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Version: Current

Troubleshooting: Delegation Not Working Correctly

Problem​

Approval delegation, configured by a user or administrator, is not working as expected:

  1. Approval requests are still going to the original user instead of the delegate.
  2. The delegate cannot see or action the delegated approval requests.
  3. Delegation ended unexpectedly or didn't start when expected.
  4. Delegated duties (permissions/visibility) are not working.

Common Causes​

  1. Incorrect Delegation Configuration:
    • Wrong delegate selected.
    • Incorrect From date or Until date set.
    • Delegation not configured for the correct Team.
    • Delegation settings not saved correctly.
  2. Timing: The approval request was assigned before the delegation From date became active.
  3. Delegation Expired: The delegation Until date has passed.
  4. Delegate Permissions/Visibility: The selected delegate lacks the necessary permissions (#VIEW) or Data Permissions to see the specific document requiring approval. Delegation assigns the task, but not necessarily the underlying access rights (unless "Delegate Duties" is used).
  5. "Delegate Duties" Not Enabled: If the delegate needs the original user's permissions or visibility to action the request, the Delegate Duties toggle must be turned ON in the delegation settings.
  6. Caching Issues: The system might not have picked up the latest delegation configuration immediately (less common for backend processing but possible).
  7. Original Approver Actioned: The original approver might have actioned the request before the delegation took effect or was noticed.

Troubleshooting Steps​

  1. Verify Delegation Settings:
    • Ask the original user (or an Admin) to check the delegation settings in Profile > Delegation (or Organisation Settings > Users > Edit User > Delegation) for the relevant Team.
    • Is the correct Delegate selected?
    • Are the From date and Until date correct and currently active?
    • Is the Delegate existing approval requests toggle set appropriately if needed?
    • Is the Delegate Duties toggle turned ON if the delegate requires the original user's permissions/visibility?
    • Ensure settings were saved (Update button clicked).
  2. Check Approval Assignment Time: Look at the Audit History or Approval Flow timestamp for when the specific approval step was assigned to the original user. Was it before the delegation From date? Existing requests are only delegated if the "Delegate existing..." toggle was ON when the delegation was saved.
  3. Check Delegate's Access:
    • Can the delegate normally see documents of this type/supplier/department? Verify their standard User Group permissions and Data Permissions.
    • If "Delegate Duties" is OFF, ensure the delegate has the necessary independent permissions to view and action the document.
  4. Review Approval Flow Display:
    • Open the document. Look at the approval flow.
    • Does it show the original user's status as DELEGATED?
    • Does it show the delegate's name with a PENDING status?
    • If it still shows the original user as PENDING, the delegation likely wasn't active or configured correctly when the step was assigned.
  5. Refresh/Log Out: Ask the delegate to log out and log back in to ensure their session reflects the latest permissions (especially if "Delegate Duties" was recently enabled).

Need Help?​

If delegation is still not working correctly after checking these steps, contact Zudello support. Provide:

  • The Document UUID.
  • Email of the original user and the intended delegate.
  • Screenshots of the delegation configuration for the relevant team.
  • Details of the expected vs. actual behaviour.