This is a training – firm policy/preference issue. The answer will vary depending on your Firm’s policy. See notes below.

In most implementations Firms are trained to put in the Approved By and the Requested By as the same person to prevent the Form from getting “stuck” on a particular attorney’s desktop who does not look at the Check Request Forms.

If the names are listed as the same in both fields, then the form will automatically flow over to Accounts Payable in an approved status when you hit OK. If the Requested By and the Approved By persons are NOT the same, the form will sit in the Check Requests window until the Approved By person clicks on the Approve Button.

Until the Check Request Form is in an approved status, it will not be seen in Accounts Payable Manager/AP Monitor in order for the AP person to pay it. The Check Requests should flow properly over to the AP Manager screen in an approved status.

The system will always track the Entered By person automatically for you. All you need to fill in are the Requested By and the Approved By fields.

Keep in mind you can still print out the Form and/or attach it to an email as part of your approval process.

Each firm is different; however, the recommended method above helps prevent Forms from inadvertently getting “stuck” on a particular attorney’s desk. If your firm wants to enforce an approval process “only” through Orion where the Requested By field is different from the Approved By field, (i.e. a managing partner has to be listed in Orion as the Approved By person), then you should instruct the appropriate attorneys to do the approval and make a firm policy on looking at the unapproved/open Check Requests in Orion on a frequent basis, or issues on the timing and delivery of checks could arise.

Keep in mind only the person who has entered or requested the Check Request Form can modify it if is in an unapproved state. If those persons are not in the office, you may have times when you are unable to access the Form to change it to approved or delete it.