SharePoint Online Approval Workflow - Help!

satanicguardian · 4 Oct 2016 at 11:13

Hi guys, got a problem that has been dropped in my lap that has totally stumped me. I have been designing a proof of concept SharePoint site for a customer, I have been asked to include some kind of workflow type feature as follows:

So the company this is being designed for wants a Document library wherein every month managers from departments all over the country submit their health and safety reports (building company). These reports need approving by someone, so basically they need a workflow in this library so they will be:
A) notified when a new document is submitted via an email B) Able to simply select, Approve/Decline after reviewing the document C) Include a timestamp/username of the person who approved/declined D) One a decision has been made the document can be then handle accordingly.
The idea of this is provide an automated system that has an audit trail. Problem is I have never worked with SharePoint workflows in my life, so I have really been dropped in at the deep end with this issue, I've look at several guides on making said approval workflows but they all seem to assume basic knowledge of designing a workflow to start with. I've been following on which has had me set up my proof of concept site in SharePoint designer, I can get started creating it but get so lost when it comes to variables, values, types etc. and I'm like.. WHAT.

Please if anyone can assist it would be much appreciated!

Kind Regards,
Jamie (A stressed technical analyst)

Azza · 4 Oct 2016 at 11:47

Funnily enough I've been playing with Sharepoint the past week or so as I've been asked for something similar.

Are you using Office 365? If you are then you'll need to make sure you're a Site Collection Administrator from the SharePoint 365 admin site and then in Site Settings -> Site collection features you'll need to enable 'Publishing Approval Workflow'.

There is no SharePoint 2013 / 365 approval workflow, it comes under SharePoint 2010 that's why it needs to be enabled. I think MS are going to be moving this to their new app called 'Flow' but I haven't really looked at that.

On the document library page, click on 'Library' on the top ribbon, 'Workflow Settings' and there will be an option to 'add a workflow'.

Choose 'Approval - SharePoint 2010' from the workflow templates.

Then it's pretty straightforward.

Keep Task List & History List as default if there isn't one that already exists on the site.

Start Options are all pretty self explanatory for when the workflow starts.

Next page you add approvers and stages if you need multi approval steps.

Due dates for the task to be completed - e.g. 2 days for workflow task to be completed (approved or rejected)

Make sure bottom option 'Enable Content Approval' is ticked before saving the workflow.

That's about it really, you can add a column to the document library view to show the status of a document, if it's pending or approved etc.

satanicguardian · 4 Oct 2016 at 11:54

EDIT*

Ignore below, I totally didn't read the bit about activating it properly!! Bear with!

Hmm, I get as far as the "add a workflow" part, but the only templates it offers me are:

*Disposition Approval
*Three State

Unless it is disposition approval?

satanicguardian · 4 Oct 2016 at 13:17

Azza said:
Funnily enough I've been playing with Sharepoint the past week or so as I've been asked for something similar.

Are you using Office 365? If you are then you'll need to make sure you're a Site Collection Administrator from the SharePoint 365 admin site and then in Site Settings -> Site collection features you'll need to enable 'Publishing Approval Workflow'.

There is no SharePoint 2013 / 365 approval workflow, it comes under SharePoint 2010 that's why it needs to be enabled. I think MS are going to be moving this to their new app called 'Flow' but I haven't really looked at that.

On the document library page, click on 'Library' on the top ribbon, 'Workflow Settings' and there will be an option to 'add a workflow'.

Choose 'Approval - SharePoint 2010' from the workflow templates.

Then it's pretty straightforward.

Keep Task List & History List as default if there isn't one that already exists on the site.

Start Options are all pretty self explanatory for when the workflow starts.

Next page you add approvers and stages if you need multi approval steps.

Due dates for the task to be completed - e.g. 2 days for workflow task to be completed (approved or rejected)

Make sure bottom option 'Enable Content Approval' is ticked before saving the workflow.

That's about it really, you can add a column to the document library view to show the status of a document, if it's pending or approved etc.

Holy crap wow, that was easy - I think it's all working - thank you very much!

I'm bound to be back soon with more questions XD

Azza · 4 Oct 2016 at 13:23

If that's the case then it sounds like you're not a 'Site Collection Administrator'. If you are then there should be a list under Site Collection Administration and the option 'Site collection features', when you're in 'Site Settings'.

In there is where you'll find the 'Publishing Approval Workflow'.

edit ------------->

Oh there we go, haha.

I've noticed some times it takes a while for email alerts to come through when new documents are added but I think that's down to our network and O365, as I've noticed other things to be slow at times.