Create new approvals

A new approval can be created at the same time as a new record in the “New record” dialogue.

Click on Add approval to add an approval and display the “Approval template” and “Approval deadline” fields.

Fill out the dialogue in the same manner as the “New approval” dialogue (described in Creating an approval via the main window). However, an approval record cannot be created without a record document via the “New record” dialogue.

Click on the next to “Approval” as shown above to cancel the creation of an approval on the new record.

Before starting an approval, it is possible to add approval steps both before and after an existing step. If necessary, the sequence of approval steps can also be rearranged.

The function is found between each approval step. Click on Add step between two existing steps to add a new one between them. It is possible to add steps before, after and between existing approval steps.

The sequence of approvers can be changed by moving approval steps up or down. Click and hold the blue bar indicating the step. Drag the approval step to the desired location. A dark blue line shows to where the approval step will be moved, as illustrated below.

Drop the bar to insert the approval step with its approver and metadata. The sequence of approvers is now changed and the step numbers automatically change. This functionality simplifies setting up and editing approval flows.

Click on Save to save the changes.

If a copy recipient is added to an approval step, they will receive the approval in their inbox once the approval flow reaches their step. As shown in the example below, copy recipients Siún Moynihan and Stanley Matthews receive the approval in their inboxes when approver Sienna Morton receives the approval.

A copy recipient can neither approve nor return an approval. A copy recipient can add a comment to the approval and call the responsible user’s attention to it as well as indicate that they have seen the approval.

The copy recipient’s processing period is not limited to the step in the approval process where they are added. Unlike the approver, the copy recipient can continue to process the approval after it has left their step and even after final approval. In instances where the approval is returned and the process starts over, the copy recipient will still be able to process the approval at any time. Any previous comment will be removed, and the approval will no longer be marked as read, but both actions are logged in the activity log.

There are two ways in which a copy recipient can process an approval:

When an approval is marked as read, an info icon is displayed next to the copy recipient’s name. It is registered in the activity log of the approval that the copy recipient has marked the approval as seen.

Both users and units can be defined as copy recipients on an approval step.

It is possible to give approvers write access to the case to which the approval record is attached. To give an approver write access to the case, tick the box “Give approvers on this step access to the record’s case” on the relevant approval steps. This can be done when an approval is being created or edited. This setting is saved when an approval flow is saved as an approval template.

When the approval has been finally approved, the write access given at the time of creation or editing is automatically revoked.

It is not possible to give write access to approvers who have already received the approval.

If a case has been assigned limited access properties, users who have not been granted access to it do not receive access even if the box “Give approvers on this step access to the record’s case” is ticked.

Approval notifications are managed in the “Approval notifications” dialogue. Open the dialogue from the record window’s “Approval” tab by clicking Approval notifications.

You can also open the dialogue from the “New approval” dialogue by clicking Manage approval notifications.

From here, notifications are managed for each step in the approval process.

Select a step and click Edit. The “Edit approver” dialogue opens when a step with approvers has been selected. The dialogue is displayed below.

Notifications can also be managed for each step directed though the dialogue “Edit approval process for [name of the approval]” by clicking Manage additional notifications for users on this step. The dialogue is available when creating a new approval and via the record window’s “Approval” tab by clicking Edit approval flow.

The table below lists the different ways users can be involved in an approval flow and which notifications are available for each.

Personal and shared approval templates can be edited and/or deleted from the “Settings” tab in the main window. Click on Approval templates.

The “Approval templates” dialogue opens to show an overview of approval templates that the user is authorised to view and delete.

For users with the “Template administrator” privilege both personal and administrator-configured templates are displayed. In the “Location” column, the user can see the location of the approval templates.

To edit or delete an approval template, highlight the relevant template in the dialogue and click on either Edit template or Delete.

Deleted approval templates cannot be restored, but must be manually recreated.

Users with the “Template administrator” privilege can create approval templates directly from the “Approval templates” dialogue. Click on New approval template to open the dialogue. From here an approval flow can be set up and saved as a template. Read more about setting up the approval flow.

Each user can select a default approval template. This personal setting can be found on the “Settings” tab in the main window. Select the Setup menu item and, in the dialogue that opens, select the User tab. In the “Default approval template” drop-down menu, select the desired approval template. This function is useful e.g. when creating new templates or editing user settings.