How to – Xero Auto Approve

We have made some significant improvements to the Approval Donkey integration with Xero including the ability to Auto Approve Xero transactions.

Now when certain conditions are meet Approval Donkey will automatically update the transaction from the ‘Awaiting Approval’ folder to the ‘Awaiting Payment folder in Xero. For example, when a transaction is less than $200 you can have it auto approve by setting a condition in the Xero mapping matrix and setting the Panel its mapped too auto approve.

To steal this workflow, try the following:

1) Firstly, select the transaction you want to apply the condition to and what the condition is, lastly select the Panel this workflow should go to when the condition is meet. In the below example whenever a Bill for less than $200 is submitted for approval it will go to the ‘Bill Approvals’ Panel. There is only the Panel owner as a member of this Panel so no other approvals are required. Add further lines to the matrix for other transactions or additional workflow conditions.

Xero Mapping Matrix

2) Secondly to enable these Bills to Auto Approve when they are sent to the Bill Approvals Panel go to the Panels page and select the ‘i’ icon on the appropriate Panel, then select ‘Yes’ to ‘Auto Approve requests from me?’ as per below. This now means that as long as you are the authenticated user of the Xero organisation i.e. you have set it up and enabled it then any requests that come from Xero will auto approve if the condition is met.

Note:

To have transactions ‘not’ auto approve its advised to set-up a separate Panel specifically for this purpose. Just set-up a separate Panel with the appropriate members and then for example set a condition for any transactions ‘over’ $200 to go to this Panel via the Xero mapping matrix.

So if you have a requirement for this kind of workflow try giving it a go and if you have any questions or need help please email us at info@approvaldonkey.net we’ll be more than happy to help.

Automate and Streamline Staff Leave Requests from Email.

If you are still getting staff to email their leave requests directly into you or a team member, try this simple workflow that promises to reduce some of the burden associated with this very common request. Some of the benefits with this workflow include:

• Automated reminders and tracking so requests are never missed or forgotten

• Streamline the decision making process into a dedicated register

• Quickly filter requests to see whose leave has and hasn’t been approved

• Tracking of who has (and hasn’t) approved or declined requests

Steal this workflow:

Firstly, login into Approval Donkey and click on the ‘Add New Panel’ button and complete the steps required to create a new Panel, typically you would call the Panel ‘Staff Leave’ or something to that effect. Also make sure to leave the setting ‘Allow Approvals from other Systems’ set to ‘Yes’ as per below.

Once you have set your automated notifications and deadlines, next add all the people required to approve staff leave requests in your organisation. The Panel is now all set-up.

Special Note:

If you would like staff to be copied into all leave requests but not have approve or decline privileges then set then add them to the Panel as members but set them as ‘Reviewers’. This way they will be invited to join the Panel and will be able to see a full history or all requests however they cannot approve of decline any requests.

Now copy the Panels email address and send it (via Email, Slack etc) to all your staff advising that all staff leave requests should be sent to this email address. They should remember to include the minimum information required for you to make a decision including attaching any forms or documents to the request.

Whenever staff email there requests to the ‘Staff Leave’ panel email address any requests will come into the system as ‘Pending’. From there anyone you added to the Panel can easily view any attachments and then Approve or Decline the request as required (Reviewers cannot approve or decline requests).

That’s it you are all set-up and ready to with your new and improved Staff Leave request workflow.

Special Note:

If you are a Zapier user, you could even get the Status updates sent to a different channel or even create a line in Google Sheets. Go to our Zapbook and start exploring https://zapier.com/zapbook/approval-donkey/

Use Approval Donkey to manage School Permission Slips

We have a number of schools that use Approval Donkey to manage their class lists and associated requests like Permission Slips for School Trips etc. Typically, a teacher or teacher aide adds the parents or guardians for each of their students to a designated Panel in Approval Donkey like the below example for Room 26.

Anytime a teacher requires approval for a class activity they send a single email to the Panel email address, every Panel Member (Parent/Guardian) receives an Approval request. The Teacher uses the full Panel email address (PermissionSlipRm26-3a1d52f4-9e8a-4936-815d-ea193a76e698@approvaldonkey.com) and their email service remembers it for next time or they can add the address to their contacts as e.g. ‘Room 26 Permission Slips’. But essentially it’s easy to remember and as easy as sending an email.

All requests are automatically tracked with automated reminders and reporting plus a teacher can easily see who has and hasn’t responded to the request.

Over the course of the year the time spent completing the initial configuration (adding Parents to the Panel) is more than made up saving time and loads of frustration from mundane tasks like chasing people up to provide an answer by letting Approval Donkey do the Donkey work.