Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
If your business requires many stakeholders to approve a request, use database records and automations to alert and assign approvers automatically.
Here’s how:
Create a database of approvers (include information like names, positions, and departments)
Connect the pipe to the database
Set the automation rules
Use case
To explain how this works, imagine a purchase process with three approval stages. Each request involves three different approvers, and the order of approval is assigned according to the requester's department.
For example:
If the requester's department is Engineering, the order of approval is:
1. Vera, Lead Engineer
2. Alyssa, IT Manager
3. Ned, Finance team
If the requester’s department is Sales, the order of approval is:
Lala, Sales Manager
Alyssa, IT Manager
Ned, Finance team
How to create your database
The first step is to create a database with each department’s approvers.
While editing the database form,:
Insert 1 dropdown select field to inform the department.
Insert 3 assignees fields to define the approver for each phase of the process according to the area.
Turn on mandatory fields, so adding approvers is required.
Then, create the records, one for each department, and dd the approvers as members in the database so you can add them as assignees.
Add a connection field in the start form
Open the pipe and connect it to the database you've created.
Next, edit the start form and add a database connection field, which requesters will use to inform the department.
Set up this field according to the following:
Table connected: Select the database of approvers
Field function: Search for existing cards or records in the connection
Number of connected items: Select single item
Advanced options: The field must be required
📌 Complete tutorial: How to create a Start Form
Set the automation rules
Last, create three identical automation rules, one for each approval phase, to execute the following automation sequence:
Every time a card enters the approval phase (event), update the assignee field with the department's approver (action).
To do this, use a dynamic value.
📌 All phases must have an assignee field so you can set this automation.
Complete this setup, and you're ready to go!
Looking for more tips? Take Pipefy Academy’s free courses to learn about process management, and don't forget to join the Pipefy Community to share ideas, give feedback about our product, and track Pipefy's events, webinars, and brand new releases.
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