Configuring approvals with an authority matrix

Create a system for obtaining approval from people in different parts or departments of your organization, by creating an authority matrix. For example, you can create a case that processes business trip expenses, and then configure an authority matrix to request approvals from a reporting manager and a financial worker.

Before you begin: 
  • Add an approval step to your case life cycle. For more information, see Requesting approval from users.
  • Configure a page list property to hold the list of users who are required to give their approval, and a single-value property as an element of the page list to identify each user in the list. For more information, see Properties.
  • Optional: Create a decision table that defines the users required to give their approval. For more information, see Creating decision tables.
  1. In the navigation pane of Dev Studio, click Case types, and then click the case type that you want to open.
  2. In the Case life cycle section, click the approval step that you want to edit.
  3. In the Step properties panel, on the General tab, in the Approval flow type list, select Cascading.
  4. In the Approval based on list, select Authority matrix.
  5. Define the users required to give their approval in the step:
    1. Optional: In the Decision table for matrix field, enter a decision table that determines who is required to give their approval in the step.
      Decision table should populates the page list property. Number of the entries in the page list property defines the number of users required to give their approval. The approver property that you include in the decision table, holds the approver information in the page list property.
    2. In the Page list property field, enter a page list that stores the users giving their approval.
    3. In the Approver property field, enter a property that references the approving users.
  6. In the Step properties panel, click the Flow tab, and then define what happens when a user approves the case:
    Choices Actions
    Approve and move case to the next step
    1. In the If APPROVED then list, select Continue.
    2. Optional: To change the case status, in the Set status field, select or enter the status that you want to assign to the case when a user gives their approval.
    Approve and change stage
    1. In the If APPROVED then list, select Change stage.
    2. In the To list, select the stage that you want to assign to the case when a user gives their approval.
    3. Optional: To change the case status, in the Set status field, select or enter the status that you want to assign to the case when a user gives their approval.
  7. Define what happens when a user rejects the case:
    Choices Steps
    Reject and move case to the next step
    1. In the If REJECTED then list, select Continue.
    2. In the Set status field, select or enter the status that you want to assign to the case when a user rejects the case.
    Reject and change stage
    1. In the If REJECTED then list, select Change stage.
    2. In the To list, select the stage that you want to assign to the case when a user rejects the case.
    3. In the Set status field, select or enter the status that you want to assign to the case when a user rejects the case.
    Reject and resolve
    1. In the If REJECTED then list, select Resolve.
    2. In the Set status field, select or enter the status that you want to assign to the case when a user rejects the case.
  8. Click Save.
What to do next: Provide more flexibility for users of your application and accelerate case resolution by enabling approval by email. For more information, see Enabling approval by email.