Each approval process follows predefined rules. You can create a new approval rule in the Approval Rules section, which is located in the main menu under Approval.
If the item Approval is not found in the main menu, you need to verify the permissions for accessing this module in the user details (in the section Users and Groups → Users) on the tab Permissions → item Approval.
To create a new approval rule, use the button + Add Rule. Clicking it opens a form for creating a new record.
The form for creating an approval rule varies slightly depending on the value selected in the Approval Group field. In general, the form contains the following fields:
- Rule Group – selection of the group or type of approval rule. There are 3 options to choose from – a more detailed explanation of each group is provided in separate sections of the documentation,
- Predefined approval – predefined approval via approval steps
- Dynamic request approval based on user-defined fields – Request approval based on the values of selected user fields
- Free approval – Through free approval, it is possible to trigger approval for any situation, whether linked to a request or without a link to other records
- Name – Brief description of the approval rule
- Description – detailed specification of the approval rule
- Approval method – available options:
- serial – sequential approval of multiple steps, where denial of one step causes denial of the entire request
- parallel – simultaneous approval of multiple steps until a sufficient number are approved. In practice, this means that there are no restrictions on the order in which approvers can express their approval.
- Approval Note – specifies whether the approver is required to state their decision in an approval note before accepting the approval
- Denial Note – specifies whether the approver is required to state their decision in a denial note before denying the approval
After filling in the information on the Basic Information tab, you must save the rule you are creating by clicking the Save button. Depending on the selected Rule Group, additional tabs with data will appear after the record is created. We cover individual rule groups in more detail in separate sections of the documentation – Predefined Approval Rule Group, Dynamic Request Approval Rule Group, Free Approval Rule Group. You will later use the created rules in the approval process itself, whether in a request or in the form of free approval – we cover the details of approval in the documentation section Approval.