---
title: "Assign approvers"
description: "The Assign approvers tab within the Cost units window allows you to specify valid combinations of cost units and assign approvers to these combinations."
lang: en
languages:
  en: https://docs.vismasoftware.no/approval/online_help/configuration/cost_units/assign_approvers/index.md
lastmod: 2025-12-24
---

> Documentation index: https://docs.vismasoftware.no/approval/online_help/configuration/cost_units/assign_approvers/llms.txt


# Assign approvers

Last modified December 24, 2025

> The Assign approvers tab within the Cost units window allows you to specify valid combinations of cost units and assign approvers to these combinations.


> **Important**:
>
> This functionality is only accessible for system administrators.
It is also only available if the service you are sending documents from uses cost units.

The cost unit combinations are hierarchical, meaning that the order of the cost unit types in the first step of the
wizard dictates the order of the cost unit combination. When creating the combinations, you can use the **Any** option
instead of a cost unit when you want the approver to approve any of the cost units that has not been specified.

## Example

- You have two cost unit types: **Department** and **Business unit**.
- You have two departments: **R&D** and **Marketing**.
- You have three business units: **Alpha**, **Beta**, and **Charlie**.

You make the following cost unit combinations with approver:

| Cost unit type 1 | Cost unit type 2 |  |  |
|-----|-----|------|------|
| **Department** | **Business unit** | **Approver** | **Role** |
| R&D | Beta | Alice | Department manager |
| R&D | Any | Henry | Department manager |
| Marketing | Charlie | Odin | Department manager |
| Any | Alpha | Susan | Unit manager |

### Step 1: Department manager approves

You send a document with cost units **R&D - Charlie**. It will go to Henry.
But if you send a document with cost units **R&D - Beta**, it will go to Alice. In other words, Henry approves anything
under R&D that is **not** Beta.

### Step 2: Unit manager approves

You send a document regardless of the department and with cost unit **Alpha**. It will go to Susan.

## How to add a cost unit combination

1. Go to **Configuration - Cost units - Assign approvers**.
> <p>You can also add a cost unit combination by clicking <img src="image.png"
  loading="lazy"
  decoding="async"
>  next to an existing cost unit combination.
The values of the existing combination will then be prefilled.</p>

1. Click **Add cost unit combination**.
> <p><strong>Note: (unspecified)</strong> means that no cost unit types underneath will be valid. Let us use the example above with
Departments and Business units, and that you have a 3rd cost unit type called <strong>Project</strong>.
If you set up the combination <strong>R&amp;D - (unspecified)</strong>, you cannot choose a business unit.</p>

1. Select cost units under each cost unit type.
1. Click **OK**.

## How to assign an approver to a cost unit combination

1. Select the combination.
1. Click **Assign approver.
> <p>You can also assign an approver by clicking the person icon next to an existing approver. This will copy that row so you
can easily add an approver with the same role.</p>

1. From the drop-down list, select a [role](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/approval/online_help/configuration/roles/index.md).
1. Select an approver.
1. Optional: If you are using branches in Visma.net ERP, you can select a specific branch to assign an approver to.
If you want the approver to receive documents regardless of the branch used in the document, then you can use the "Any" branch.
1. Optional: Select the **Deputy** check box if the approver only receives documents that cannot be approved by the
other approver(s). This function is used to avoid approvers having to approve their own documents.
1. Click **Save**.

## How to change the approver to a cost unit combination

1. Select the combination.
1. Click the **Edit** icon next to an approver.
1. You can change all the fields (**Approver role, Approver, Branch, Deputy**).
1. Click **Save**.

## How to delete the approver from a cost unit combination

1. Select the combination.
1. Click the **Delete** icon next to an approver.

The approver is now removed from the cost unit combination.

## How to skip the approver from a cost unit combination

1. Navigate to the **Configuration** tab and select **Cost units and Assign approvers**.
2. Select the relevant **cost unit combination** from the list.
3. In the **Assigned approver(s)** grid, locate the role you wish to skip.
4. Change the value in the **Skip cost unit** column to **"Yes"**.
5. Click **Save** to apply the changes.
6. The Approver field for that line will automatically become empty.
7. Observe that the row turns **red**.

If a workflow has multiple steps and one is marked "skipped," the system moves directly to the next active step without notifying the potential approver of the skipped role.

If the only step in a workflow is marked as "skipped," the document status is immediately updated to **"Approved"** upon submission, and no approval tasks are generated. You can find the document under Process overview and Document overview screens.

---

[View this page](https://docs.vismasoftware.no/approval/online_help/configuration/cost_units/assign_approvers/)


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