Invoice Hub | Approver Configuration

The instructions in this article relate to Invoice Hub. The icon may be located on your StrataMax Desktop or found using the StrataMax Search.

The Invoice Hub approvers are based on the Office Bearer records and will specifically use the email address recorded to send communication and notifications to. Please ensure that information in Office Bearers is accurate.

Any changes made in Office Bearers will trigger an automatic upload to ensure that any updated details are reflected on the Invoice Hub and StrataMax Portal. Other areas in StrataMax that will trigger this automated upload include:

• Roll
• Bank Account Setup
• Proxy Managers
• Building Information

Office Bearer Record

To add or edit an office bearer record, refer to the article on Office Bearers.

Non-owner Office Bearer Approvers

A non-owner office bearer, that is an office bearer that does not own a lot, for example a building manager, can be configured to be an approver for invoices uploaded to the Invoice Hub. Their details can be added using the instructions found in the Office Bearer article.

They must have a StrataMax Portal Account to log in and approve invoices. When an invoice is uploaded to the Invoice Hub that has an non-owner office bearer as an approver, the first time that this occurs StrataMax will send an email with instructions to invite that approver to create a StrataMax Portal Account. 

If they no longer have access to the old email address to access their online account, or if it is a different Non-Owner Office Bearer/Caretaker, etc. then the you will need to resign them in Office Bearers and create a new record for the new email address or Non-Owner Office Bearer. Then then new Office Bearer record will need to be added again in Invoice Hub > File > Approver Defaults, which will create and send an email to create a new account.

 You can provide further instructions by providing the following link to them:

https://portalhelp.stratamax.com/help/managing-your-stratamax-portal-account#change-email-address

Configuring Approvers

 Office Bearers will only see the Invoice Hub tab on the StrataMax Portal once an invoice has been uploaded for the approver to approve.

There is configuration within each building to specify which office bearers will be required to approve invoices. Depending on the approval limit configuration and the number of layers, each approval condition must be configured.  Once the default approvers have been set, if the 'number of approvals required' only requires a reduced number of approvals this can be set via the Invoice Submission Wizard. For example there are 4 approvers and only 2 out of the 4 are required to approval. These are explained below.

1. Search or select Invoice Hub. 
2. Select the Options menu > Approval Defaults.
3. Highlight each layer/limit and then tag the appropriate office bearer, then click Save Officer Selection.
4. Repeat for each required layer/approval limit.

An approval limit exist, one layer of approvers
Invoice below the approval limit will require the Lower limit approvers, any invoices above the limit will require the Upper limit approvers to approve invoices.

No approval limit exists, two layer of approvers
Invoices will be sent to the First layer of approvers, and once they have approved the invoice, it will then be sent to the Second layer of approvers.

An approval limit exists, two layers of approvers
Invoices below the approval limit will be sent to the First layer, Lower limit and then the Second layer, Lower limit. Any invoices above the approval limit will be sent to the First later Upper limit, then to the Second layer Upper limit before it is approved for payment.

An approval limit has been set to 4 approvers, and only 2 are required to be approved for payment. This can apply for 1 or 2 layer buildings.
Within each layer there may be multiple approvers included and the below refers to the defaults being applied and using the submission wizard to assign a reduced number of approvers required to be approved for payment.

1. After the defaults have been applied as per the steps above, an invoice should be ready to process with and will be required to access the Submission Wizard.
2. Click Invoice Submission Wizard, click Next, tag the required invoice (s)
3. Based on the Approvers area, each default approver will be tagged. Enter the Number of approvers required field. For example, 1 layer; 4 default approvers are set and only 1 is required to be approved for payment. 
4. Click Set as Default (below Limit) if this is to be the standard approval process.
5. Repeat for any other layers.
6. Click Next and follow the prompts to finalise the upload of invoices. 

Creditor Override | Double Layer

If there is a specific creditor that requires a different set of approvers for their invoices, you can use the 'Creditor Override' function. A common scenario would be if a building manager is an approver, and their invoices need to be approved by a different set of approvers.          

1. Search or select Invoice Hub.
2. Click Options > Configuration.
3. Set the 'Number of approval layers' to '2' then close the 'Configuration' screen.
4. Click Options > Approval Defaults.
5. Click the ‘Add Creditor Override’ button.
6. Select the creditor in the 'Select Creditor' list that appears and click OK.
7. Back in the 'Approval defaults' screen, highlight the 'First Lower' layer, then tag the Office Bearer on the right side.
8. Click the Save Officer Selection button.
9. Now highlight the 'Second Lower' layer, then tag the next Office Bearer on the right side.
10. Click the Save Officer Selection button.
11. Click the Close button to close the 'Approval defaults' screen.

Creditor Override | Single Layer

1. Search or select Invoice Hub.
2. Click Options > Configuration.
3. Set the 'Number of approval layers' as required, then close the 'Configuration' screen.
4. Click Options > Approval Defaults.
5. Click the ‘Add Creditor Override’ button.
6. Select the creditor in the 'Select Creditor' list that appears and click OK.
7. Back in the 'Approval defaults' screen, highlight the 'First Lower' layer, then tag the Office Bearer on the right side.
8. Click the Save Officer Selection button.
9. Now highlight the 'Second Lower' layer, and click the Remove Selected Creditor Override button.
10. Highlight the 'First Lower' layer again and click the Save Officer Selection button for the last time.
11. Click the Close button to close the 'Approval defaults' screen.

Changes to Existing Approving Office Bearer

If you need to change the default approvers in Invoice Hub, complete the following steps before submitting invoices for approval.

1. Search or select Office Bearers. 
2. Update the relevant Office Bearer record with information provided and Save.
3. Search or select Invoice Hub.
4. Select the Options menu > Approver Defaults. Update your default approvers then click Save Officer Selection and then Close to exit.
5. Submit your invoices (from defaults).