Template

Approval Workflow

The Approval Workflow runs multi-step approvals with clear owners, due dates, escalation rules, and AI-powered reminders. Every decision is tracked with a full audit trail — so your team never has to chase approvers or wonder where a request is stuck.

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Approval Workflow Template

Request submitted

AI validates completenessAI

Routed to approver

Approver reviews and decides

Decision recorded and next steps triggered

Overview

What this workflow does

Approvals slow teams down when they rely on email threads, chat messages, and verbal requests. Requests get lost, approvers forget, and no one knows where things are stuck.

The Approval Workflow gives every request a structured path from submission to decision. Each step has a clear owner, a due date, and an escalation rule. AI workers validate completeness before routing and remind approvers before deadlines — so decisions move forward without the chasing.

Workflow

How it works, step by step

Request submitted

The submitter provides all required details and documents. The workflow captures who submitted it, when, and what's included.

AI validates completeness AI

The Compliance Worker checks that all required fields and documents are present before the request moves to an approver. Incomplete submissions are flagged immediately.

Routed to approver

The request is assigned to the right approver based on type, amount, department, or any other routing rules you define.

Approver reviews and decides

The approver sees the full request with all context — submitted details, documents, validation results — and can approve, reject, or request changes.

Decision recorded and next steps triggered

The decision is logged with a timestamp and full audit trail. Approved work automatically moves to the next stage in the workflow.

AI Workers

AI workers in this workflow

Compliance Worker — Validates that all required fields, documents, and information are present before a request is routed to an approver. Prevents incomplete submissions from wasting approver time.

Follow-up Worker — Sends contextual reminders to approvers before deadlines and escalates to managers when approvals are overdue.

Use cases

Who uses this workflow

Finance teams managing expense and budget approvals
Operations teams running process approvals across departments
Procurement teams reviewing purchase requests
Any team with approval bottlenecks slowing work down

See how this works in Construction and Gems & Jewellery.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is an approval workflow?

An approval workflow is a structured process where a request moves through one or more approvers before it can proceed. Each step has a clear owner, due date, and escalation rule.

How many approval steps can I have?

As many as your process needs. DoubleTick supports sequential and multi-level approvals — from single-step sign-offs to complex multi-department review chains.

Can AI remind approvers automatically?

Yes. The Follow-up Worker sends contextual reminders to approvers before deadlines and escalates to managers when approvals are overdue.

What happens when an approval is overdue?

The Follow-up Worker escalates it — notifying the approver's manager or a designated escalation contact with the full request context.

How is this different from email approvals?

Email approvals have no tracking, no due dates, no escalation, and no audit trail. DoubleTick approval workflows enforce structure, visibility, and accountability at every step.