Create new approvals
An approval is a structured process initiated by a user. The user who creates and starts the approval process is specified as the person responsible for the approval. The foundation of the approval is the approval record, which is automatically created when a new approval is created.
There are three ways of creating an approval:
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Creating an approval record in F2’s main or case window.
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Creating a new record and then attaching an approval process.
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Adding an approval to an existing record in the record window.
In all instances, the record becomes an approval record, which contains an approval document and a record document.
Who can create approval flows?
By default, all F2 users can start an approval and define which user(s) should approve the attached material, which users should be oriented about the approval, and set a deadline for the approval. If needed, an approval template can be configured so that all approvals follow a fixed flow.
A secretariat or similar can act as a gatekeeper and manage approvals on behalf of a gated approver. Read more in F2 Gateway Approvals.
Roles in approval flows
An approval contains two main roles:
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The responsible user: The person who initiates the approval.
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The approver: One or more persons who are to approve the submitted material.
Each approver is linked to a step in the approval process and can carry out the following approval actions:
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Approve
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Return, including conditional approval.
It is possible to add comments, and the approver can manage the approval process by either returning or conditionally approving. If the approver on a given step decides to return the approval, they can suggest on which step to resume the process. This allows the approver to take control of the approval process.
Create an approval from the main or case window
To create an approval in the main or case window, click on New approval in the ribbon.
Click on New approval to open the “New approval” dialogue.
Fill in the following metadata in the dialogue:
| Function | Description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
“Title” |
Specify the title of the record on which the approval is created. |
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“Case” |
Choose whether the approval record should be attached to a new or an existing case. |
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“Record attachments” |
Select how to handle attachments for the record selected in the main window. |
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“Relate the new record to the current record” |
Tick this field to create the new approval record as an answer record to the record selected in the main window. |
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“Approval template” |
Choose between an approval template (pre-defined) or a “New empty approval flow”.
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“Approval deadline” |
If applicable, set a deadline for the approval. If an answer record to a request is created as an approval, the request’s internal deadline will be suggested as the approval and record deadline. |
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“Create record document” |
If this box is unticked, the approval will be created without a record document.
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Click OK to finish.
If a specific approval template has been selected, the record opens with the selected approval flow. The approval flow can be initiated when the record is ready to be sent and any eventual attachments have been enclosed to the record.
If, on the other hand, “New empty approval flow” has been selected, the dialogue “New approval of [record title]” opens. The approval flow with the number of steps and approvers is set up in the dialogue. The dialogue is described in detail in the Set up an approval flow.
Create a new approval on a record
To create an approval on an existing record, click on Add Approval in the record’s ribbon.
The dialogue below opens.
Click on the down arrow in the “New empty approval flow” field. In the drop-down menu that opens, click on an approval template (i.e. an already created approval flow) or New empty approval flow. Click OK to finish.
| When configuring F2 it is possible to enable or disable the “New empty approval flow” option. Another configuration option is whether it is possible to create an approval on an existing record. If this is disabled, approval flows may only be created in either the main window or the case window. |
Set up an approval flow
Whether an approval is created in F2’s main window, case window, or on an existing record, the dialogue for creating a new approval is the one shown below. In this dialogue the approval flow and its number of steps and approvers are chosen.
The following information is specified when creating a new approval:
| Function | Description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
“Deadline” |
Specify the deadline for the approval’s final approval. An exact time of day can be entered. |
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“Urgent” |
Tick this box to indicate that the approval is urgent.
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“Create a reply when approval is final” |
Automatically create a reply record upon final approval. This requires the F2 Signed Approval module. |
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“Type” |
Select the approval type. Approval types are defined by a user with the “Value list administrator” privilege and vary between organisations. |
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“Replace approval document” |
Replace the approval document with another approval document.
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“Manage approval notifications” |
Set up notifications for each approval step. Read more in Manage approval notifications. |
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“Add step” |
Add new approval steps to the approval flow. For each approval step it is possible to add metadata described below. It is possible to add steps before and after an existing approval step. An unlimited number of steps can be added to an approval flow. Delete an approval step by clicking on |
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“Approvers” |
All approval steps require an approver (an internal participant from the participant register). Add one or more approvers in the field.
If a unit is selected as approver, the approval is placed in its shared inbox when it reaches the relevant step. This means all employees of the unit can view the approval and approve on behalf of the unit. |
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“Copy to” |
Inform users who are not part of the approval flow about an approval step. One or more users, units and distribution lists can be specified in this field.
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“Deadline” |
Set a deadline for each approver of the approval step. |
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“Manage additional notifications for users on this step” |
Open the “Edit approver” dialogue where notifications can be set up for approvers on the specific step. |
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“Limited visibility” |
Tick this field to hide the approval from this step’s approvers and any copy recipients, until the approval reaches this step.
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“Give approvers on this step access to the record case” |
Tick this field to give the approver write permission to the record’s case. The permission is automatically revoked when the record is finally approved. Read more about this in the section Give approvers write access to the record’s case. |
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“Save as template” |
Save the current approval flow as a template in order to reuse it. |
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“Save” |
Create and save the approval flow with the filled-in fields. |
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“Cancel” |
Cancel the creation of the approval flow. |
| An approval cannot be created if it contains an empty approval step. |
Add and move approval steps
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.
| Once the approval flow has started, it is not possible to add any additional approval steps before or between steps already approved. Other options are available when an approval is restarted. |
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.
Add a copy recipient
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.
| By default, the names of copy recipients are hidden behind the "Show copy recipients" link in approval flows. You can change this in your personal settings, so copy recipients are always shown. |
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:
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“Mark as read”: The copy recipient acknowledges having seen the approval.
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“Mark as read and notify responsible”: The copy recipient acknowledges having seen the approval, and the responsible user receives the approval in their inbox with a notification that it has been seen and commented on by the copy recipient. This way the copy recipient ensures that the responsible user is aware of the copy recipient’s comment.
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.
Give approvers write access to the record’s case
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.
| A user who can handle approvals on behalf of another user does not obtain write access to the record’s case. The write access is limited to the specified approver. |
Manage approval notifications
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.
| User | Available types of notifications |
|---|---|
Responsible user/unit |
When the approval moves to a different step. When the approval is sent on from a step with a comment. |
Approver |
When the approval is sent to a different step by an approver. When the approval is sent on from a step with a comment. When the approval is returned, and approver is one of the subsequent approvers. When the approval is finally approved. |
Subscriber |
When the approval moves to a different step. When the approval is sent on from a step with a comment. When the approval is finally approved. |
| When assigning "On behalf of" rights to a user, you can toggle whether said user also receives approval notifications. |
Manage subscriber notifications
Users can subscribe to approvals and receive notifications, even if they are not part of the approval flow. Subscribers and their notifications are also managed from the “Approval notifications” dialogue by switching to the “Subscribers” tab.
Add, edit, or remove subscribers via this dialogue. Click Add subscribers to open the dialogue displayed below.
