Initial setup for working with table-based approval routes

The system administrator performs the initial configuration to enable users to work with table-based approval routes.

For example, when creating a contract, an employee configures a route and clicks the Send for Approval button. This launches the business process bound to the button. When the process reaches the Approval route activity, the approval stages specified by the employee on the contract page are executed sequentially. To track the progress of approval at each stage, open the contract and go to the Routes tab.

Let’s see each step of this setup:

1. Configure app forms for working with table-based routes.
2. Configure the business process and its trigger for approval via a table-based route.

A system administrator performs the initial configuration so that users can build approval routes:

• From app item create and edit forms. An employee defines approvers while adding or editing a document, and then triggers a business process to execute the route.
• During a business process. The assigned user builds the route as part of a process task.

The administrator can also enable real-time tracking of each approval stage on the app item page or display the overall approval outcome within a user task.

Below are examples of how to configure approval routes.

Set up approval routes for app item forms

Let's say, when creating a contract, an employee sets up an approval route and clicks Send for Approval. This triggers the process linked to the button. Once the process reaches the Approval Route activity, the approval stages specified by the employee on the contract page execute sequentially. Users can track the approval progress for each stage on the contract's Routes tab.

Step 1: Configure app forms for working with table-based routes

For each app whose items will be sent via table-based routes, configure its forms. Place the following widgets on them:

1. Approval routes. Can be used on any app form:

• On the create or edit form to allow users to set up an approval route for an app item.
• On the view form to view all stages of the created route. Place the widget on this form if it contains a button to launch the approval process via a route. This allows the user to review the route details before sending the item for approval.

2. View approval routes. Used only on the view form. In this widget, you can track the execution of the route and view the history of the item approval via routes. For convenience, place this widget on a separate tab of the view form.

Read more about configuring widgets in the Approval routes and View approval routes articles.

Step 2: Configure the approval process with a table-based route and its trigger

To execute an approval route:

1. To process an item, create a custom business process associated with the app. Add the Approval route activity to the process flow chart. When the process reaches this activity, the approval stages defined on the contract page in the Approval routes widget will be executed. Read more about configuring the activity in the Approval route article.
2. Configure buttons on the app forms to start the process. To do this, first determine when the user should send the item via the route. Possible options:

• Immediately after creating or editing the item and the route. In this case, modify the settings of the Save button on the creation or editing form by linking the approval route process to it.
• Some time after creating and editing the item and the route. In this case, place an additional process start button on the view form and configure it.

As an example, let’s modify the settings of the Save button on the creation form of the Contracts app. To do this:

• Change the button name. For example, enter the Send for Approval text.
• Enable the Start the process after editing the object option and select the approval process with a table-based route.
• For the Link to field option, specify the process variable that links with the Contracts app. The saved app item will be written into this variable.
  

Now users can set up a route when creating or editing a contract and manually launch the related process.

Set up approval routes within a business process

Let's say a sales rep creates a contract in the system, automatically triggering a processing workflow. Because different employees must review the contract based on its type and parameters, the assigned user builds the appropriate route within a task. The contract then progresses through the configured approval stages. Once reviewed, the sales rep is assigned a task to review the approvers' decisions and comments.

To set this up:

1. Create an business process associated with the Contracts app for handling contracts. Since it should start automatically upon contract creation, ensure the process launch is linked to the Save button on the app create form.
2. In the process designer, add a task to build the approval route. To do that, use the Task activity, set up a custom task form, and place the Approval Routes widget on it.
3. Add the Approval Route process activity to the step where the route should execute. This assigns a  task to approvers at each stage of the route.

Note: Place this block after the route creation task, as the stages must be defined before the block can run.

4. Add a task to review approval results: Place a Task activity after the Approval Route activity, create a custom form, and add the View Approval Route widget to it.

Once you publish the process, creating an app item automatically assigns tasks to designated users at each stage: building the route, approving the contract, and reviewing the results.