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Set up the Vista Workflow Process

Modified: 23 Sep 2026 Viewpoint Financial Controls Help

In Vista, define the approval workflow that purchase orders or subcontracts must go through in order to be approved and processed.

This process involves defining approver roles and assigning users, creating an approval process for either purchase orders or subcontracts, adding approvers to workflow steps, and assigning the workflow to a module, company, or document type.

Before you create an approval workflow in Vista, you must first Define Reviewer Roles in Vista HQ Roles.

Create an Approval Workflow in Vista WF Workflow Process

Set up an approval workflow in Vista for purchase orders, subcontracts, or generic review/approval processes.

Before you create the workflow process, make sure you set up roles in Vista HQ Roles. You will use these roles when you assign approvers to the workflow.
  1. In Vista, go to Workflow > Programs > WF Workflow Process.
  2. Create a new workflow process and enter the name in the Process field, or choose an existing process from the grid.
  3. On the Info tab, enter a Description of the process.
  4. Choose a Document Type:
    • PO - Purchase Order
    • SL - Subcontract
    Leave this field blank if this is a generic workflow not specific to a document type.
    Note: For the Vista Web Pending PO / Subcontract Review feature, choose either PO or SL, do not leave this blank.
  5. For purchase orders, if you want approval and spending limits applied to the document total (rather than at the item level), select the Approval and spending limits based on document total checkbox.

    For subcontracts, approval and spending limits are always based on the document total.

  6. Make sure the Active checkbox is selected.
  7. On the Workflow Steps tab, create steps for the approval process. Choose an Approver Type.
    • Role: Select this option if all users assigned to a specific role should approve the step.
    • User: Select this option if a specific user should approve the step.
  8. Depending on the approver type you selected, use the User Name or Role field to specify which user or role will review the document.
    Note:
    • Users cannot approve their own purchase orders or subcontracts. This means the user creating the PO or SL is automatically removed from the workflow.
    • Each role or user can only be used once in the workflow process.
    • Roles are created and maintained using the HQ Roles form.
  9. In the Step field, enter the number of this approval process step.
  10. Enter additional information in the remaining fields. Save the step.
  11. Create additional approval workflow steps as needed.
  12. On the Assigned Companies tab, you can assign the approval process to specific modules, companies, and document types.
    Note: Each module/company/document type combination can only be set up for one purchase order and one subcontract workflow process.
  13. Save the workflow process.
For more details about Vista Workflow Processes, see the Vista Help on the Review/Approval Process Workflow.
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