Authorium helps maintain an orderly workflow for document-centric projects by allowing project owners and administrators to define exactly how and when projects move from one stage to the next.
Multi-Step Approval Routing can be used to manage especially complex approval processes, where different stakeholders are responsible for different aspects of approving projects at different stages of the workflow.
Topics in this section:
Enabling Multi-Step Approval Workflows
Configuring Approval Workflows
Initiating and Completing Approvals
Multi-Step Approval Routing can be toggled when adding or editing a workflow stage. It is indicated by a green shield icon beside the associated workflow stage.
To enable Multi-Step Approval for a workflow stage, first start from the Configuration screen.
Approval Workflows are added to specific project workflow stages. They are a sequence of approval steps which take place after a given project stage is marked as complete. Approval Workflows control who approves content, and in what order that content is or isn’t approved.
This article will show you how to add approval steps to a workflow stage in a template, how to select content to be approved, how to add team members to an approval step, and how to provide context for the workflow by using Approver Insights.
Approval Steps are created within Approval Workflows. They determine which team members approve what content, and in what order.
Approval Steps can have one of two approval methods:
They can require all team members’ approval, or
They can require any team member’s approval.
Approval Steps can also be one of two types:
Blocking Steps must be completed before the next step can be initiated.
Simultaneous Steps can be completed at any time after the blocking steps placed ahead of them.
Regardless of the type or method, all Approval Steps must be completed before you can move to the next stage of a project workflow.
Within the stages of a Project Workflow, a yellow banner will indicate if approval is enabled, but not yet configured. Clicking on Setup Approval Workflow will open the Approval Workflow screen that allows you to add steps, their types and methods, and reorder those steps as needed.
Note that the process for setting up Approval Workflows on Project Templates and specific projects is identical.
You may select specific documents or sections to require approval. You can also configure it to allow approvers to see the entire document to give them sufficient context, but only allow them to affect specific portions.
Additionally, you can make approval require a signature from the individual approvers assigned to it (note: this signature is not legally binding).
Within the Approval Workflow screen, you can select individual steps to enable these features by checking the appropriate boxes. After you have saved your preferences, you can double-check them by clicking on Expand Details to show what content is attached to a given approval step.
Team Members can be added to Approval Steps in a variety of ways depending on your project and management needs. This allows you to limit and streamline access to specific content throughout the approval process.
Approvers can be added to Approval Steps in the following ways:
Global Users
If a Global User is added to an Approval Step, that specific Global User will need to approve that step in all projects based on that template.
If the user you want to make a Global User is not a part of your organization, you can send an email invitation to that user.
Placeholders
A Placeholder Role indicates what kind of user will be added to projects based on that template in the future.
For example, you may identify that a Contract Lawyer’s approval will be necessary for a given step in a project template, but not know who the specific lawyer will be at this point in time.
It is a best practice to include short instructions for the Placeholder when implementing Placeholder Roles.
Email Groups
If a large quantity of approvers are needed, it may be useful to contact them simultaneously through an email group.
You may elect to send emails to groups or with catch-all email addresses (e.g. product@authorium.com)
Adding Team Members to Approval Steps occurs within the Approval Workflow screen.
It is similar to the process for adding content. Team Members who have been added to Approval Steps can be removed by clicking the “X” that appears beside their name. To review which users have been added to a given Approval Step, click on Expand Details.
Approvers may need additional context to be able to make an informed decision. Approver Insights allows for you and your team to make comments that give Approvers crucial information. Approvers are also able to provide Approver Insights to other Approvers.
Approver Insights can be added at one of three levels:
Information
Warning
Critical Alert
These levels are functionally identically, but have different appearances which highlight their respective urgency.
During project creation, Approval Workflows are identical to the Approval Workflows found in the Project’s Template unless otherwise modified. Progress on those Approval Stages can be tracked on Active Projects through the progress bar which appears alongside the project’s stages.
At times, however, the project’s parameters or your team’s needs may change while a project is ongoing, and you will need to adjust accordingly.
By the end of this article, you will be able to make any necessary changes to Approval Steps in an Active Project, initiate Approval Steps in an Approval Project, and complete any Approval Steps assigned to you in an Active Project.
Authorium allows you to edit individual Approval Steps within Active Projects. This process is similar to editing the Approval Steps of a Project Template, with two notable differences:
Depending on the context of the project, placeholder Approvers may need to be filled in
Approval steps which have already been sent out to Approvers can no longer be edited.
It is important to notify Approvers that they need to take action on a given project. Initiating approvals will send designated recipients an actionable link along with an accompanying message of your choice.
You are able to include a reminder to complete the Approval Request by a specific date and time. Configure the reminder as needed to best suit your team’s needs.
After approval requests are sent out, the recipient will receive an email link to the document that requires their approval. The approver will be able to see the entire document to provide context, but they will only be able to alter or suggest changes in the sections that have been assigned to them.
After they have reviewed their assigned sections, reviewers can mark the Approval Step as complete.