Pre-Trip Flow

The whole objective of the Pre-Trip Flow is for an application to be properly created by the would-be applicant, which can be either an Applicant, an N2 Authorizer, or an N1 Authorizer. All of the aforementioned roles can create an application and their requirements for the pre-trip flow to be completed varies, since they entail different levels of inherent approval.

After an application is properly created by the would-be applicant, all of the required reviews must be approved, then the trip must be quoted by an Accounts Payable role user, and then have the required flights and hotels booked by a Travel Agent role user, if needed.

The following diagram is an extract of the flowchart found in the home wiki page to visually explain the core of the Pre-Trip Flow.

flowchart TB
    Application_Created["Application is Created"]
    Application_Reviewed["Application is reviewed<br>(as needed)"]
    Application_Quoted["Application is<br>quoted for budget"]
    Application_Reserved["Application reservations are made (as needed)"]

    Application_Created --> Application_Reviewed
    Application_Reviewed --> Application_Quoted
    Application_Quoted --> Application_Reserved

On authorizations

Whenever an application requires review and authorization by either an N2 Authorizer or an N1 Authorizer, if the application is rejected, it is considered finished, and in case a user still requires to go on the same trip, a brand new travel request application must be created, including the corrections required for the new application to be accepted this time around.

Applicant Application

This is the most common use-case for the project. Where a person with the role of Applicant can generate a travel request application. This is basically all they can do. Generate their travel request applications.

The following diagram simply illustrates the flow between the different actors involved in the approval of a travel request application by an Applicant:

---
config:
  theme: dark
  look: classic
---
sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Applicant
        actor Applicant
    end
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Authorizers
        actor N2 Authorizer
        actor N1 Authorizer
    end
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Support
        actor Accounts Payable
        actor Travel Agent
    end
    opt Draft Application
        loop As Needed
            Applicant ->> Applicant: Saves Draft Application
            activate Applicant
        end
    end
    Applicant ->> N2 Authorizer: Submits Finished Application
    activate N2 Authorizer
    rect darkred
        break Rejected
            N2 Authorizer -->> Applicant: Rejects First Review
        end
    end
    rect darkgreen
    N2 Authorizer ->> N1 Authorizer: Approves First Review
    activate N1 Authorizer
    deactivate N2 Authorizer
    end
    rect darkred
        break Rejected
            N1 Authorizer -->> Applicant: Rejects Second Review
        end
    end
    rect darkgreen
        N1 Authorizer ->> Accounts Payable: Approves Second Review
        activate Accounts Payable
        deactivate N1 Authorizer
    end
    alt Requires No Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> Applicant: Attends Request
    else Requires Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> Travel Agent: Attends Request
        activate Travel Agent
        deactivate Accounts Payable
        Travel Agent ->> Applicant: Attends Request
        deactivate Travel Agent
        deactivate Applicant
    end

N2 Authorizer Application

N2 Authorizers can also create travel application requests. This is not their main intended role, but they do have the ability to do so if desired.

The following diagram simply illustrates the flow between the different actors involved in the approval of a travel request application by an N2 Authorizer:

---
config:
  theme: dark
  look: classic
---
sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Applicant
        actor N2 Authorizer
    end
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Authorizers
        actor N1 Authorizer
    end
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Support
        actor Accounts Payable
        actor Travel Agent
    end
    opt Draft Application
        loop As Needed
            N2 Authorizer ->> N2 Authorizer: Saves Draft Application
            activate N2 Authorizer
        end
    end
    N2 Authorizer ->> N1 Authorizer: Submits Finished Application
    activate N1 Authorizer
    rect darkred
        break Rejected
            N1 Authorizer -->> N2 Authorizer: Rejects Second Review
        end
    end
    rect darkgreen
        N1 Authorizer ->> Accounts Payable: Approves Second Review
        activate Accounts Payable
        deactivate N1 Authorizer
    end
    alt Requires No Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> N2 Authorizer: Attends Request
    else Requires Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> Travel Agent: Attends Request
        activate Travel Agent
        deactivate Accounts Payable
        Travel Agent ->> N2 Authorizer: Attends Request
        deactivate Travel Agent
        deactivate N2 Authorizer
    end

N1 Authorizer Application

N1 Authorizers are meant to be the most important role when it comes to athorizing a travel request application, hence they will require no review process for authorizing the travel request applications they create.

The following diagram simply illustrates the flow between the different actors involved in the approval of a travel request application by an N1 Authorizer:

---
config:
  theme: dark
  look: classic
---
sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Applicant
        actor N1 Authorizer
    end
    box rgb(50, 50, 50) Support
        actor Accounts Payable
        actor Travel Agent
    end
    opt Draft Application
        loop As Needed
            N1 Authorizer ->> N1 Authorizer: Saves Draft Application
            activate N1 Authorizer
        end
    end
    N1 Authorizer ->> Accounts Payable: Submits Finished Application
    activate Accounts Payable
    alt Requires No Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> N1 Authorizer: Attends Request
    else Requires Hotel or Flight
        Accounts Payable ->> Travel Agent: Attends Request
        activate Travel Agent
        deactivate Accounts Payable
        Travel Agent ->> N1 Authorizer: Attends Request
        deactivate Travel Agent
        deactivate N1 Authorizer
    end