# Workflows and Approvals

> Automate repeated steps and manage approvals, such as purchase requests.

## What is this for?

Workflows let the system handle steps you repeat often. For example, you set up a notification to go out when a task is completed, or a reminder of pending work every morning. You do not need to track these by hand each time.

The most important use of workflows is approvals. A request can pass through a single approver, or through several people in turn. Every decision is recorded, so you can always see who decided what, and when.

## Example scenario

At a manufacturing company, procurement officer Elif wants to buy a new welding machine for the plant. She enters her request and sends it for approval. First, department manager Kemal approves it. Because the amount is high, the request moves to director Serkan. Before deciding, Serkan asks a maintenance expert for an opinion. This step is called an **intermediate approval**: the main approval chain does not change, and an extra opinion is gathered before the decision. Once the expert replies, Serkan approves. Elif follows each step in the records.

## Who uses it

- **Process designers:** Managers or process owners who build workflows. They decide when a flow starts, set the conditions and the approval steps.
- **Requesters:** People who send a record for approval. They can withdraw a request, or fix and resubmit it if it was rejected.
- **Approvers:** People who decide at each level of the chain. They approve, reject, ask for a revision, or send the request to an intermediate approver before deciding.

## Step by step

1. **Create a new workflow.** In the Workflows section, start with "New Workflow". Enter a name and, if you want, a short description.
2. **Choose how it starts.** Pick **Manual** (you start it by hand), **Scheduled** (it runs at set times) or **Event-based** (it starts when something happens to a record). For example, choose Event-based to run a step when a task is completed.
3. **Add the steps.** In the visual editor, drag boxes and connect them. Place condition, action (for example, sending an email), delay and approval steps in order.
4. **Write the conditions.** In a condition step, build simple rules with the rule builder, for example "priority is High and no one is assigned". Choose whether all rules must be true or any one of them. The flow takes the "Yes" or "No" path based on the result.
5. **Set up the approvals.** In an approval step, choose how many levels there are and who approves at each level. You can also set different chains for different amounts. For example, low-amount requests pass only through the manager, and high-amount requests also go to the director.
6. **Save and activate.** Save the flow and make it active. An active flow runs on its own when its starting condition occurs.
7. **Handle approvals.** Approvers work through the "pending approvals" list. Every decision is added to the history, and the people involved are notified.

## Process flow

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Request is drafted] --> B[Sent for approval]
    B --> C[Manager decides]
    C -- Approve --> D[Director decides]
    C -- Reject --> E[Request rejected]
    C -- Ask for revision --> A
    D -- Approve --> F[Request approved]
    D -- Reject --> E
    D -- Send to expert --> G[Expert opinion received]
    G --> D
```

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I set up a multi-level approval?**
In an approval template, you define the levels in order, for example manager, then director, and finally senior management. One level cannot start until the previous one has approved. If any level rejects the request, the process stops there.

**Can the approval chain change based on the amount?**
Yes. You can add an amount-range condition to a template. Requests below a certain amount pass only through the manager. Requests above it also need director and senior management approval. When a request is sent for approval, the system automatically picks the template that best fits its conditions.

**What is an intermediate approval?**
Before making a decision, an approver can temporarily bring in another person for advice. For example, a director who is unsure about a technical point can send the request to an expert. After the expert replies, the director makes the decision. The main approval chain does not change.

**Can I withdraw my request after sending it for approval?**
Yes, while the request is still in the approval process. Withdrawing it ends the approval chain and cancels the request. If a level sent it back for revision, you can make the changes and submit it for approval again.

**Where do I see my pending approvals?**
All approvals that are waiting for you appear in one "pending approvals" list. You get a notification when a request reaches your level. From the list, you can open the request and approve it, reject it, ask for a revision, or send it to an intermediate approver.

**What is the difference between an organization template and a project template?**
Organization templates set the default approval rules for all projects. If a project needs a different approval flow, you can create a template just for that project. The system uses the project template first, and the organization template when there is none.