Supervisors

Concur Approvals for Supervisors

• Supervisors play a New, Active Role
  SJSU's finance systems now integrate with SJSU@Work to automatically route Travel Requests and Expense Reports to direct supervisors as the first step in the approval workflow.

• Email means Action is Required
  Concur emails are often actionable requests requiring immediate supervisor attention rather than just automated notifications.

• Minimize Delays & Unnecessary Escalation
  If a supervisor does not approve a transaction within 10 days, it automatically escalates to their manager, and after another 10 days, to their manager's manager, up to and including members of cabinet.

• Supervisor Review is Specific
  Supervisors should verify they approve of the travel/expense, understand the business purpose, assess impact on office or class coverage, and resolve outstanding questions before granting approval.

• Delegation of Authority (DOA) covers Financial Approval
  Following supervisor approval, transactions route through the department's standard DOA approval structure, based on DeptID.

• Support and Resources
  For training, policy checklists, and setup assistance, see the Concur Toolkit.
  Email: financeconnect+concur@sjsu.edu for general questions, and cc travel@sjsu.edu for travel questions, or cc Rachel.Zubiate@sjsu.edu for ProCard questions.

Supervisor Review Checklist

• 1. Am I aware of and approve the employee's planned university travel or expenditure?

  2. Have I assessed the impacts of the employee’s time away from campus?

  3. Do I understand the business purpose of the trip or expense?

  4. Have I asked clarifying questions about the trip or expense before approving?

To Keep Transactions Moving

1. I watch for Concur emails. 

2. I review transactions promptly. 

3. I ask questions when something isn't clear. 

4. I take action when an approval reaches me.

Other Tips and Resources

• Consider assigning a delegate to help with approvals.

• Review and understand Concur Approvals and the DOA Dashboard.

• Refer to Concur Approvers procedures, based on the Concur User Guide for Approvers.

• Realize that a DOA approver is possibly in another department and not sure why they are reviewing an expense report for approval. Comments can be helpful for that next step.

• Look for Hospitality requests and other linked requests on the Report Header or in the expense Summary tab.