Workflows & Approvals

Set up multi-step approval workflows to ensure proper governance for contracts, submittals, site diary entries, inspections, and more.

How Workflows Work

Workflows define a sequence of approval steps that items must pass through before they are finalised. Each step has designated approvers who can approve, reject, or comment.

Workflow Components

• Template: Defines the steps and approvers (reusable across projects)
• Steps: Sequential approval stages (e.g., Step 1: Project Manager, Step 2: Director)
• Approvers: Who can action each step
• Instance: A specific item going through the workflow

Creating Workflow Templates

Organisation-Level Templates

Create reusable templates at the organisation level:

1. Go to Organisation > Tools
2. Navigate to the relevant tool section
3. Create a workflow template:
   • Name: Descriptive template name
   • Steps: Add approval steps in sequence
   • Approvers: Assign roles or specific users to each step
4. Save the template

Template Structure

A typical workflow template might look like:

Progress Claim Approval:

1. Step 1: Project Manager reviews claim
2. Step 2: Commercial Manager verifies amounts
3. Step 3: Director approves payment

Submittal Review:

1. Step 1: Design Coordinator technical review
2. Step 2: Project Manager final approval

Activating Workflows

Project Activation

Activate organisation templates on specific projects:

1. Go to Project > Tools and navigate to the relevant section
2. Browse available workflow templates
3. Activate templates for this project
4. Configure project-specific approvers if needed

Workflow Types

Workflows can be configured for:

• Progress Claims: Payment claim approval
• Contract Execution: Contract signing approval
• Variations: Change order approval
• Submittals: Document review and approval
• Site Diary: Daily diary sign-off
• Inspections: Inspection completion approval

Using Workflows

Starting a Workflow

When an item requires approval, it automatically enters the configured workflow:

1. Submit the item (e.g., submit a progress claim)
2. The workflow begins at Step 1
3. The designated approver is notified
4. The item appears in their pending approvals

Approving or Rejecting

When it's your turn to review:

1. Open the item requiring your approval
2. Review the details and supporting documentation
3. Take action:
   • Approve: Move the item to the next step (or finalise if it's the last step)
   • Reject: Return the item with comments
   • Comment: Add notes without changing the status
4. The next approver is notified (or the item is finalised)

Tracking Workflow Status

Monitor where items are in the approval process:

1. Go to Project > Contracts > Workflows (or the relevant section)
2. View:
   • Items pending your approval (badge count on menu)
   • Current step for each item
   • Who needs to action next
   • Time spent at each step
   • Comments from previous approvers

Conditional Approvals

Threshold-Based Steps

Configure workflows with conditions:

• Additional approval steps for items above a certain value
• Different approvers based on the type of item
• Skip steps for low-risk items

Audit Trail

Every workflow action is recorded:

• Who approved or rejected at each step
• When the action was taken
• Comments provided at each step
• Complete history of the item's journey through the workflow

Best Practices

• Define clear workflows: Map out your approval processes before configuring templates
• Keep steps minimal: Only include necessary approval steps to avoid bottlenecks
• Assign backup approvers: Ensure workflows don't stall when someone is unavailable
• Use comments effectively: Provide clear reasoning when approving, rejecting, or returning items
• Monitor pending approvals: Check the workflow dashboard regularly to avoid delays
• Standardise at the organisation level: Create templates once and activate across projects
• Review workflow efficiency: If items consistently stall at a step, investigate and adjust