Approval Process in Salesforce

Salesforce

TMnow | 27 December 2022

Introduction:

The main purpose of an approval process is to automate the approval cycle or the process for approving or rejecting requests made by executives in a company.

Why is the approval process Required?

A junior-level employee will always be constrained in their ability to make decisions. Additionally, in accordance with industry standards, he must obtain the senior employee’s consent.

For instance, in salesforce, there are many profiles such as sales rep, manager, and system administrator. If a customer requests a larger discount, the sales rep is unable to offer it; instead, he must ask management to do so.

How to set up the approval process

Setup > Quick Find > Approval Process

Choose the object in the Manage Approval Process for > click create new approval process > select the option use standard setup wizard.

Process Definition Detail

Process definition Detail involves six steps

• Enter Name and Description: Here, specify the process name, Make it distinctive, and give a brief explanation of the procedure.
• Specify Entry Criteria: Describe the entry condition here. Only if the record met these conditions then will it enter into the approval process.
• Specify the Approver Field and Record Editability Properties: Here, we can provide the name of the approver. In cases when we are unsure of the person this approval should go to, we must choose a field in the user record that is a hierarchical connection field so that automated approval can be determined. Record Editability Properties: Here, we have the option to select whether the Administrator alone or the Administrator and the Currently Assigned Approver, can be authorized to update the record.
• Select Notification Templates: This allows us to choose the email templates that will be used to inform approvers that a request for their approval has been assigned. This template will be applied to every phase of the process. This email template will be used to send an email to all the approvers, in the event that there are different approvers in the approval steps based on the requirement.

We can also make a fresh email template.

• Select Fields to Display on Approval Page Layout: Here, we may choose the fields to display in the approval request.
• Specify Initial Submitters: Here we can choose the allowed submitters for the record. The people whom we have not allowed as the initial submitters will not be able to submit that record for approval.

Initial?Submission Actions:

The initial submission actions take place when a user submits a record for approval for the first time. Upon initial submission, an action to lock the record is by default initiated automatically. Any approval action, such as email alerts, field updates, tasks, or outbound messages, can be included in the first submission activities.

Approval Steps:

We can set the exact circumstances and the respective approvers. We can specify many approval steps. Each approval step has approved Actions and Rejection actions.

Final Approval Actions:

Final Approval actions are the actions that occur when a record is approved. It can include any approval actions such as email alerts, field updates, tasks, or outbound messages.

Recall Actions:

The procedures that are followed when a record is recalled after being submitted for approval are known as recall actions. It can include any approval actions such as email alerts, field updates, tasks, or outbound messages. Note: Final approval and rejection default actions can be changed, but initial submission default actions cannot.

Flow Chart For Approval Process:

User Requirement:

• If the opportunity amount is greater than 10,000, the opportunity probability equals 50% then the approval request must go to the VP of Global Sales.
• If the opportunity amount is less than 10,000, probability equals 50%, no of contacts greater than 2 then the approval request goes to the Manager.

?Implementation Steps:

• Create a new approval process for the opportunity object
• Give name as Opportunity Amount >10000
• Give a unique name as Opportunity_Amount >10000
• Provide a description as if the Opportunity Amount is greater than?
• In the defined entry criteria, choose the option criteria met and specify the entry criteria.

Add Filter Logic 1 OR 2 OR 3.

Click Next.

In this step choose the manger In the ‘Next Automated Approver Determined By’

Click Next > Next > Save.

• In the initial submission, actions add the field update. Update the approval status field in the opportunity to ‘Pending’. Add an email alert to acknowledge the submitter.
• Click on the new approval step?
• Give process name as opportunity amount > 10000 And Prob=50.
• Give a unique name as? Opportunity_Amount_10000_And_Prob_50.
• Provide a description as ’If Opportunity Amount greater than 10000 and probability equal to 50 percent. (it is optional)
• ?In the define entry criteria, choose the option criteria met and specify the entry criteria.

• Add filter logic 1And 2.
• Click next.
• Choose the automatically assign to approvers option and select the user (vp of Global Sales(stewart)).
• Click save.
• Click on add new approval step.
• Give name as ‘Probability Equal to 50’
• Give a unique name as ‘Probability_Equal_to_50’.
• Click Next.
• ?In the define entry criteria, choose the option criteria met and specify the entry criteria.

• Add filter logic 1 and 2 and 3
• Click next
• In the select assigned approver, under the select approver section select the option ‘Automatically Assign Using The User Field Selected Earlier(Manager).’
• Click save.
• After adding all approval steps open the entry criteria in the first approval step and in the else part choose the next step.

Final Output:

• In the final approval actions, provide the email alert and field update. Update the approval status field in the opportunity to ‘Approved’.
• In the final rejection actions, provide the email alert and field update. Update the approval status field in the opportunity to ‘Rejected’.

FAQ:

Q1. What if the approver is not available to approve the records?

Ans. So there is a solution for this, In the select approver step in the approval steps, check the checkbox ‘Approvers Delegate may also approve this request.’ And for the respective user in the approval step, open the user details and provide delegated approver under the approver settings.

Q2. Who has the authority to make changes to a record once it is submitted for approval?

Ans. In the record editability properties, there are two options one is? ‘Administrators only can edit records during the approval process. If we choose this option system administrators can edit the records. There is one more option called ‘Administrators or the currently assigned approver can edit the records during the approval process’ if we choose this system administrator and the currently assigned approver can edit records after it has been submitted for approval.

Q3. Can we add the new approval steps once it is activated?

Ans. No, we cannot add the new approval steps once we activate the approval process. If there is a situation in which we need to add the new approval step then, in that case, we can clone the approval process and make the required changes to it.

Q4.Who will submit the request to the second approval step?

Ans. The approver of the first step will submit the request to the second step.

Q5. If the approver of the first approval step rejected the request, is there a chance to resubmit it again?

Ans. Yes.

More Questions?

Visit:?www.techmantranow.com?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Need help selecting?the right enterprise products & solutions for your business??Connect with TechMantra Now's Cloud ERP Software experts!