This custom process sends a summary notification to each of the relevant approvers when there are emails or documents with the workflow status "Pending Approval".
This custom automation has been created by the FYI team, ready to be imported to use in your practice.
Importing this Custom Automation
Click here to download the file used to import this example Custom Process, ready for you to test and activate or customise to suit your practice (or download the file from the bottom of this article).
Note: If you are using Chrome as your browser, the link may not automatically download the zip file. You need to right-click on the download link above, select Copy link address and paste it into a new browser tab in the browser's URL field.
When you have downloaded the file you can import the Custom Process. Refer to Importing Custom Processes and Importing Custom Processes using Drag and Drop.
Create a View or Determine the View to use
This example is set up using the system view "Workflow - Pend. Approval" to trigger the Custom Process and as the source of the notification. As this is a standard view for all sites, you do not need to set up a view specifically for the Process.
Creating the Custom Process
The following sections detail how to create this Custom Process directly, without using the Import feature.
- Add the Custom Process
- Add the Step for the Summary Notification
- Set the Status of the Process to "Active"
- Testing and Running the Process
- When the Summary Notification is triggered
Add the Custom Process
The following is the Custom Process.
- The Name has been set as "Pending Approval Notification". This name is included in the Notification in FYI and, depending on the user's settings, in the email notification that is sent.
- If required, add any additional description of the Process in the Description.
- The Trigger in the Process is set as "Schedule".
- No documents are created for this process so Inherit Job is unchecked.
- The Schedule has been set, for example, as "Every 12 hours" to run the process every 12 hours and the Start Date has been set.
- The Filter Type is set as "Documents - View Filter".
- The View is selected as the system view "Workflow - Pend. Approval".
- When sending notifications of what needs to be approved, you would usually set this so Approvers are sent further emails or notifications if the document is still pending approval. This means the Approvers only have to refer to the last notification to see what they currently need to approve. So for this process, you would remove the checkmark for Run Only Once Per Document. If you wanted to only send one notification, checkmark Run Only Once Per Document.
Add the Step for the Summary Notification
The following shows the Step for the Summary Notification.
- For Notify User, this has been set to select the relative person for the approval.
The "Workflow - Pend. Approval" view that is used to trigger the process includes the column Document Approver, so you can select Document Approver as the Notify User. - If required, add a Custom Message that displays below the link in the notification and in the notification email.
Set the Status of the Process to "Active"
When you are ready, set the Status of the process to "Active".
Testing and Running the Process
When setting up a Custom Process, it is very important to test it to ensure it is working as expected. Refer to Testing Custom Processes.
When the Summary Notification is triggered
When the Summary Notification is triggered, the Approver receives a notification. Depending on the user's settings, this will also get sent as an email.
The email shows the number of emails and documents that the Approver has pending approval.
The email includes a link that the Approver can click to go directly to the Documents list automatically filtered to show only the emails/documents that are "Pending Approval" and where that user is selected as the Approver.
The link in the notification displays the Documents list automatically set to the "Workflow - Pend Approval" view which can then be sorted or filtered on the Approvers name.
For examples of the notification and the email, and how the link is used, refer to Summary Notification in Reviewing and Approving Emails and Documents.