Sequential approvals based on roles and dynamic criteria using formula fields in Salesforce Approval Processes
Salesforce offers robust approval processes to streamline your business workflows. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can enhance standard approval processes to meet specific needs, such as sequential approvals based on roles and dynamic criteria using formula fields.
Sequential Approvals Based on Role Hierarchy:
By default, Salesforce allows only one approval process to trigger at a time for a submitted record. If you have multiple approval processes, configuring their order becomes essential. However, achieving sequential approvals based on role hierarchy within a company requires additional configuration.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to implementing sequential approvals based on roles:
1. Add a Role Field to the Quote Object:
– Create a new field of type “Picklist” on the Quote object to store role information.
2. Update Approval Actions with the Role Field:
– Integrate the newly created role field into your approval actions as a field update.
3. Create Additional Approval Steps:
– Duplicate the existing approval process and modify the entry criteria for each step.
– Include the role field with the desired role value in the entry criteria for each step.
By following these steps, you ensure that the approval process progresses through different roles within the company hierarchy, providing a more tailored and efficient approval flow.
Let’s say:
CCO = Jannik Sinner
Business manager = Nick kyrgios
CFO =Daniel Medvedev
CEO = Roger Federer
First Jannik needs to approve, then Nick, then Daniel and finally the CEO Roger. This goes one by one and not all at the same time.
Optimizing Approval Processes with Formula Fields:
Salesforce approval processes become even more powerful when you leverage formula fields. Formula fields allow you to define criteria dynamically without the need for constant maintenance.
1. Identify Criteria for Approval:
– Determine the criteria that drive your approval process, such as specific field values or complex conditions. Let’s say, the assigned approvers depends on the total contact value and different kind of margins. We can put these criteria in a formula field.
2. Create Formula Fields:
– Generate formula fields that encapsulate the identified criteria. These fields dynamically evaluate based on record changes.
Here an example where you would use L1 and L2 in the approval process:
3. Integrate Formula Fields into Approval Processes:
– Use these formula fields as entry criteria in your approval processes or individual approval steps.
By incorporating formula fields, you eliminate the need for manual updates to the approval process itself. Instead, you can easily adjust the formula fields as business requirements evolve, providing flexibility and adaptability.
Conclusion:
Salesforce approval processes offer incredible flexibility, but optimizing them to meet specific business needs may require additional configuration. Implementing sequential approvals based on role hierarchy and utilizing formula fields for dynamic criteria ensures your approval processes align seamlessly with your business processes. Enhance your Salesforce experience by tailoring approval workflows to suit your unique organizational structure and criteria.
