Approval Workflow Automation
A simple starter flow that automates approval requests, routing, and notifications. Perfect for finance, operations, and management teams.
What This Flow Does
The Problem
Approval workflows are essential for maintaining control and compliance in business operations—whether it's expense approvals, purchase requests, access grants, or policy exceptions. However, traditional approval processes are slow, error-prone, and create bottlenecks. Approval requests often get lost in email inboxes, buried under other messages, or forgotten entirely. There's no visibility into approval status, making it difficult to track which requests are pending, which are approved, and which need follow-up.
The manual nature of approval processes creates additional problems: requesters don't know who should approve their request, approvers don't have context about why approval is needed, and there's no automatic escalation when approvals are delayed. Teams spend significant time sending follow-up emails, checking approval status, and manually executing approved actions. This manual coordination doesn't scale, especially as organizations grow and approval volumes increase.
- •Approval requests get lost in email, leading to delays and missed approvals
- •No visibility into approval status makes it difficult to track progress
- •Manual follow-ups and reminders consume significant time
- •Approvals stuck waiting for response create bottlenecks and delays
- •Manual execution of approved actions is error-prone and time-consuming
The Solution
Semawork's Approval Workflow Automation transforms approval processes from manual, email-based workflows into intelligent, automated systems. When an approval request is submitted—whether through a form, email, or Slack—our agents automatically determine the correct approver based on request type, amount, department, and organizational rules. The system sends notifications through multiple channels—Slack and email—ensuring approvers see requests immediately, and provides one-click approve/reject buttons for fast decisions.
Throughout the approval process, the system maintains real-time visibility into approval status, allowing requesters and approvers to track progress. If approvals are delayed beyond configured thresholds, the system automatically sends reminders and can escalate to backup approvers. Once approved, the system automatically executes the approved action—whether that's creating a purchase order, granting access, processing a refund, or updating records. This end-to-end automation eliminates manual coordination while maintaining control and auditability.
- ✓Automatically route approval requests to correct approver based on intelligent rules
- ✓Send notifications via Slack and email with request context and one-click actions
- ✓Track approval status in real-time with visibility for all stakeholders
- ✓Automatically execute approved actions, eliminating manual follow-up work
- ✓Automatic reminders and escalation ensure timely approvals
Common Use Cases
Expense Approvals
Employees submit expense reports that require manager approval before reimbursement. The approval workflow automatically routes expenses to the correct approver based on amount and department, sends notifications, tracks approval status, and processes reimbursements once approved.
When an employee submits an expense over $500, the system routes it to their manager for approval. The manager receives a Slack notification with expense details and can approve or reject with one click. Once approved, the system automatically creates a reimbursement record in the finance system.
Purchase Requests
Teams submit purchase requests for equipment, software, or services that require approval before procurement. The workflow routes requests based on amount and category, ensures proper approvals are obtained, and creates purchase orders automatically once approved.
A team member requests software licenses costing $2,000. The system routes to their manager first, then to finance for budget approval, then to procurement. Each approver receives notifications with request context, and the system tracks progress through all approval stages.
Access Requests
Employees request access to systems, tools, or data that require approval for security and compliance. The workflow routes access requests to appropriate approvers—IT for system access, data owners for sensitive data—and automatically provisions access once approved.
An employee requests access to customer data in Salesforce. The system routes to their manager for business justification approval, then to the data owner for security approval. Once both approve, the system automatically grants the appropriate Salesforce permissions.
Policy Exceptions
Teams request exceptions to standard policies—refund policies, service terms, contract conditions—that require approval. The workflow routes exception requests to appropriate decision-makers, provides policy context, and documents approvals for audit purposes.
A customer requests a refund outside the standard policy window. The support agent submits an exception request that routes to their manager, then to finance for approval. The system provides policy context and customer history to help approvers make informed decisions.
How It Works
Approval Request
Request submitted via form, email, or Slack
Intelligent Routing
Semawork determines correct approver based on request type, amount, and department
Approval Notification
Approver receives notification in Slack with request details and one-click approve/reject
Status Tracking
Request status tracked in project management tool with visibility for all stakeholders
Action Execution
Upon approval, automatically execute action (create purchase order, grant access, etc.)
Approval Workflow Types
Single-Level Approvals
Simple approval workflows where a single approver makes the decision. These workflows are ideal for routine requests like standard expense approvals, access requests within normal parameters, or policy-compliant requests. The system routes requests to the appropriate single approver based on request type, amount, or department, and executes actions immediately upon approval.
Single-level approvals are fast and efficient for low-risk decisions. The system can still maintain audit trails and provide visibility while streamlining the approval process.
Multi-Level Sequential Approvals
Sequential approval workflows where requests must be approved by multiple people in order—each approver must approve before the next approver receives the request. These workflows are common for purchase orders, large expenses, or requests that require multiple levels of authorization. The system manages the sequential flow, ensuring each approver reviews and approves before moving to the next level.
Sequential approvals ensure proper authorization hierarchy and allow each approver to review decisions made by previous approvers. The system tracks progress through each level and provides visibility into where requests are in the approval chain.
Parallel Approvals
Parallel approval workflows where multiple approvers review and approve requests simultaneously, and approval proceeds when a specified number or percentage of approvers approve. These workflows are useful for cross-functional decisions, budget approvals requiring multiple department heads, or requests that need consensus from multiple stakeholders.
Parallel approvals speed up the approval process by allowing multiple approvers to review simultaneously rather than sequentially. The system tracks approvals from all approvers and proceeds when the required threshold is met.
Conditional Approvals
Conditional approval workflows where different approval paths are taken based on request characteristics—amount thresholds, request type, department, or other criteria. For example, expenses under $100 might auto-approve, expenses $100-$500 might require manager approval, and expenses over $500 might require finance approval. The system automatically routes requests to the appropriate approval path based on configured conditions.
Conditional approvals optimize the approval process by routing requests to appropriate approval levels based on risk and amount. This ensures high-value requests receive proper scrutiny while low-value requests are processed efficiently.
Delegation and Escalation
Approval workflows support delegation—approvers can delegate approval authority to others when unavailable—and automatic escalation—requests automatically escalate to backup approvers or managers when primary approvers don't respond within configured timeframes. This ensures requests don't get stuck and maintains workflow momentum even when approvers are unavailable.
Security and Access Control
Authentication and Authorization
Semawork integrates with your identity management systems to ensure only authorized users can submit approval requests and only designated approvers can approve requests. The system respects your existing access controls and organizational hierarchy, ensuring approval workflows align with your security policies. All approval actions require authentication, and the system logs who performed each action for security auditing.
The system supports single sign-on (SSO) and integrates with identity providers to ensure secure access. Approval permissions are managed through your existing identity management systems, maintaining consistency with your security policies.
Data Protection and Encryption
All approval data is encrypted in transit and at rest, ensuring sensitive approval information remains protected. The system uses industry-standard encryption protocols and follows security best practices for data protection. Sensitive approval details are only accessible to authorized approvers and requesters, maintaining confidentiality throughout the approval process.
For highly sensitive approvals, the system can implement additional security measures like multi-factor authentication for approvers, encrypted approval notifications, and restricted access to approval details.
Approval Authority Validation
The system validates approval authority before allowing approvals, ensuring only authorized approvers can approve requests. This prevents unauthorized approvals and maintains the integrity of approval workflows. The system checks approver permissions against configured approval matrices and organizational hierarchies before processing approvals.
Approval authority validation prevents security issues like unauthorized approvals or approval bypass attempts. The system logs all validation checks and approval attempts for security auditing.
Secure Action Execution
When executing approved actions, the system uses secure, authenticated connections to integrated systems. Critical actions can require additional confirmation or multi-factor authentication to ensure security. The system maintains secure credentials for system integrations and uses them only for authorized actions, preventing unauthorized system access.
Comprehensive Audit Trail
Complete Approval History
Semawork maintains a complete audit trail of all approval activities, including request submission, routing decisions, approval actions, rejections, escalations, and action execution. Each entry includes timestamp, user identification, action taken, and any comments or conditions. This comprehensive history provides full visibility into approval processes and supports compliance requirements.
Audit trail entries are immutable and timestamped, ensuring they cannot be modified and provide accurate historical records. The system stores audit trails securely and can export them for compliance reporting or process analysis.
For compliance purposes, audit trails demonstrate that approval processes are followed consistently and provide evidence of proper authorization for actions taken. This is particularly valuable for financial approvals, access grants, and policy exceptions.
Approval Pattern Analysis
The system analyzes approval patterns to identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for process improvement. Analytics include approval times, approval rates, common rejection reasons, and approver workload. This data helps organizations optimize approval processes and identify areas where automation or process changes might improve efficiency.
Approval pattern analysis helps identify approvers who are consistently slow to respond, approval workflows that create bottlenecks, and request types that frequently require escalation. This data-driven approach enables continuous improvement of approval processes.
Compliance Reporting
The system generates compliance reports showing approval activity, approval patterns, and adherence to approval policies. These reports can be customized for different compliance requirements and exported for audit purposes. Reports include approval volumes, approval times, approval rates, and any exceptions or escalations.
Compliance reports help demonstrate that approval processes are followed consistently and provide evidence for audits. The system can generate reports for specific time periods, request types, or approvers, making it easy to provide audit evidence.
Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts
The system provides real-time monitoring of approval workflows, alerting administrators to unusual patterns, stuck approvals, or potential issues. Alerts can be configured for approval delays, high rejection rates, or unusual approval patterns. This proactive monitoring helps ensure approval processes run smoothly and identifies issues before they become problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the approval workflow system route requests to the right approvers?
The system uses intelligent routing based on request type, amount, department, and organizational hierarchy. It understands your approval matrix and routes requests to the appropriate approvers based on configured rules. For example, expense requests might route to managers, while purchase orders might route to finance teams. The system can also handle multi-level approvals where requests need approval from multiple people.
What happens if an approver is unavailable or doesn't respond?
The system includes escalation logic—if an approver doesn't respond within configured timeframes, requests can be automatically escalated to backup approvers or managers. The system sends reminders and can escalate based on request urgency. This ensures requests don't get stuck waiting for unavailable approvers and maintains workflow momentum.
Can the system handle different approval workflows for different request types?
Yes, the system supports different approval workflows for different request types—expense approvals might have different steps than purchase order approvals, for example. You can configure workflows that include different approval levels, required approvers, and escalation rules based on request characteristics. This ensures appropriate approval processes for each type of request.
How does the system notify approvers and track approval status?
The system sends notifications through multiple channels—email, Slack, Microsoft Teams—ensuring approvers are immediately aware of pending requests. It tracks approval status in real-time, showing which approvers have approved, which are pending, and which have rejected requests. This provides complete visibility into approval progress and helps identify bottlenecks.
Can the system automatically execute actions after approval?
Yes, once all required approvals are obtained, the system can automatically execute approved actions—creating purchase orders, processing expenses, updating systems, or triggering other workflows. This eliminates manual follow-up and ensures approved requests are processed immediately. Critical actions can still require additional confirmation to ensure safety.
How does the system maintain an audit trail of approvals?
The system maintains a complete audit trail of all approval activities—who approved, when they approved, any comments or conditions, and what actions were taken. This audit trail is stored securely and can be used for compliance, reporting, and process improvement. The system provides visibility into approval patterns and helps identify areas for process optimization.
Ready to automate your approvals?
This is just one example of a simple starter flow. Let's discuss how Semawork can automate your approval workflows.