Pre-Approval

About Pre-Approval

A Pre-approval configuration allows you to create and place shortcuts to MOC request (request for change) forms under any user's Frontline desktop Shortcuts tab. This allows the user to submit an MOC request. An MOC created using a shortcut goes through the pre-approval stage.

You can create multiple pre-approvals to address various situations. Each pre-approval has one or more designated pre-approvers (minimum one is required), and you can indicate whether approval by all pre-approvers is required for the request to be considered approved ("Require all Pre-approvers to Approve"). It also has a Ref Code (mandatory), an originator (optional) and a profile (optional); and can be placed on multiple people's Frontline desktops.

For example, a pre-approval "MOC Request - Gas Plant" may have following features:

  • Pre-approvers - One or more managers in the Gas plant
  • Ref Code - Gas plant
  • Originator - Engineer in the Gas plant
  • Profile - "Gas plant operating parameter changes" (example)
  • Place shortcuts on system desktops of plant operators in the Gas plant

The pre-approvers can be a individual names or jobs* in series or parallel.

This is how the MOC request for change and the pre-approval process works:

  • Anyone with a Frontline desktop shortcut to the pre-approval form can submit an MOC request.
  • Pre-approvers get e-mails about the new MOC request. If the pre-approver is a job, all people assigned the job get e-mails, and any of these people can pre-approve the MOC request..
  • Pre-approvers complete the pre-approval task from their Frontline desktops. If disapproved, MOC is voided based on the criteria configured for the pre-approval, and moved to the voided folder.
  • Originator gets notified about the pre-approved MOC on Frontline desktop, and completes the task.

Any pre-approved MOC's pre-approvers tab stores the original pre-approval request and is not editable. Similarly, MOC summary page (accessed using the View Summary button) also shows the pre-approval details near the top. If an MOC did not go through the pre-approval stage, this area will be blank.

Only MOC power users can see and configure pre-approvals.

Notes:

  • If you want the person submitting the MOC request to complete a custom form or a checklist (created using forms), please contact your MOC administrator or Frontline Data Solutions. This is a custom feature that can be set up for your instance of MOC module.  The completed form is saved with the MOC as long as the form is part of the selected profile via its implementation requirement.
  • Pre-approval feature can be used to submit a concept for a project or a change to your management. This saves the effort required in developing the MOC scope if the concept is rejected in the pre-approval stage.
  • You can pre-approve an MOC request or concept even if only one of the pre-approvers thinks it is a valid request or concept.

Managing Pre-Approval Shortcuts

How to Create Pre-Approval Shortcuts

Step

Action

1

Navigate to Settings > Pre-Approval in the MOC module menu.

Result: The pre-approvals already available in the system will display.

2

Select    from the toolbar.

Result: The Pre-Approval Information form will display all available fields to complete.

3

Enter the pre-approval Title, Description and Ref Code. Use a recognizable title with description for each pre-approval. Both title and description show up on the users' system desktops under the Shortcuts tab. Examples of title - “Request for Change for Plant A” , “MOC request form”, or "Request for Change to Operating Procedure". Example of description - "Use this form to submit Request for Change (MOC) for Plant A".

Note: If you have many Ref Codes and want to minimize the number of shortcuts on users' desktops, consider using a generic Ref Code. Instruct your originators to change to correct Ref Code when they begin processing a pre-approved MOC request.

4

Select a profile (optional) for this pre-approval form. This is for the benefit of the pre-approvers and/or originator, and can be selected later by the originator if not selected now. It can also be changed by the originator depending on the pre-approvers' comments.

5

Click Require all Pre-Approvers to Approve if you want all pre-approvers (selected in step 8 below) to agree with this MOC request. If not checked, the request is pre-approved even if any one of the pre-approvers approve.

6

Select default originator (optional) for any MOCs submitted using this pre-approval form. This is also for the benefit of the pre-approvers, and can be selected by them if not pre-selected here. Enter a few characters of the originator's last name, click ellipses and select person.

7

Select    on the toolbar.

Result: The new pre-approval has been added to the list.

8

Click the Pre-Approvers tab. This allows you to add pre-approvers by names or job titles*.

9

Select    from the toolbar.

10

If you want to enter a job title, select Jobs.

Enter the first few characters of the person's name or job and click Search. To select from a list of all people and jobs in your division, simply click on search.

11

Enter the first few characters of the person's name or job and click Search. To select from a list of all people and jobs in your division, simply click on search.

12

Select the person or job from the list and enter Order. For jobs, clicking on hyperlink will show you who has been assigned the job.

Note: If do not enter an order, MOC pre-approvals will default to parallel order.

13

Select    on the toolbar.

14

Use Reorder button if you wish to reorder several pre-approvers simultaneously.

15

Click the People with Desktop Shortcut tab. This will allow you to place a shortcut to this pre-approval on users' system desktops.

16

Select    from the toolbar.

17

Enter people search criteria. You may search by account by selecting an account and clicking Search.

To search for a person by name, enter any part of person's name and click search. To select from a list of all people in your division, simply click on search.

18

Select people whose system desktops will contain this pre-approval.

19

Select    on the toolbar.

20

Repeat steps 1 - 19 for additional pre-approval shortcuts to address various situations. Each pre-approval can have different pre-approvers, Ref Code, profile and originator, and can be placed on applicable people's system desktops.

If you need to change pre-approvers for an existing pre-approval, select it and begin at step 8.

If you need to add/remove shortcuts to an existing pre-approval, select it and begin at step 15.