---
title: "Entering, Validating, and Approving Data"
description: "Once a data collection process has been started, assigned collectors can view, edit, validate, and submit data through forms. This chapter covers the complete workflow from entering data to final approval."
source_url: https://support.lucanet.cloud/en/documentation/data-collection/collecting-data-dc/entering-validating-approving-data
language: en
last_updated: 2026-05-28
---
# Entering, Validating, and Approving Data

## Overview

Once a data collection process has been started, assigned collectors can view, edit, validate, and submit data through forms. This chapter covers the complete workflow from entering data to final approval.

## Viewing the Data Collection Processes

Users can view and browse the forms within data collection processes they are authorized to access:

- **Administrators** can view all forms in the system.
- **Collectors** can view forms for reporting entities they are assigned to (all statuses).
- **Approvers** can only view forms for reporting entities they are assigned to with status **Submitted**, **Approved**, or **Cancelled.**

To view the forms, navigate to **Data Collection** | **Data collection**.

The following columns are available:

Forms list

#### Form

Hierarchical view showing data collection process name, reporting entity name, and form name

#### Currency

Default currency of the reporting entity, which is also the currency of each of its forms

#### Status

Current status of the form or data collection process.

Forms can have the following statuses:

- **New:** The form exists, but no **Collector** has started editing yet.
- **In Progress:** A **Collector** has started work on this form. Data entry, import, or validation can continue until the form is submitted.
- **Submitted:** The form was submitted and is awaiting approval.
- **Approved:** An **Approver** approved this form.

Data collection processes can have the following statuses:

- **New:** The process exists; collection has not yet effectively started.
- **In Progress**: Data collection is in progress for this process as a whole: at least one form still needs work before the process can finish.
- **Finalized:** The process is complete.

#### Validation results

Indicator showing the result of validation rule execution if validation rules have been executed

#### Due date

Deadline for form completion

#### Last modified on

Date of the most recent modification

## Editing Forms

To view a form, click on the form name in the data collection list. The form detail view displays all sections and elements defined in the form template, along with any data already collected.

The detail view of a form

Forms consist of the following sections:

#### Form header

Displays the key details of the form at a glance: data collection process name, form name, form status, reporting entity, default currency, reporting period, due date, and validation status (once validation rules have been run).

The header also contains **action buttons**. The buttons available depend on your role and the current form status:

- **Start editing:** Available when the form status is **New**. Click to unlock the form for data entry. The form status changes to **In Progress**.
- **Run validation rules:** Available when the form is **In Progress**. Executes the validation rules configured for this form.
- **More actions:** Contains the **Import data** option. Use this to import data from:

 - **Consolidation & Financial Planning**
 - **Excel** (upload a file)
 - **Lucanet.Financial Warehouse**
- **Submit for approval:** Available when the form is **In Progress**. Submits the form to the assigned Approvers. The form status changes to **Submitted**.
- **Approve:** Available to Approvers when the form status is **Submitted**. Approves the form. The form status changes to **Approved**.
- **Send back:** Available to Approvers when the form status is **Submitted**. Returns the form to the Collector for corrections. The form status changes to **In Progress**.

#### Form structure panel

Left sidebar showing all form sections and their subordinate elements. Click on a section or element to navigate directly to it. Sections can be expanded or collapsed.

#### Element detail view

Displays all form sections and elements with the data collected so far. Tables with hierarchical rows allow drill down to any level of detail. Failed validations are indicated next to the affected elements. If the form is in status **New**, **Submitted**, or **Approved**, elements are displayed in read-only mode.

### Starting to Edit a Form

When a form is first created, it has the status **New** and is displayed in read-only mode.

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
Open the form by clicking on its name in the forms list.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Start editing** in the top right. The form status changes to **In Progress** and the form becomes editable.

{% info-box %}
Only **Collectors** assigned to a reporting entity in a reporting package can edit that reporting entity's forms. Administrators can edit any form regardless of reporting entity assignments.
{% /info-box %}
{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}

### Entering Data

Once a form is in **In Progress** status, Collectors can enter data manually or import it from an external source.

To import data instead of entering it manually, click **More actions | Import data** and choose from **Excel, Consolidation & Financial Planning,** or **Lucanet.Financial Warehouse**. See [Importing Data](https://support.lucanet.cloud/en/documentation/data-collection/collecting-data-dc/importing-data.md) for details.

To enter data manually:

- Click on a cell to enter or edit values
- Data is saved automatically as you type
- For tables with hierarchical rows, only lowest-level rows are editable. Superordinate rows aggregate values automatically.
- If drill-down is configured for a row or column, enter data at the drill-down level

{% info-box %}
Multiple **Collectors** assigned to the same reporting entity can edit the form concurrently. If two users modify the same cell at the same time, a conflict dialog appears. You can resolve the conflict by keeping your value, accepting the other user's value, or entering a different value.
{% /info-box %}

### Entering Data in Drill Down Cells

When drill down is configured for a row or column, the cell in the main table is **read-only**. Its value is automatically calculated as the sum of all drill down entries. To enter or edit values, click the drill down icon () in the cell.

Drill down can be configured at row level or column level, but not both on the same pivot table. Each level can have one or two drill down levels. The following sections describe what happens when you click the drill down icon, depending on how many levels are configured.

**Single-level drill down**

A dialog with a table opens, showing one row per dimension element. The table contains the following columns:

Drill-down dialog – single level

| Column | Description |
|---------|---------|
| \[Dimension name\] | Identifier of the dimension element (read-only) |
| Description | Description of the dimension element (read-only) |
| Transaction Currency | Drop-down list for selecting the transaction currency |
| Value in transaction currency | Editable value in transaction currency |
| Value in reporting currency | Editable value in reporting currency |

**Two-level drill down**

A dialog with two tables stacked vertically opens:

- **Level 1 (top)**: One row per Level 1 dimension element. The **Value in reporting currency** column is read-only and shows the aggregated sum of all Level 2 entries for that element. Click a Level 1 row to select it and load its Level 2 entries in the grid below.

- **Level 2 (bottom)**: The detailed entries for the selected Level 1 element. Transaction currency and values are editable here. The section title shows the name of the selected Level 1 element.

Drill down dialog – two levels

**Adding entries**

Click **\+ Add \[dimension type\]** to open a dimension selector and add a new entry.

**Deleting entries**

Click the delete icon at the end of a row and confirm the deletion. When all entries are deleted, the parent cell value becomes empty.

**Saving changes**

Changes in the drill down modal are saved automatically when you leave a cell, for example by pressing **Enter**, or **Tab**, or by clicking elsewhere. Pressing **Escape** while editing a cell cancels that edit without saving. There is no **Save** button – close the dialog using the **X** button, by pressing **Escape** when no cell is active, or by clicking outside the dialog.

## Validating Data

Data Collection provides two types of validation that can be executed during a data collection process:

- **Validation rules** – check data quality within a single reporting entity's forms (executed from inside a form)
- **Intercompany validation** – check that transactions between related reporting entities match (executed from the data collection list)

### Executing Validation Rules

To execute validation rules, click **Execute validation rules** in the top right of a form. The system executes all active validation rules that apply to the form and displays a summary when complete.

Summary of all validation rules executed on a form

### Viewing Validation Results

After validation rules are executed, a results panel displays:

- **Blocking** – Critical errors that must be resolved before submission
- **Warning** – Issues that should be reviewed but do not prevent submission
- **Passed** – Rules that completed successfully

To view details for a specific rule, expand the rule row.

The expanded view can include:

- **Details**: Business context of the rule
- **Validation rule structure**: The configured formula or logical expression
- **Validation rule in execution**: Values used during execution and the calculated difference (if applicable)

Viewing validation rule details

Form elements referenced by failed validation rules are highlighted directly in the form.

{% warning-box %}
**Outdated Validation Results**

If data is changed after the last validation execution, the existing validation results are no longer up to date. In this case, a **Validation outdated** warning is displayed below the form header. For users who can execute validation rules i.e. Collectors, the warning includes an **Execute validation** **rules** action so they can immediately start a new validation execution.

The warning is removed automatically when:

- validation is completed successfully and results are up to date, or
- the form status changes from **In Progress** to another status.
{% /warning-box %}

### Executing Intercompany Validation

If intercompany validation is enabled for the reporting package, Collectors can execute intercompany validation at the reporting entity level. Intercompany validation checks that transactions between related reporting entities match — for example, that the total financial amount that Reporting entity A reports against Reporting entity B must equal the total amount that Reporting entity B reports against Reporting entity A — but with opposite signs (one positive, one negative).

To execute intercompany validation, navigate to **Data Collection** | **Data collection**, and select **Execute IC validation** from the three-dot context menu at the end of the reporting entity row.

'Execute IC validation' option

### Viewing Intercompany Validation Results

After intercompany validation has been completed, a second notification appears and a **View IC validation results** option becomes available in the context menu.

To view the results, select **View IC validation results** from the context menu. A results panel is displayed, showing each intercompany rule that was executed with its status:

- **Passed** – no difference found between the two entities
- **Warning** – a difference was found

For each rule, you can see the rule name, the difference (if any), and when the validation was last executed. You can execute all rules again at once using **Execute validation again** at the top of the results panel, or execute a single rule individually.

Intercompany validation results

## Submitting Forms

After entering data and executing validation, Collectors submit forms for approval.

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
Navigate to the form to be submitted and click **Submit for approval** in the top right. The **Submit for Approval** dialog is displayed:

'Submit for Approval' dialog
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Optionally, add comments to provide context for the Approver.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Submit**. The form status changes to **Submitted** and the form becomes read-only. A notification is sent to the assigned Approvers.

{% warning-box %}
Forms cannot be submitted if:

- Mandatory fields are not filled in
- Validation rules have not been executed
- Blocking validation errors exist
{% /warning-box %}
{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}

## Approving and Sending Back Forms

Approvers review submitted forms and either approve them or send them back for corrections.

### Approving a Form

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
Open a form with status **Submitted**.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Review the data and any validation of type **Warning**.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Approve** in the top right. The **Approve** dialog is displayed.

'Approve' dialog
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Optionally, add comments. Click **Approve** to confirm.

The form status changes to **Approved** and a notification is sent to the Collector. When all forms in a data collection process are approved, the process status changes to **Finalized**.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}

### Sending Back a Form

{% stepper %}
{% stepper-step %}
Open a form with status **Submitted**.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Send back** in the top right. The **Send Back** dialog is displayed.

'Send Back' dialog
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Add comments explaining what needs to be corrected.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% stepper-step %}
Click **Send back** to confirm.

The form status returns to **In Progress** and the Collector can edit and resubmit the form. The Collector can view the rejection comments to understand what needs to be corrected.
{% /stepper-step %}
{% /stepper %}