, submitted and pending approval. It lists an Air Ticket expense for a round trip from Cleveland to Chicago. Options include View Budget, Approve, and More Actions. A red icon is displayed next to View Budget.

Budget Dashboards Page

The budget balance exceeds the limit by $2,000 based on the pending request, with the spent amount highlighted in red. The approver has two options:

Approve the request - the requested amount moves from Pending to Spent.
Reject the request - the requested amount is removed from Pending and will not affect the remaining balance.

The image shows a screenshot of a budget for Hugo First with a total budget of $50,000. It displays $52,000 as pending, $2,000 as over, and $0 spent. The View Hugo First 2023 Budget Details link is visible. An expense for Training to Chicago, requested by Jack Aranda for airfare, uses $52,000 or 104% of the budget.

Summary

Approvers review estimated segment amounts as Pending Spend before booking travel.
Alert and control limits trigger notifications and exceptions based on remaining budget.
Approvers use View Budget to review budget details and decide to approve or reject requests.
Alert levels are visually indicated: green (under alert limit), yellow (between limits), and red (over control limit).
Approver actions directly impact the budget by moving amounts from Pending to Spent or removing them.

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