Why this portal instead of the Excel round

How the approval workflow works

1. Prepare the event. Admin registers the reviewers, imports the initial selection and sets the Core deadline, seller deadline and inbound date. Core and seller deadlines are entered in IST.
2. Review the selection. Core reviewers suggest changes in their GLs. The owning Now CM decides each suggestion. Accepted additions and quantity changes go to Anees for approval. A blank quantity stays pending; zero is an explicit quantity.
3. Sign off and open sellers. After the Core deadline, each CM signs off their full scope. Admin opens the seller round only when the required reviews and approvals are complete.
4. Answer and submit. Sellers explicitly answer each line, then submit their company review. Saving a draft is not submission. Unanswered lines stay pending after the deadline; silence is never treated as agreement.
5. Resolve differences. The owning CM resolves rejections. Revised quantities go through CM and Anees approval, then back to the seller to confirm the exact new ask.
6. Close and release. Each CM submits their completed scope. Admin closes and releases only after current certifications and the required seller confirmations are in place.

A deadline does not approve a line or move the event on by itself. An expired seller needs an explicit admin extension. Late new-ASIN proposals require the inbound-date and owning-CM acknowledgement shown on the form.

Who does what

Role	Sees	Does
Core category	Selection in assigned GLs	Suggest changes and new ASINs; follow the owning CM's decisions.
Now CM	Own scope across sellers	Decide Core inputs and seller differences; sign off the full scope and submit its final review.
Anees	Selection and quantity approval queue	Approve, hold or reject the requests assigned to Anees. Other admins cannot substitute for this approval.
Seller	Own company's released asks, without internal CM notes or forecast inputs	Save explicit line answers, submit the company review and reconfirm revised asks.
Admin	Event setup and overall progress	Manage roster and deadlines, open rounds, close and release. Admin does not answer for a seller or sign off for a CM.

Working with files and previews

• Initial upload: download the blank Topical SM Template from Admin. Register ownership scopes first, then preview and import during setup.
• Read-only extracts: download the selection visible to your role. Workflow answers and approvals are entered on the approval page, not uploaded from an edited extract.
• Draft or final: draft exports are marked DRAFT - NOT FOR BUYING. Final release requires the workflow's completion checks. Blank quantities are not filled from suggested quantities.
• Preview as: admins can inspect a role and scope without creating an account, or a specific user's view. Preview is read-only and does not test sign-in or email delivery.
• Recorded changes: actions carry their owner's identity and time. Stale edits are refused rather than silently overwriting a newer decision. Notification status shows delivery attempts; an uncertain attempt needs reconciliation before retrying.

Earlier events

Existing legacy events are not upgraded automatically. Their approval page explains whether an explicit upgrade is needed. Closed legacy events retain their reading and export pages.

Older sheet features, including “Since you last looked”, private notes and workbook round-tripping, belong to the legacy pages. They do not replace the current workflow's explicit approvals or seller submission.