If the single-level approval workflow isn't enough for your client(s), then you can always go for a layered multi-level approval. Note that there is a prerequisite to create a single-level approval workflow in the Status Workflows first.
To set up a multi-level approval workflow for a specific client, follow these steps:
If you haven't already, please read and follow these steps before setting up a multi-level approval.
Step 1: Import Existing Statuses for a Specific Client
Before we can set multi-level approval workflows for individual clients, you need to ensure that you're happy with your current status workflow rules at the global level. These are found in the Partner > Settings > Status Workflow section (on the right-hand column under Configuration).
Once you're satisfied with those, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Partner > Clients
- Find the client you wish to create multi-level approvals for
- Use the 3 blue-dot menu next to their company name and View that company
- Select the Status Workflows tab at the top
- Select the Import option
At this point, you will see the exact same settings that are established at the global Partner level. These company-specific Status Workflows will take precedence over the global ones for this client.
Now that we have a base to work off of, we'll create our multi-level approvals for this client in this menu.
Step 2: Creating a Multi-Step Approval Workflow
To create multi-step workflows, we'll need to add more rules than just the single Approve/Deny. We need to keep 2 main factors in mind for this process:
- Which statuses will trigger the next approval step
- Which statuses are flagged to be highlighted in the Support > Support Tickets area
Selecting Approval Statuses
Following immediately after the directions in step 1, you should be seeing the imported statuses for a specific company. Now:
- Select the first Approval status you've imported for the client
- Change the PSA Status entry to be the next approval level
- If this doesn't already exist in the PSA, you'll need to create it.
- In our example, we'll use "Level 1 Approved - Pending Level 2"
- Leave the Show when ticket has one of these PSA statuses: field the same as it was before
- This should be the first status indicating that the ticket is waiting approval.
- Do NOT select the option to Send email requesting approval on selection
- The first notification email will be triggered from the ticket itself, not the status.
- Change the approver audience to the appropriate team member(s)
-
-
- You can either do this with user groups or lists of user emails
- In a specific approval flow, you're typically going to target specific people that are eligible to see all tickets (either full admins or limited access admins).
- Therefore, the Show when user email is: field is better in this instance.
-
-
- Select Submit at the bottom to submit changes to the status workflow override.
Now, you should have something that looks like this for your specific company:
The secret to success is ensuring that you always have two statuses for each approval step - one to approve and move it to the next level, and one to deny it at that level.
Follow a similar logic to end up with something like this, with various approvers listed along the way as your needs demand it:
In this example, we've got a 3-step approval process that escalates the tickets twice before ultimately sending it on as a status for the MSP to take care of - New (Client Approved).
Aside from the very first approval step, you'll want to ensure that each subsequent approval steps have the following options triggered:
- The Send email requesting approval on selection. option toggled on
- This will ensure that the next approvers get the email letting them know that it's their turn to approve.
- A different user email (or set of user emails)
Flagging Approval Statuses
Like you may have done in the single-level approvals, you'll want to set your approval trigger statuses as a "Ticket Waiting" status - this will ensure that CloudRadial will flag this status as needing attention, which will do the following:
- Make the status appear orange in the Support > Support Tickets area (for better visibility)
- Allow the ticket with the trigger status to show up under the Waiting tab (for better ticket organization)
To do so:
- Navigate to Partner > Settings > PSA (at the right-hand column, under Setup)
- Navigate to the Ticket Settings section and find the Statuses for “Ticket Waiting” box
- Enter in your status that triggers the approve/deny workflow
- Once again, this is the "Waiting on Internal Approval" status, in our example
- Once again, this is the "Waiting on Internal Approval" status, in our example
- Select Submit at the bottom to save your settings.
Now, tickets will be highlighted for better visibility.
Step 3: Creating a Multi-Approver Workflow
With all the steps above set, you can now trigger your custom multi-level approval workflow.
When a ticket requires first requires approval, you must trigger the approval process by invoking your custom status workflow. Here's how:
- Create a ticket in either the Problem Reports or Service Request areas
- For general details on how to create tickets, please see this video.
- On the Routing tab, find and check the Is approval and email notification required? box
- This will notify the approvers that there's a ticket for approval in the portal.
- It will also trigger the status workflow setting.
- Set the PSA Status with your same @DefaultApprovalNeeded token that we created in the single-level approval documentation
- Here's a quick link to it, if you need a refresher.
- You can also simply write in the status as-is, without a token - but it's recommended to use a token for future flexibility.
- The Approver List, if left blank, will use the status workflow approvers we defined earlier.
- Since you built out your multi-level flow before, you should leave this blank.
- If you write in any specific email(s), the approval workflow will only notify those listed people.
- Select Submit at the bottom of the ticket to finalize your settings.
All set! Now that your approval statuses are set up with a multi-level flow, you only need to repeat step 3 for any tickets that require approval.
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.