Request-based approval is appropriate when, during the resolution of a request, a situation arises where further action requires approval. For example, a component may need to be purchased for a request related to computer repair, or special permission may be required to access a file.
The same procedure applies to initiating an approval in this group as well—first, a rule must be defined, based on which the approval will be created. Rules are defined in the section Approval → Approval Rules. More detailed information on creating rules and on the Free Approval rule group is provided in the documentation sections Creating a Rule and Free Approval Rule Group.
If the Approval option is not available in the main menu, you need to check the permissions for accessing this module in the user details (under Users and Groups → Users) on the Permissions → Approval tab.
An ad hoc approval can only be created for an existing (already saved) request; it cannot be initiated while creating a request. To create an approval, click the Action button in the request details and select the Create a free approval process option.
A modal window will then appear with a form for creating a free approval. The form contains the following fields:
- Template – field for selecting the free approval template, which you define when creating the approval rule
- Approval Name – automatically generated name based on the request name, cannot be edited
- Approve by My Supervisor – when this option is enabled, the approval must first be accepted by the submitter’s supervisor, then the approval request is sent to the designated approvers
- Note for the approver – field for entering a note or additional information for the approver
- Approval evaluation – specify when the approval will be evaluated; the available options are:
- After approval by all – approval will be evaluated only after all approvers have responded
- After the first approval – approval is evaluated once one of the approvers has responded
- Description – detailed specification of the subject of approval
- Who is requesting – user from the “Who is requesting” field in the request
- For whom is the request being made – user from the “For whom is the request being made” field in the request
- Attachments – field for uploading attachments
All form fields become editable only after selecting Free Approval Templates. The fields are automatically populated based on the parameters in the template, which is defined when creating the approval rule. The fields can be freely edited, except for the fields Who is requesting and For whom is requesting, which are pre-filled according to the request.
To apply free approval, click the Create button. Once created, the Approval section will become available in the request details. In the case of free approval, the button is white, and the color of the button border indicates the current status:
- Blue – approval is pending
- Green – approval has been granted
- Red – approval has been denied
Information about the approval status is also displayed below the request status. The text color, just like the button, indicates the current approval status.
When you click the approval button, a modal window appears with approval details. The approval steps are generated based on the number of approvers, with one step for each approver. In the case of free approval, the parallel approval method is automatically set, meaning the listed approvers can provide their feedback in any order.
In the case of open approval, created during the processing of a request, there are no restrictions on editing or further work on the request during the approval process. This also applies in the event of a denial. The assignee can continue to work on such a request. The status and details of all approvals recorded in the system are available in the main menu under Approval → Approval.
Approval without restrictions before or during the processing of a request
Open approval can also be applied to a request from the catalog for the purpose of approval before implementation begins or while the request is being processed. In this case, you must set the approval rule from the open approval group directly in the request template in the Approval before resolving the request or Approval during resolving the request field.
In the case of approval prior to resolving a request, after creating a request from the catalog (by clicking the Create button), a modal window for creating Free Approval is automatically displayed. The fields are pre-filled based on the parameters in the approval rule template selected in the request template. The values can be edited as desired.
Clicking the Create button triggers the approval process, and the request automatically enters the status awaiting approval, with no option to edit. After clicking the button Cancel , the form for open approval closes and a draft of the request from the catalog is displayed—without creating an open approval, it is not possible to create a request from the catalog either.
The request is then processed as it would be for a standard request—clicking the approval button displays a modal window with approval details. Since this is a free approval, the parallel approval method is automatically set, meaning the listed approvers can provide their feedback in any order. After approval, the request status is automatically set to accepted or assigned (depending on the configuration), and editing of the request is also enabled for further processing.
If the request was denied by the approvers, the request status is set to denied and editing of the request remains blocked.
In the case of approval during the resolution of a request, the resolution process is the same as for a manually created open approval on a request. In the request details, in the Approval section, the Send for Approval button is available. After clicking it, a form is displayed with a pre-filled open approval rule template, which is set in the request template.
Further steps are described in detail in the section Using free approval in requests.