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Workflow Approval Ideas

  • August 11, 2021
  • 0 replies
  • 230 views
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Has anyone done a workflow where approvals are given via a logged multiple choice field? My use case:

I have a series of approvals needed. So the flow might be, Scope Writer, to Estimator, to Project Manager, to Program Manager.

Each person can select Approved from multiple choice field (currently only with the choice 'Approved' available). This a a logged field so records who selected approved and the date. Then I have a 'most recent approval' field which is just a text field that extracts the most recent approval. So: [Aug-8-21 John Smith] Approved, becomes simply, 'Approved'.

Another formula field can determine the status. If the most recent estimator approval = Approved, status="Pending Project Manager Approval', and so on.

This works great with one significant draw back. If I want to add a Disapprove, I cannot come up with a way for the status to tell what is happening. For example, the most recent Estimator approval = Approved. The Project Manager dissaproves, so most recent for that person is 'Dissapproved.' Perfect. Except, now how can the Estimator revise and return? I could add a revise and return button, but now what happens if the Manager wants to reject a second time? And so on down the rabbit hole...

Does anyone have a good best practice for accomplishing workflows where we want to log when people approve, but also be abl to approve/dissaprove/correct and return back/dissaprove...etc.?

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Mike Tamoush
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  • DonLarson
  • Registered
  • August 12, 2021
Mike,

Here is how I battled it.


The Project Status table has all the values in your work flow.  Hypothetically for you

Sales Department Request
Release to Operations
Scope Writer Approved
Scope Writer Rejected
Estimator Approved
Estimator Rejected
Project Manager Approved
Project Manager Rejected
Program Manager Approved
Program Manager Rejected
Cancelled
Invoiced

Edit permission, dashboards and reports on the Project is now controlled by the Related Project Status which is from a look up relationship between the Project Status Change table and Projects based upon the key field being the Max RID in a summary relationship between Projects and Project Status Change.

  • The Sales Department can do anything it wants while it is a Sales Department Request or Scope Writer Rejected
  • Scope Writers do their thing while it is Release to Operations or Estimator Rejected.   Their Record Picker only has Scope Writer Approved or Scope Writer Rejected as options.
  • Estimators work on it while it is Scope Writer Approved or Project Manager Rejected.  Their record picker is only Estimator Approved or Estimator Rejected.
  • ...

And so on until it is in the hands of the Accounting Department where they can mark it Invoiced and then absolutely no one can edit the Project.





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Don Larson
Paasporter
Westlake OH
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