Why can't I...?

Real messages and symptoms, with the cause and the fix.

At a glance

Who it is for: anyone who hit an error message or a blocked action.
What you can do: find the message or symptom in the table for your area and read its cause and fix.
What you need first: the exact message text, and which area you were working in (approvals, purchasing, sales and so on).

Approvals

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
"You cannot approve your own submission."	You submitted the document and are also the approver at this step.	Ask the next approver. An Admin can allow self-approval in Instance settings (off by default).
"No active approval rule covers ... at amount ... Ask an Admin to configure one under Approval Rules."	No amount band exists for this document type.	Admin: Approval Rules (Configuration › Approval Rules).
"You are not authorized to act on this approval step."	The current step names a different employee or role.	Check who the step is assigned to; decide from My Approvals.
"This approval is no longer pending."	Already decided or superseded.	Refresh; a resubmission creates a new approval.

Purchasing

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
Print is refused for a PO or quotation	Only an Approved one can be printed.	Get it approved first.
"Only Draft or Rejected purchase orders can be submitted."	It is already pending or approved.	Wait for the decision.
"... isn't approved yet and can't be allocated to."	Payment allocation to a bill that is not Approved (or "is cancelled").	Approve the bill first.
"Enter a reason for cancelling this purchase order."	Cancelling needs a reason.	Type a reason.

Sales

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
"... would be over their credit limit: ..."	Confirming would take the customer past their credit limit.	Request credit-limit approval with a reason ("Give a reason for asking to exceed the credit limit."). Approval does not confirm; confirm afterwards.
"Only a Draft invoice can be cancelled - raise a Credit Note ..."	Issued invoices are not cancelled.	Raise a credit note.
"A quotation must be approved before it can be sent to the customer."	Quotation not yet Approved.	Submit it for approval.
"N line(s) need price approval before this order can be confirmed."	Repricing moved a line beyond tolerance.	The price revision must be approved first.
"A Return order must be approved before it can be confirmed ..."	Return orders need approval.	Submit it for approval.

Inventory

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
"Insufficient stock to post this movement: ..."	A stock-out would take the balance negative.	Reduce the quantity or receive stock first.
Stock did not change after a misc movement or count	Stock posts only on final approval.	Check My Approvals.
"... is not stockable - it can't hold inventory."	Service parts never hold stock.	Use a stockable part.

Shop floor

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
Cannot issue material or complete a job	The job is still Planned; it must be released first.	Release the job.
"Only parts in this job's bill of materials can be issued to it."	Part is not a component of the job.	Issue a BOM component.
Material issue stays Pending	It exceeds the planned requirement and needs approval.	The approver decides in My Approvals.
"Scrap can only be recorded on a step that has started."	Step is still Pending.	Start the step.

Accounts

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
"GL control account for ... is not configured - set it at /admin/gl-control-accounts."	Posting needs a control account that is missing.	Admin: configure it on that page.
"Only Approved payments can be marked as paid."	Payment not yet approved.	Get it approved.
"Allocated total can't exceed the payment amount."	Allocations exceed the payment.	Lower the amounts.
"Company profile is not configured - check Masters > Company."	No company record.	Admin: complete Masters > Company.

Leave

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
"Only N day(s) available for ..."	Request exceeds your balance, pending requests included.	HR can adjust at People › Leave Balances.
"Your login isn't linked to an Employee record ..."	No employee linked to your user.	Admin: link one under Users & Roles.
"You cannot decide your own leave request."	Self-approval is never allowed for leave.	Your manager or HR decides.
"This leave has already started or finished - it can no longer be cancelled."	The start date has passed.	Ask HR.

Symptom / message	Cause	Fix / who to ask
Account locked after wrong passwords	Failed-login limit reached (default 5), locked for a set time (default 15 minutes).	Wait, or an Admin unlocks you in Admin > Users.
Signed out unexpectedly	Idle timeout (default 30 min, "Still there?" warning a minute before) or the absolute session limit (default 12 h).	Sign in again; click Stay signed in on the warning.
A page or menu item is missing	Your role has no access to that area.	Ask an Admin (Admin > Access).