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Configuring Approval Milestones and Steps

Structure complex approval processes logically by organising them into milestones and steps using Zudello's Automation Sentences. This guide explains how to configure these elements for clear and manageable workflows.

Best practices​

  • Use clear and descriptive names for milestones and steps (e.g., "Finance Review Milestone", "Manager Approval Step").
  • Group related approval actions within a single milestone.
  • Use separate milestones for distinct stages of approval (e.g., Department Approval, Finance Approval, Final Approval).
  • Keep the number of steps within a milestone manageable.
  • Test your configured approval flows thoroughly.

Understanding Milestones and Steps​

Zudello's approval system, primarily configured via Sentences, uses a hierarchical structure:

  • Approval Flow: The overall container for the entire approval process for a specific document. A document typically has one active approval flow at a time.
  • Approval Milestone: Represents a distinct stage or phase within the approval flow. All steps within a milestone must be completed (approved) before the flow can proceed to the next milestone. If any step within a milestone is rejected, the entire milestone is considered rejected.
  • Approval Step: Represents a specific approval action required within a milestone. This could involve getting approval from a specific user, a user group, or based on a DOA dataset. Multiple steps can run concurrently within a single milestone.

This structure allows you to build sophisticated workflows, such as requiring parallel approvals from different departments within one milestone before moving to a final finance review in the next milestone.

Configuring in Sentences​

Milestones and steps are defined within the Actions section of an Automation Sentence, specifically when using "Get Approval" type actions.

  1. Navigate to Automations: Go to Settings > Automations.
  2. Create or Edit Sentence: Start a new Sentence or edit an existing one designed for approvals (e.g., triggered when a document is submitted).
  3. Add "Get Approval" Action: In the Actions section, add one of the "Get Approval" actions (e.g., Get approval from User, Get approval from User Group, Get approval from DOA).
  4. Configure Milestone:
    • Milestone Name: Enter a descriptive name for this stage of the approval (e.g., "Department Manager Approval"). This name will be visible to users in the approval flow display on the document.
  5. Configure Step:
    • Step Name: Enter a descriptive name for this specific approval task (e.g., "Marketing Dept Approval", "IT Dept Approval"). This is also visible to users.
    • Configure Approvers: Select the User, User Group, or DOA Dataset required for this step.
    • Configure Step Options: Set options like Criteria Pass/Fail, Notify, Apply Previous, Include Submitter as needed for this specific step. (See related How-To guides for details on these options).
  6. Add More Steps (within the same Milestone): To add another parallel approval step within the same milestone, add another "Get Approval" action immediately following the previous one without adding any other action types (like Set Status or Add Note) in between. Configure its Step Name and approvers. Zudello groups consecutive "Get Approval" actions under the same Milestone Name defined in the first action of the sequence.
  7. Add More Milestones: To create a new, subsequent milestone, add a different type of action (e.g., Add Note saying "Proceeding to Finance Approval") after the last "Get Approval" action of the previous milestone. Then, add the "Get Approval" action(s) for the new milestone, defining its new Milestone Name and Step(s). The system treats sequences of "Get Approval" actions separated by other action types as distinct milestones.
  8. Save Sentence.

Example Structure:

  • Action 1: Get Approval from User Group (Milestone: "Dept Review", Step: "Marketing Approval", Approver: Marketing Group)
  • Action 2: Get Approval from User Group (Milestone: "Dept Review", Step: "Sales Approval", Approver: Sales Group)
    • Result: Milestone 1 ("Dept Review") has two parallel steps.
  • Action 3: Add Note (Text: "Department review complete, proceeding to finance.")
  • Action 4: Get Approval from User Group (Milestone: "Finance Review", Step: "Finance Team Approval", Approver: Finance Group)
    • Result: Milestone 2 ("Finance Review") is created with one step.

User Experience​

Users viewing a document in approval will see the configured milestones and steps clearly laid out at the top of the document viewer, showing the progress and who needs to act next.

Need help?​

Designing complex approval flows requires careful planning. Contact your organisation administrator or Zudello support for assistance with configuring milestones and steps using Sentences.