Lifecycle and approval workflows

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Lifecycle and approval workflows within SmartERP.

SmartERP Letter & Correspondence Management enforces a rigorous, stateful lifecycle designed to eliminate accidental dispatch, ensure managerial oversight, and maintain an immutable historical record. Once a letter reaches the approved stage, its core content fields become read-only and protected by database-level constraints.

{screenshot:lifecycle-and-workflows-overview-dashboard}

2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

• Required Modules: smarterp_letter, smarterp_correspondence
• Security Groups:
  • Letter Registry Clerk (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_clerk)
  • Executive Reviewer (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_reviewer)
  • Director General (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_executive)
• Master Data Dependencies: Dual calendar templates (Ethiopian & Gregorian), official stamp repository, letter reference numbering formats, and departmental dispatch routes.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

1. Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
2. Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
3. Select the Correspondence app icon.
4. From the top navigation bar, open Correspondence → Letters → Inbound / Outbound / Internal Memoranda.

{screenshot:lifecycle-and-workflows-app-switcher-navigation}

Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

1. Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
2. Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
   • Letter Subject (Mandatory): Clear administrative or commercial subject heading
   • Sender / Recipient Entity (Mandatory): External institution or internal department
   • Dispatch Channel (Mandatory): Physical courier, hand delivery, or digital dispatch
   • Dual Date (EC & GC) (Mandatory): Official Ethiopian calendar and Gregorian dates
3. Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
   • Digital Signature / Seal (Optional): Authorized executive cryptographic stamp
   • Security Classification (Optional): Routine, Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret
   • Related Prior Reference (Optional): Cross-referenced correspondence tracking ID
4. Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

{screenshot:lifecycle-and-workflows-record-creation-form}

Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

• State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Draft Memo → Editorial Review → Legal Clearance → Executive Signature & Stamp → Dispatched / Archived).
• Ledger & System Impact: Maintains immutable institutional correspondence registry with cryptographic QR validation for external party verification.
• Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

{screenshot:lifecycle-and-workflows-transaction-processing-state}

Correspondence lifecycle state machine#

The standard journey of an official letter progresses through distinct phases:

flowchart TD
    D[Draft / ዝግጅት] -->|Submit| SUB[Submitted / የቀረበ]
    SUB -->|Assign Reviewers| REV[Under Review / በግምገማ ላይ]
    REV -->|Request Changes| RR[Revision Requested / ማሻሻያ የተጠየቀ]
    RR -->|Update & Resubmit| SUB
    REV -->|Approve| APP[Approved / የጸደቀ]
    APP -->|Allocate Official Number| REG[Registered / የተመዘገበ]
    REG -->|Dispatch / Send| DISP[Dispatched / የተላከ]
    DISP -->|Confirm Delivery| ACK[Delivered / ደረሰኝ የተረጋገጠ]
    ACK -->|Complete Action| CLS[Closed / የተጠናቀቀ]
    CLS -->|Retention Policy| ARC[Archived / ማህደር የገባ]
    
    SUB -.->|Reject| REJ[Rejected / ውድቅ የተደረገ]
    REV -.->|Reject| REJ
    D -.->|Cancel| CANC[Cancelled / የተሰረዘ]

State descriptions#

End-to-end approval and dispatch sequence#

The following sequence illustrates the interaction between Drafter, Approver, Registry Officer, and external recipient:

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    actor Drafter as Action Officer (Drafter)
    actor Approver as Department Head (Approver)
    actor Registry as Registry / Dispatch Officer
    participant Letters as SmartERP Letters
    participant DMS as SmartERP Documents (DMS)
    actor Recipient as External Organization
    
    Drafter->>Letters: Create draft letter & select template
    Letters->>DMS: Create draft document in DMS workspace
    Drafter->>Letters: Submit for review
    Letters->>Approver: Send approval activity notification
    Approver->>Letters: Review content & click Approve
    Letters->>Letters: Lock content & increment optimistic_version
    Registry->>Letters: Allocate official reference number
    Letters->>Letters: Assign permanent reference (e.g. ATS/CORP/OUT/2026/00142)
    Registry->>Letters: Affix organizational stamp & sign PDF
    Letters->>DMS: Generate final signed PDF with SHA-256 digest
    Registry->>Recipient: Dispatch letter via courier or email
    Registry->>Letters: Mark Dispatched (record dispatch mode & tracking)
    Recipient-->>Registry: Return signed acknowledgment receipt
    Registry->>Letters: Upload signed return receipt & mark Delivered

Approval governance rules#

SmartERP Letter Management integrates with smarterp_approval to enforce four strict governance rules:

1. Self-Approval Prohibition: A user cannot approve a letter that they drafted or for which they are the responsible officer. Attempting to approve one's own letter raises a UserError("Self-approval is strictly prohibited for official correspondence.").
2. Quorum & Multi-Tier Approvals: High-value or legally binding correspondence types can require multiple consecutive approvals (e.g., Legal Officer -> Finance Director -> CEO).
3. Delegation with Audit Trail: An approver may delegate their approval authority during leave. The system records both the delegated actor and the delegating officer in the immutable audit log (smarterp.letter.audit.log).
4. Optimistic Concurrency Protection: Each letter maintains an optimistic_version counter. If two officers attempt to modify or approve the letter simultaneously, the second transaction is safely rolled back to prevent race conditions.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

• Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
  • Letters: Check dispatch delivery receipt status (smarterp_letter.ir_cron_dispatch_check): Runs daily to verify courier delivery confirmation slips
  • Letters: Follow-up on pending memorandum actions (smarterp_letter.ir_cron_followup): Runs weekly to alert assigned officers of pending correspondence replies
• Custom Print Templates & Reports:
  • Official Letterhead Dispatch Copy with QR Verification
  • Institutional Letter Inward/Outward Registry Ledger
• Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#