An approval workflow needs a decision owner, clear criteria, and a path for changes or absence. A button labeled approve does not define the operating process.
Prepared with AI assistance. These are practical scoping recommendations; examples are illustrative, not client results.
Model the decision
Identify what is being authorized and what information the reviewer needs. A purchase request may require different evidence from a schedule change. Record possible outcomes such as approve, reject, or return for clarification. Explain whether the requester can edit the item while the decision is pending.
Handle reassignment
Decide who can act when the normal reviewer is unavailable and how the substitution is recorded. Avoid sharing accounts to keep work moving. If the business uses approval thresholds, specify where those rules are maintained and who can change them. The system should make the applicable rule understandable at the time of review.
Treat changes deliberately
A material edit after approval may require a new decision. Define which fields trigger that behavior and preserve the approved version. Otherwise a record can display approved while representing something the reviewer never saw. Keep routine corrections distinct from changes in the substance of the request.
Run an acceptance exercise
Submit an ordinary request, return one for clarification, and reassign one during an absence. Then change an approved item and inspect its history. If the business cannot explain which version was approved and by whom, the workflow is missing a control that should be resolved before launch.