An object's lifecycle is controlled by a policy that governs the object. The policy
determines the states of the lifecycle, indicates when approvals are required, and
specifies which users can approve the object.
Policies
Each object goes through a series of states called a lifecycle. When a new business
object is created, the policy of that object defines the states through which it must
pass from inception to completion.
The policy governs all activities during each state in the lifecycle, including who can
perform what tasks on the object. Objects can be moved from one state to the next when
conditions for state transition are met as defined in the object's
policy.
If an object is part of a route (see the Collaboration and
Approvals User's Guide for information on routes), the route
must be completed before the object can be promoted.