Chasing by message
- Applicants ask each person whether it’s been approved
- Approvers may not have all the documents they need
Apps & software · Office workflows
Check where a request is
Check where a request is
without chasing anyone
An office workflow system can handle internal approvals, task assignments and document handovers. Staff can see who is responsible for each item and its current stage.
Typical situations
Most requests pass through several people
Expense claims, contracts and document sign-offs usually go through several colleagues in turn. If one person holds up a request, everyone after them waits.
Handled in the system
- The system shows who has it now
- Applicants can check which step it’s at themselves
- Each request type has set fields and approvers
Before development
Settle the approval rules first
How the system works depends on how your approvals run. So for each type of request, we start with four questions.
-
01
Submit
Who submits it?
Which colleagues can submit each type of request.
-
02
Information
What information is needed?
Which fields to fill in, and which documents the approver needs attached.
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03
Approve
Who approves it?
Who approves it, and in what order if more than one person signs off.
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Return
What happens if it’s sent back?
Who gets it back after changes, and whether it starts again or picks up from the last step.
Approvers may differ by amount, department or request type. We document these rules in the brief.
By amount
By department
By request type
With the rules settled, we discuss these features with the development company.
Forms
Workflows
Reminders
Record access
Common features
Three kinds of work to move into the system
You don’t have to build all three. What’s included, and how much, is agreed for each project.
01
Requests and approvals
Each type of request, such as expense claims or contracts, gets its own fields, approvers and return route.
- Form fields
- Approvers
- How requests are returned for changes
02
Task assignments
Each task lists the person responsible, its deadline and progress, so another colleague can take over when someone is on leave.
- Owner
- Deadline
- Status
03
Document handovers
Files sit under the request or task they belong to, and the handling history is kept for when you need to check it.
- Documents linked to requests
- Documents linked to tasks
- Handling history
Before we talk
Show us how approvals work today
The most useful things are the request forms you use now and the places where things usually get stuck. We decide which features come first once we’ve seen those.
If you have time, write down each type of request against the four questions above.
01
Are requests made on forms, by email or by message now?
02
Which requests come up most, and which should come first?
03
Do you have reference screens or a feature list?
04
Any budget, timing or handover requirements?
How it works
Who does each step
AppsCraft is your point of contact. The build is done by a company or developer we arrange from the platform.
Led by AppsCraft
Done by the partner
You discuss the requirements with AppsCraft and pay AppsCraft. We coordinate with the contractor and follow the project through to delivery.
How we work-
01
Led by AppsCraft
Understand the approval rules
We take each type of request through the four questions above and note how it works today.
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02
Led by AppsCraft
Arrange a development company or developer
We bring in a development company or independent developer, hand over the approval rules and agree how forms, reminders and other features should work.
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03
Done by the partner
Build & test
The partner does the development. During testing you can run a real request through it. Tell us about any problems and we follow up the changes and progress with the partner.
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04
Led by AppsCraft
Deliver & follow up
We check what’s delivered against the handover list in the scope and confirm what happens next. Records are kept, which helps if you later change a rule, add a request type or hand the system over.
Start by writing down
one type of request
Pick the one you use most, such as expense claims, and note who handles it and how it gets signed off. Bring that page and we can get started.