Creating approval flows

This process defines tasks that must be completed to create an approval flow. The approval flow process is illustrated in the Approval Flow Process diagram.

  • Define approval flow types
    Define approval flow types in the Data Stewardship Settings of the Management Console.
  • Specify the approval flow type for a condition
    Assign an approval flow type to a condition to be used in an approval flow. This task is performed in the Exception Monitor stage. Perform this procedure in the Exception Monitor settings in an Enterprise Designer dataflow.
  • Enable approval flow types in security roles
    Execute permission must be applied to an approval flow type within a security role before you can enable it in an approval flow. Perform this procedure in the Roles settings of the Management Console.
  • Assign approval flow role to new or existing users
    To define reviewers in an approval flow, assign an approval flow role to new or existing users. Perform this procedure in the Users settings of the Management Console.
  • Define an approval flow
    Define levels and specify the role and user for each level in the Management Console Approval Flow settings. Perform this procedure in the Approval Flows settings of the Management Console.

Define approval flow types

Define approval flow types in the Data Stewardship Settings of the Management Console.

  1. Open the Spectrum Technology Platform Management Console.
    On the Spectrum Technology Platform Home page, click Platform Client tools > Web > Open Management Console.
  2. On the Management Console page, click Resources > Data Stewardship Settings.
  3. On the Data Stewardship Settings page, click Approval Flow Types.
  4. Click the Add type button to create a new approval flow type.
  5. In the Name box, enter a meaningful name.
  6. Click Save.

Specify the approval flow type for a condition

Assign an approval flow type to a condition to be used in an approval flow. This task is performed in the Exception Monitor stage. Perform this procedure in the Exception Monitor settings in an Enterprise Designer dataflow.

  1. In Enterprise Designer, double-click the Exception Monitor stage in a workflow to open its properties.
  2. On the Conditions tab, click a condition and click the Modify button.
  3. Under Approval flow, in the Type drop-down box, click an approval flow type.
  4. Optional: To specify the data steward for the approval flow, click to choose a user in the Assign to box.
    The default data steward for an approval flow, if you leave the Assign to setting blank, is the user who runs a job.
  5. Click OK, and click OK again.
  6. Click File > Save to save the changes to the workflow.

Enable approval flow types in security roles

Execute permission must be applied to an approval flow type within a security role before you can enable it in an approval flow. Perform this procedure in the Roles settings of the Management Console.

  1. Open the Spectrum Technology Platform Management Console.
    On the Spectrum Technology Platform Home page, click Platform Client tools > Web > Open Management Console.
  2. On the Management Console page, click System > Security.
  3. On the Security page, click the Roles tab.
  4. Click the Add role button .
  5. Click to expand the Data Stewardship section.
    Approval flow types defined in the Data Stewardship Settings show in the table.
  6. For approval flow types that you want to include in approval flows, check the check box in the Execute column.
    Execute permission is required to create an approval flow.

Assign approval flow role to new or existing users

To define reviewers in an approval flow, assign an approval flow role to new or existing users. Perform this procedure in the Users settings of the Management Console.

  1. Open the Spectrum Technology Platform Management Console.
    On the Spectrum Technology Platform Home page, click Platform Client tools > Web > Open Management Console.
  2. On the Management Console page, click System > Security.
  3. On the Security page, click the Users tab.
  4. Open settings for a new or existing user.
    ToDo this
    Add a new user Click the Add user button to open the Add User page.
    Edit an existing user Click the check box next to a user and click the Edit user button to open the Edit User page.
  5. For a new user, enter the user name and password.
  6. In the Roles box, check the check box next to the approval flow role that you want to use (see Enable approval flow types in security roles).
  7. Make sure that Enabled is set to ON/.
  8. Click the Save button.
  9. Repeat steps 4 through 8 for each user that you want to include in the approval flow.

Define an approval flow

Define levels and specify the role and user for each level in the Management Console Approval Flow settings. Perform this procedure in the Approval Flows settings of the Management Console.

  1. In the Management Console, click Resources > Approval Flows.
    Approval flow types are listed in the Type column of the Approval Flows table.
  2. In the Type column, click an approval flow type that you want to configure as an approval flow.
    This opens the Edit Approval flow page for the selected approval flow type.
  3. Click the Add approval level button .
    This adds a level to the approval flow. Each level will be associated with a reviewer defined in .
  4. In the Roles column, select the role to be used for the level.
  5. In the User column, select the user that records will be assigned to for this level.

    If no user is selected, the record is assigned to the first user in alphabetical order.

  6. In the Days to Approve column, select the maximum number of days in which the user must review and edit records.
  7. To add additional levels to the approval flow, repeat steps 3 through 7.
  8. Click to switch the Enabled box to ON.
  9. Click the Save button.