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Managing Approvals

Efficiently manage and respond to approval requests to keep workflows moving smoothly and maintain control over important decisions.

The approval management system in ServiceOps allows you to review and act on various requests that require your authorization. Whether you're approving service requests, change requests, asset assignments, or other workflow items, the approval interface provides a streamlined way to make informed decisions and provide feedback.

Viewing Your Approvals​

To view your approvals, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the Support Portal.
  2. Navigate to My Approvals from the main menu.
  3. The approval dashboard will display all your assigned approvals.

Types of Approval Requests​

You may receive approval requests for:

  • Service Requests: New equipment, software, or service access requests (e.g., requests for new software, hardware, or access)
  • Problem Requests: Incident or issue reporting and resolution approvals (e.g., approving problem reports, incident resolutions)
  • Change Requests: System changes, updates, or modifications (e.g., system updates, network reconfigurations)
  • Release Requests: Software or system deployment approvals (e.g., approving new application deployments)
  • Asset/CI Assignments: Hardware or software asset/CI assignments to users (e.g., laptop assignments, software license allocations)
  • Purchase Orders: Procurement and purchasing decisions (e.g., approving vendor invoices, equipment purchases)
  • Knowledge Articles: Publication or updates to knowledge base articles (e.g., new troubleshooting guides, policy updates)

Approval Decision Types​

When multiple approvers are involved, the system uses different decision types:

  • Unanimous: All approvers must approve the request
  • Majority: More than 50% of approvers must approve
  • Any One: Any single approver can approve the request
  • First Approval: The first approval received (approve or reject) is considered final
First Approval Context

This decision type is often used for simple requests where rapid approval or rejection is crucial. Be aware that with "First Approval," the first approver to take action determines the outcome, and subsequent approvers will not be able to act on the request.

Approval Status​

The approval interface organizes requests into different status categories for easy management:

The Pending tab shows all approvals that require your attention and action:

  • View Details: Click the eye icon to see the full request details. When you click on an approval request, you'll see comprehensive information, including requester details, a summary of the request, a detailed description, and any attached documents.

  • Approve: Grant approval for the request.
  • Reject: Deny the request (requires a rejection note).
  • Refer Back: Return the request for additional information or clarification (requires a refer back note).
Quick Actions

From the pending approvals list, you can quickly approve or reject requests without opening the full details page.

Interacting with Approvals​

Adding Comments​

When viewing any ticket from the respective Approvals tab, you can add comments to the ticket:

  1. Click Start a Conversation in the Comments tab of the ticket details.
  2. Type your comment in the text area.
  3. Click Save to add the comment.

Comments are visible to:

  • The original requester
  • Other approvers involved in the process
  • System administrators (for audit purposes)

Notifications​

You'll receive email notifications for:

  • New Approval Requests: When you're assigned a new approval
  • Approval Reminders: If you haven't acted on a request within a specified time
  • Approval Updates: When other approvers take action or add comments on shared approvals
  • Request Status Changes: When approved requests are implemented or rejected
## Best Practices
  • Review All Details: Read the complete request description before deciding
  • Check Attachments: Review any supporting documents or files
  • Consider Impact: Think about the broader implications of your decision
  • Follow Policies: Ensure your decision aligns with organizational policies
## Troubleshooting

Common Problems and Solutions​

ProblemSolution
Cannot See Expected Approvals

- Verify that the approval request is assigned to you.

- Check if your user role has the necessary permissions to view approvals.

- Ensure there are no active filters hiding the requests.

- Refresh the page to load the latest approvals.

Approval Actions Not Working

- Log out and log back in to refresh your session.

- Confirm that your account has the required permissions to approve or reject.

- Clear your browser's cache and cookies.

- If the issue persists, contact support for assistance.

Rejection Notes Not Saving

- Ensure you fill in the mandatory rejection notes field.

- Check for any character limits or restrictions on special characters.

- Provide clear and concise reasons for the rejection.

Getting Help​

If you encounter issues with the approval system:

  1. Check Documentation - Review this guide for common solutions
  2. Contact Your Manager - Discuss approval-related questions with your supervisor
  3. IT Support - Contact your IT support team for technical issues
  4. System Administrator - For permission or workflow questions