Advanced Cloud Security Documentation
Index

Approval Workflow

The approval workflow in ACS Compliance requires designated approvers to review and approve changes to sensitive fields before they take effect. This guide explains how the workflow operates.

How Approval Works

Basic Flow

User Attempts Change
        ↓
ACS Detects Approval-Required Field
        ↓
Change Captured (not saved)
        ↓
Approval Request Created
        ↓
Approver Notified
        ↓
Approver Reviews and Decides
        ↓
Approved: Change Saved
Rejected: Change Discarded

User Experience

Making a Change

When a user modifies an approval-required field:

  1. User enters the new value
  2. Notification indicates approval is needed
  3. User confirms they want to submit for approval
  4. The change is held pending
  5. User can continue working
  6. User is notified of approval/rejection

Pending Changes

While a change is pending:

  • The original value remains active
  • Record may show "pending approval" indicator
  • User cannot make additional changes to that field
  • Other fields can still be modified

Approver Experience

Receiving Requests

Approvers are notified of pending requests:

  1. Email notification sent
  2. Email contains:
    • What was changed
    • Who made the change
    • Link to review in BC

Reviewing Requests

In Business Central, the approver sees:

Information Description
Record Which record is affected
Field Which field was changed
Old Value Current value
New Value Proposed value
Requester Who made the change
Date/Time When request was submitted
Comments Any notes from requester

Making a Decision

The approver can:

Action Result
Approve Change is saved to the database
Reject Change is discarded
Delegate Pass to another approver
Request Info Ask requester for clarification

Adding Comments

Approvers should add comments:

  • Explain approval reasoning
  • Document rejection reasons
  • Note any conditions or concerns

Approval Rules

Rule Matching

When a change occurs, ACS determines which approval rule applies:

  1. Look for field-specific rules
  2. Look for table-level rules
  3. Apply default rule if no specific match

Rule Configuration

See Approval Rules for configuration details.

Notifications

Email Notifications

Event Recipient Content
Request Created Approver(s) Change details, link to approve
Reminder Approver(s) Pending request reminder
Approved Requester Approval confirmation
Rejected Requester Rejection with reason
Escalated Escalation Target Overdue request

In-App Notifications

Users can also see:

  • Pending approval status on records
  • My pending requests
  • Approval history

Escalation

Time-Based Escalation

If requests aren't processed in time:

  1. Reminder sent after first threshold
  2. Second reminder after second threshold
  3. Escalation to backup/manager

Configuring Escalation

In Approval Rules or Setup:

  • First reminder after X hours
  • Escalate after Y hours
  • Escalation target (user or group)

Multi-Level Approval

Sequential Approval

For high-risk changes:

Change Request
     ↓
Level 1 Approver (Department Manager)
     ↓ (if approved)
Level 2 Approver (Finance Director)
     ↓ (if approved)
Change Saved

Parallel Approval

Multiple approvers must all approve:

Change Request
     ↓
Approver A ──┬── All Must Approve ──→ Change Saved
Approver B ──┤
Approver C ──┘

Approval Request States

State Meaning
Pending Waiting for approver decision
Approved Approver approved, change saved
Rejected Approver rejected, change discarded
Canceled Requester withdrew request
Escalated Escalated to higher authority

Multiple Field Changes

When a user changes multiple approval-required fields:

Same Record

Multiple field changes on one record:

  • One approval request covers all changes
  • Approver sees all changes together
  • All-or-nothing approval

Different Records

Changes to multiple records:

  • Separate approval requests
  • Each approved independently

Workflow Scenarios

Scenario 1: Simple Approval

  1. User changes vendor bank account
  2. Finance manager receives notification
  3. Manager approves
  4. Bank account is updated

Scenario 2: Rejection

  1. User changes customer credit limit to 1,000,000
  2. Credit manager receives notification
  3. Manager reviews, deems too high
  4. Manager rejects with comment "Limit exceeds policy"
  5. Original credit limit remains

Scenario 3: Escalation

  1. User changes employee salary
  2. HR manager receives notification
  3. Manager doesn't respond in 24 hours
  4. Reminder sent
  5. Still no response after 48 hours
  6. Escalated to HR director
  7. Director approves

Integration with Compliance Log

All workflow events are logged:

Event Log Entry
Request created Change details, pending status
Approved Approval details, approver, timestamp
Rejected Rejection details, reason
Escalated Escalation details

Best Practices

Clear Approval Paths

  • Designate appropriate approvers
  • Consider backup approvers
  • Use groups for coverage

Reasonable Timeframes

  • Set realistic response expectations
  • Configure reminders appropriately
  • Plan for absences

Documentation

  • Require comments on rejections
  • Encourage approval notes
  • Review log periodically

Communication

  • Train users on the process
  • Explain why approval is needed
  • Make it easy to find request status

Troubleshooting

Approval Not Requested

  1. Verify field is configured for approval
  2. Check approval rules are active
  3. Confirm compliance is enabled

Approver Not Receiving Notifications

  1. Check approver configuration
  2. Verify email settings
  3. Check spam folder
  4. Verify rule assignment

Request Stuck Pending

  1. Check if approver is available
  2. Review escalation settings
  3. Manually reassign if needed