General Information
NetSuite provides the option to create groups. A group can be a static or dynamic set of employees. When configured correctly the group can be used in the approval matrix so that one of the group members can approve the transaction.
Creating a Group
To create a group in NetSuite navigate to LISTS->RELATIONSHIPS->GROUPS->NEW. In the first step of the group creation a selection must be made if the group should be “Dynamic” or “Static”. This option can not be changed later. The difference between both options is the following:
- Dynamic: This group type is based on a saved search. To use this a saved search must be created first that has as a result one or multiple employees. The benefit of a dynamic group is that it can for example be based on a parameter on the employee record and due to this interactively change the group. How to create a saved search will not be explained in this document.
- Static: This group type is static, meaning you can manually define the employees that should be part of the group. Benefit is that you can easily create the group, but maintaining the group takes more effort.
After the group type has been chosen the member types must be selected. This must be “Employee”. To proceed to the next step press continue.
In this step provide a name for the group. This name will also be present in the matrix. Further settings can be adjusted as needed, but be sure that when a static group is created members are present. After all settings and members have been adjusted accordingly the checkbox named “Available for ZoneApprovals” must be checked. If this checkbox is not checked the group will not appear in the Approval Matrix for selection.
Approval via e-mail is also available for Group Approvers. To activate Approval via e-mail for Groups, the following setup is mandatory:
- SEND APPROVAL BY EMAIL TO GROUP USERS (ZONEAPPROVALS) checkbox on the group level must be enabled
- and ENABLE APPROVAL BY EMAIL must be selected on the employee record of all group members
The approval process for a Group via email, mirrors the UI behavior. The transaction status will be updated (approved or rejected) only if a single group member approves or rejects the transaction.
Matrix Group Selection
To select a group in the matrix simply create a new matrix or edit an existing one. On the approval lines from the matrix click on one of the Hierarchy Levels and in the dropdown select your created group. A group has a group icon and states group in the name.