Multiple Approvals Needed

[AndrewPolkParticipant]

Good morning.

I’ve been asked to create a form where the submission is sent to a group of managers. All the managers need to approve before the request is passed to the directors. I only see one way of doing this. A stage needs to be created for each manager and pass the request to each manager one after the other. Am I correct? Or is there a way to use a single stage for all the managers?

Thanks,

andy

[Dennis @ PerfectFormsBlocked]

Your solution is viable, but the workflow will be fairly complex because if manager #2 gets there first you have to decide to which workflow stage the instance will route next. You will have to account for every scenario.

My preference is to have one manager approval stage. Create a condition that to move to the next workflow stage all four manager’s approve checkboxes (or radio buttons)must be checked. If any of the managers clicks reject and submits, route the instance to a rejected stage.

Use a different role for each manager. Send their notifications to their roles so that you can control the visibility of their approval groups based on their role and the workflow stage.

Workflow software, Process software, Procedure software

[AndrewPolkParticipant]

Thank you Dennis,

I have done as you suggested and setup each manager as a role. After each approves it goes to the Director (four directors) stage. The question I have now relates to escalation. If one of the managers is out and does approve or reject how do I move to the directors stage after a set amount of time?

Thanks again,

andy

[Dennis @ PerfectFormsBlocked]

You have two choices:

1)The Notification object allows you to set up an indefinite number of notifications with reminders and escalations. You can use this feature to send escalations to other people in the organization at delayed intervals until the stage has changed: http://www.perfectforms.com/Documentation/manual/html/?notifications.htm

2)Or you can go in a different direction; Create Positions for your account: http://www.perfectforms.com/Documentation/manual/html/?d_positions.htm. Create a position for each manager. Assign the position to the workflow role rather than the user license or email address. When a manager goes on vacation, change the person who occupies the position. This allows you to control positions universally rather than on a form-by-form basis.When owners of positions go on vacation they can be easily changed by HR.

3) The best practice would be to use a combination of both methods.

Workflow software, Process software, Procedure software

[AndrewPolkParticipant]

Thanks Dennis,

So there is no way to force a form to the next stage? So then the Approval Stage for managers and directors would be the same stage? Just the directors would not get a notification until the managers approve or their time for approval has run out?

The way the managers explained to me the way they want the form to work is:

Applicant submits form.

Applicant and managers are notified.

After 12 hours managers get a reminder if not action has been taken.

If managers approve or no response by managers in 5 days then directors should get approval notification.

andy

[Dennis @ PerfectFormsBlocked]

An instance cannot change stages unless it is submitted. If 5 days go by then you should start sending notifications to the Directors. If you have managed roles well then you can still give the Directors the access they need and could move from the manager’s stage past the Director’s stage to the next stage (if the right conditions have been met) on submission.

Workflow software, Process software, Procedure software

[AndrewPolkParticipant]

Dennis,

Thanks again for all your help. But I guess I didn’t totally understand.

I created two approval stages. One for the managers and one for the directors.

Each of the participants is assigned to a role. Granting access this way works very well.

The behavior for the management stage is:

Manager 1 must approve.

and

Manager 2 must approve.

and

Manager 3 must approve.

and

Manager 4 must approve.

and

Manager 5 must approve.

and

Manager 6 must approve.

and

Manager 7 must approve.

If this is met it goes to the directors for approval.

Director 1 must approve.

or

Director 2 must approve.

or

Director 3 must approve.

or

Director 4 must approve.

If this is met everything concludes as it should.

If there is a rejection anywhere it works as it should.

But if a manager doesn’t respond in a timely manner everything stops.

So I added an escalated notification to the directors to the management stage.

If enough time elapses a message is sent to the directors. Once a director approves it sends email out to all the directors to approve (for directors stage). What I need is for the request to be approved without it being sent again to the directors again.

Do I use one approval stage for managers and directors?

Thanks,

andy

[Dennis @ PerfectFormsBlocked]

We may need a call to discuss this because I do not understand either. The condition to move from the Manager’s stage is that all 7 managers must approve. To move from the Director’s stage only 1 director must approve. But then you said that you added an escalated notification to the directors to (from?) the management stage.

If enough time elapses a message is sent to the directors. Once a director approves it (is the director approving it in the missing manager’s stead? That would make sense) sends email out to all the directors to approve (for directors stage).

I thought that only 1 director needed to approve it – ? Perhaps so, but you are simply saying that you are notifying all of them and only one needs to approve – which is fine.

So to your question which is “Do I use one approval stage for managers and directors?” I would say no, in fact I would add another “Closed” stage where it can move after a director has approved it.

Workflow software, Process software, Procedure software

[AndrewPolkParticipant]

When is a good time for to setup a call?

Thank you,

andy

[Author]

Posts