Approval processes – Automation Tools-4

The second is approval steps, i.e., actions that will be taken after each approval. In the case of several approvers, this is very useful information. If you click on Show Actions at the first default step, you will see that there are two types of actions—those that are triggered in the case of acceptance and those that are triggered in the case of rejection of the request. We can create automatic tasks, field changes, outbound messages, and email alerts for them.

The next section is Final Approval Actions, i.e., what will happen when the record is accepted by all approvers. In it, by default, we have created the action Record Lock. Yes, it was already in the previous one, but if the record has already been accepted in the form it was in, changes are not advisable.

The penultimate section is the evil twin brother of Final Approval Actions, called Final Rejection Actions. This is a very similar section, with a small difference—this action unlocks the record so that the owner can make the necessary changes and do an approval recall.

The last section is Recall Actions, i.e., what exactly will happen when the record is recalled.

If you want to polish your approval process, click on edit at the top of the form and select Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties. There, you can configure elements such as who the next approver should be chosen by and options for who can edit records when they are locked for other users. We have an advantage here because only administrators can make such changes.

7. For the last step, we’re going to, as they say, “Get the London look”, or “Pimp My Approval Layout”. Yes, here you can add fields that will be displayed to approvers, providing them with the necessary amount of information to help them make good decisions.

I’m proud of you! You’ve made it through one of the longer configuration processes in Salesforce. I know it may seem complicated now but trust me, if you configure two or three such processes, you’ll be a master at them.

Tip

Remember to test each of your processes before deployment. Even the smallest error can cause issues, such as locking a record. So, create and test a record from an opportunity or another object, and even before QA steps in, go through all the scenarios you can think of.

Approval processes are hugely significant for companies and their internal policies. If they are well-designed and updated, they serve as a solid defense against unprofitable deals or bad decisions. An approval process can be combined with Flow, the native automation in Salesforce, which you will learn about in the next section of this chapter.