Standard XSteps: Approval Procedure

Use

The approval procedure for standard XSteps comprises the controlled status management and the digital signature for certain statuses, enabling comprehensive documentation of the changes made to a version.

Which business actions may be performed for the standard XSteps depends on the status.

You can specify that a digital signature is necessary to set the statuses Released, Approved and Obsolete, Discarded. These statuses can then only by assigned by authorized signatories (see also Approval Using Digital Signatures ).

In production, you can only use released and approved standard XStep versions. You may not make any further changes to released and approved standard XStep versions. If changes are necessary, you must create a copy for this version of a standard XStep and discard the original version.

At any one point in time, there can only be one valid version of a standard XStep.

Prerequisites

You have made the settings for the digital signature in Customizing under Cross-Application Components General Application Functions Digital Signature .
You have set the SXS Version: Approval Procedure Activeindicator in Customizing for Production Planning Process Industries under Process Coordination Execution Steps (XSteps) Standard XStep Repository Settings for the Standard XStep Repository .

You have also specified in this IMG activity whether an individual signature or a signature strategy with several authorized signatories is to be used to set the statuses Released, Approved, or Obsolete, Discarded.

Features

Each version of a standard XStep (SXS version) is assigned a status. The current status of a standard XStep determines which business actions can be executed with it.

The following types of status can be set:

Status	Meaning	Business Action
In Process	This status is set automatically as soon as you have created a version. A version of a standard XStep that has the status In Process: Can be changed (for example, new XStep parameters can be added or existing ones changed) Cannot be referenced if it has only versions with the status In Process Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repositor y	Release for test Reject Release and approve
Refused	You set the status Refused for an SXS version, if, for example, the check has revealed errors and you want to correct the SXS version. A version of a standard XStep that has the status Refused: Cannot be changed (for example, the categories of an existing XStep parameter cannot be changed) Can only be changed if you have explicitly set the status to In Process Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repository Can be archived or delete d	Delete Process Flag for deletion
Released for Test	A version of a standard XStep that has the status Released for Test: Can only be changed to a limited extent if a version exists that has been released and released for testing. For example, you can no longer change the category of a parameter Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repository Can only be exploded in test control recipes in the case of an existing reference Can be simulated in the master recip e	Process Reject Release and approve
Releasedand Approved	You set the status Released and Approved for an SXS version if it can be used in production. This status can be used only with a digital signature. At a key date, there can only ever by one released and approved version of an XStep. A version of a standard XStep that has the status Released, Approved Can be exploded in the case of an existing reference Can no longer be changed Cannot be reset to the status In Process Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repository If you wish to change released and approved XStep versions, you must copy them and use them as templates.Discard the old version and assign the status Released, Approved to the new version.	Discard
Obsolete and Discarded	You set the status Obsolete and Discarded for an SXS version if it can no longer be used in production. This status can be used only with a digital signature. A version of a standard XStep that has the status Obsolete: Cannot be changed Can no longer be released Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repository Can be archived or delete d	Delete Flag for deletion
Flagged for Archiving	A version of a standard XStep that has the status Flagged for Archiving: Can be archived Can no longer be changed Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repositor y
Archived	If you have archived an SXS version, it is assigned the status Archived: A version of a standard XStep that has the status Archived Remains visible in the SXS repository Can no longer be changed Can be checked and simulated in the SXS repositor y	Delete

The following graphic shows the statuses and business actions of the approval procedure:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text.

Approval Process with Multistep Signature Procedure

If you specify a multistep procedure for the digital signature, in which several persons must provide their signatures, the status Current Signature Process is used to denote that the approval procedure is running.

The status Current Signature Process allows only the continuation of the process that has started as business actions (that is, either the approval and release or the discarding of an XStep.

You can terminate the signature process. The XStep then acquires the status prior to the signature process.

When the last necessary signature has been provided, the status Released, Approved or Obsolete, Discarded is set.

Activities

Create Standard XStep

For more information, see Creating a Standard XStep for a PI Sheet .