Introduction

The approval routing for iTravel & Expense (T&E via SAP Concur) has been configured for reimbursements and credit card reconciliations. Within the system parameters, we matched the approval routing under the prior system (AP Workflow) as much as possible. The approvals process can be further customized at both the user and departmental level. Please see the summary and workflow charts below.

Overall Design

• Transactions are routed to Department Directors/Administrators for approval. There are no longer customizable "paths" as used in AP Workflow. There can only be one (1) primary approver per Department. Specifically, reimbursements for:

  • Full time faculty, researchers, administrators and staff will route to the Department Director/Administrator for approval

  • Department Directors/Administrators will route to the Department Chair for approval

  • Part-time faculty (adjuncts) will route to the Department Director/Administrator. If the reimbursement is for the L7902 Adjunct Professional Development Fund or the L7902 Technology Fund, then it will subsequently route to A&S Academic HR

  • All students (undergrad and grad) must be reimbursed through Albert (SIS)

  • The routing can be assigned/changed, if needed. Email me for any change requests. 

• Via their user profile, the Approvers can assign both:

  • Delegate Approver(s) to review/approve on their behalf 

  • Preview for Approver(s) to pre-review and then notify the Approver systematically that the request is ready for review/approval

  • For particular transactions, Approvers can also forward the transaction to someone else for review, depending on the particular transaction. When reviewing reimbursements as a "supervisor" the "Approve and Forward" button should be available to click and forward. If this button is not available, then the Approver is reviewing as a "cost center manager" or a "budget approver". In this case, there is the following process to forward transactions during the budget approver step. 

• Departments can approve transactions up to $2,500. Transactions above $2,500 are also reviewed by A&S Fiscal.

• International pre-trip approval is no longer required for faculty or researchers. International travel for administrators must be pre-approved via email by A&S HR and added to the request. As a reminder, Clerical/Technical employees are not eligible for travel per NYU policy.

• For full-time faculty, we preloaded "Request and Expense Delegates", e.g. an Administrative Aide to enter the transaction on behalf of the faculty member (see communication). To make further changes after launch, please see the following training resources (PDF; Video). Also, the travel booking permission will NOT be preloaded. To add travel booking permission, please see the following tip sheet. 

• CTA cardholders can safely share their card numbers with prospective travelers. CTA cardholders have a 'Travel Arranger' role in Concur. The Travel Arranger can add or subtract a CTA card number to an employee or student's iTravel profile for purchasing travel. See the  CTA Cardholder Responsibilities Google Doc for details. CTA cardholders should also share the other details in the tip sheet under Sharing Requirements for CTA Use to the Traveler.

• There is a separate approvals process for Funds 24/25 that includes the faculty principal investigator (PI), similar to the iBuy process.

• Technical note: For reimbursements (not credit cards), there are technically two (2) levels of approval at the Department: (1) T&E Supervisor (2) Budget Approval via the "Delegation of Authority" (DOA). For most Departments, the T&E Supervisor is also the Budget Approver. Since approvals are carried forward, approval at level 1 will skip approval at level 2  (level 1 = level 2 < $2,500). However, in the case where a Delegate approves on behalf of the Department Directors/Administrators at level 1, the approval will NOT skip level 2. Accordingly, Department Directors/Administrators may choose to assign the Delegate at both levels. Credit card reconciliations always skip the T&E Supervisor (level 1) and go directly to Budget Approver (level 2).

Workflow Diagrams