Sequential Approval

Introduction

Feature(s)

If you select Sequential Approval, after a workflow is initiated, the workflow will start from the initiator's direct department head, followed by sequential approval, and will be concluded at the approval endpoint.

Application Scenario(s)

In the following cases, you can apply Sequential Approval to complex approval workflows, thus reducing redundant nodes:

Preview

If you select Sequential Approval under Node Approver and select To Initiator's Department Head Level 3 , after a workflow is initiated, the workflow will flow to Head A, Head B, and Head C at the node.

Setting Procedure

Where to Set

Click the Approval node, go to Node Properties > Basic > Node Approver, and select Sequential Approval from the drop-down list. Then click Configure Rule to set sequential approval rules.

Setting Approval Endpoint

The initiator's direct department head is set as the approval start point by default. That is, the workflow starts from the initiator's direct department head, followed by sequential approval, and will be concluded at the approval endpoint.

You can set the initiator's certain-level department head or the certain-level department head from Contacts as the approval endpoint. The differences are:

1. Select the initiator's certain-level department head.

When you set a certain-level department head of the initiator as the approval endpoint, the level of the head will be calculated from bottom to top, and the approval will be completed sequentially.

For example, if you select Department Head Level 4 as the approval endpoint, the workflow will start from the initiator's direct department head and proceed upwards to the level-4 department head sequentially.

How to set: Tick To Initiator's under Approval Endpoint and select a certain-level department head. Note that the highest level is ten.

2. Select the certain-level department head from Contacts.

When you set a certain-level department head from Contacts as the approval endpoint, the level of the head will be calculated from top to bottom, and the approval will be completed sequentially.

For example, if you select Top Department Head beside From Contacts as the approval endpoint, the workflow will start from the initiator's direct department head and proceed upwards to the top department head sequentially.

How to set: Tick To under Approval Endpoint and select a certain-level department head from the drop-down list. Note that the lowest level is the root department head – nine levels below.

Rule(s)

1. Settings in Node properties

When you select Sequential Approval from the drop-down list of Node Approver, the followings are the rules of Node Properties:

a. For all the heads at the node, rules in Field Permissions, Node Actions, and Data to Be Submitted are the same.

b. If you tick Enable CC, the CC member you selected will be CC'ed when the workflow flows to the node.

c. If you select Sequential Approval, All approvers submitted under Proceed to the Next Node When will be selected by default.

For example, when there are multiple department heads in a department, all department heads will be randomly assigned with tasks, and the workflow will only proceed to the next department after all the department heads have approved the tasks.

d. The followings are the rules of Overdue Actions:

e. When you conduct the following return-related actions in a workflow, the workflow will flow to the first approver set in Sequential Approval.

f. When you add approvers in a workflow, you can add a pre-approver/post-approver. Only the head who is handling the workflow at the current node will be affected by the position where you add approvers.

o When the department head adds a pre-approver, the processing order is: Pre-approver adder > Department head level 3 > Department head level 4.

o When the department head adds a post-approver, the processing order is: Department head level 3 > Pre-approver adder > Department head level 4.

2. Settings in Workflow Properties

When you select Sequential Approval from the drop-down list of Node Approver, the followings are the rules of Workflow Properties:

a. When a workflow is being expedited, only the head who is handling the workflow at the current node will be affected.

b. The followings are the rules of workflow withdrawal:

o If the current head has not taken any node action, the last head can withdraw the workflow to the last point.

o If the workflow has flown to the next node of the sequential approval node, the head at the endpoint can withdraw the workflow to the endpoint.

3. Other rules

a. If you enable a sequential approval node, the workflow will start from the initiator's direct department head.

b. If a certain-level department head is empty, it will be automatically skipped. If the approvers at all levels are empty, the workflow will fail to be submitted and the system will report an error "Cannot find the approver".

c. If the level of the start point (the initiator's direct department head) is higher than that of the approval endpoint (a certain level from top to bottom in Contacts), the workflow only needs to be approved by the initiator's direct department head.

For example, in a workflow, the sales head is the approval start point and the sales group is the end point. The workflow only needs to be approved by Head A because the initiator's direct department head is superior than Head B and Head C.

d. When there are duplicates among the multi-level heads within the approval nodes during sequential approval, the system will automatically remove duplicates and only retain the highest-level head for approval.

For example, the approval endpoint is the level-3 department head. When there are duplicates among department heads, the workflow will be approved in the following order:

e. When an initiator is in multiple departments, the initiator needs to select approval departments when initiating. The followings are the scenarios and cases that may occur when you initiate a workflow.

f. In the following scenarios, when the initiator is empty, the following cases may occur: