Approval

Introduction

The Approval Field in Unifize enables organizations to embed digital signatures directly within checklist processes. This field drives traceability and compliance by requiring explicit approvals at defined stages in a workflow. Once configured, it delivers real-time notifications in My Inbox for all lifecycle actions: request, approve, reject, and cancel.

Capabilities

The Approval Field supports the following key actions:

• Request Approval: Triggers a digital signature request to designated approvers.

• Approval: Captures e-signature and logs timestamp, user identity, and comments (if configured).

• Reject: Declines the approval with optional comments.

• Cancel Pending Request: Allows originator to withdraw a pending approval.

• Cancel Approval: Revokes an already granted approval, logging reasons and notifying participants.

All actions are automatically logged in the record’s conversation window for auditability.

How approval works

1. Requesting an approval

To ensure the approval workflow is controlled and traceable, Unifize allows checklist approval fields to require an explicit "Request Approval" action before an approver can sign off.

How it works

1. Configure the Approval Field

   In the checklist settings, enable the "Request approval" button within the Approval field configuration.

2. Approval requester action

   Once the field is visible in the record, the requester (typically the record owner or assigned user) will see a "Request an Approval" button. Clicking this button sends a notification to the approver.

3. Conversation notification

   This request appears as a message in the conversation panel under My Inbox, so the approver is immediately alerted. The Checklist activity log update will show a message like: Final approval- Approval has been requested.

Alternate setup: auto-request via automation

For teams who want to skip the manual request step, you can configure a custom automation to trigger the approval request automatically based on specific conditions (e.g., record status, field completion). This removes the need for users to click “Request an Approval” manually.

2. Approving a request

If you're assigned as an approver, you’ll get notified in My Inbox. You can:

• Approve with an optional or required comment

• Reject the request (may also require a reason)

• Cancel the approval (if your permissions allow it)

You may also see locked fields that cannot be edited until the approval step is complete.

Approval methods

a. Password-based approval

When an assigned user goes to approve or reject the document, they are prompted to enter their registered email address and Unifize password to approve or reject the item.

Who can use it- Users with standard Unifize login and password or non-SSO users.

b. OTP-based approval

When an assigned user goes to approve or reject a document, they will be prompted to enter their email address and click "Generate OTP". A one-time password is sent to their email. They must enter the OTP to complete the approval.

Who can use it- Ideal for first-time users or SSO-authenticated users who do not have a Unifize password. SSO user can go to the “Change Password” setting in the Profile section to add password. This will allow them to do approval via passwords.

3. Viewing approval status

At any time, you can:

• Check whether an approval is pending, approved, rejected, or cancelled

• See who signed it, when they did, and any comments they left

• Review the full history in the Conversation Thread Conversation

Unifize delivers real-time notifications in My Inbox for all four approval lifecycle actions- a. Requesting an approval b. Actual approval process c. Revoking an approved approval d. Cancelling pending approval request.

This ensures all involved users receive immediate visibility into approvals they’re part of—whether as requesters, approvers, or participants.

4. Revoking an approved Approval

If an approval has already been granted but needs to be withdrawn (e.g., due to incorrect data or process change), users with “Who can cancel” access to the record can revoke the approval by clearing the approval field.

This action is logged in the conversation thread for full traceability.

5. Cancelling a pending approval request

If an approval request was made by mistake or needs to be deferred, the requester can click on “Cancel an Approval” before the approver takes action.

Configuration steps

Admins can configure the Approval Field by accessing the Process Builder in Manage:

1. Navigate to Process Settings

   • Go to Manage > Select Process > Edit

2. Add an approval field

   • Within the Checklist, click + Add Field

   • Choose Approval as the field type

   • Provide a clear field name (e.g., "Manager Approval", "QA Sign-off")

3. Configure approval field settings

   Based on your requirements, you can configure how you want your approval field to behave for the end user. There are a bunch of basic approval settings and sections like who can approve, canceling approvals, automations, etc. For detailed guide on approval field settings, go through the approval field settings.

4. Click "Update Field Settings" to save.

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Roles and permissions

Role	Capability
Admin	Full control over approval field config
Org Member	Can request approvals if permitted
Assigned Approver	Can approve, reject, or cancel (if enabled)

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Technical workflow

1. Initiation: A user triggers the Approval field by selecting "Request Signature"

2. Notification: Approver(s) are notified via My Inbox

3. Signature: Approver enters comments (if required) and digitally signs

4. Post-Approval: Automations are triggered, and the status is updated

5. Audit Trail: All actions appear in the Conversation Thread

Approval field settings

Setting name	Description	Use case
Basic approval settings	Configure how the approval should be collected. You can choose to require a specific number of approvers (e.g. "any 1 of 3"), enable ad-hoc selection (requester selects approvers at the time of request), or display a "Request Approval" button to control when the signature request is triggered.	Useful when approvals can come from flexible sources or need to be explicitly triggered, such as in collaborative or gated workflows.
Who can approve	Define which users or groups are eligible to approve. You can choose from all participants, the record owner, or assign specific users, roles, or groups. You can also reference users from other fields in the checklist. An option is available to prevent the requester from self-approving.	Ensures accountability by restricting approvals to relevant personnel. Critical for segregation of duties or regulated processes.
Cancelling approvals	Specify who is allowed to cancel an approval (e.g. approvers, specific users, or participants), and under what conditions. You can allow cancellation of approvals that are still pending, or allow revoking approvals that have already been granted.	Allows structured rollbacks in cases of incorrect requests or change in process requirements. Helps prevent unauthorized cancellation.
Approval comments	Require users to mandatorily provide a comment when approving, rejecting, or cancelling an approval. Each can be toggled independently based on what you need to audit or document.	Promotes transparency and enforces documentation for decision rationale. Often used in corrective actions, quality reviews, or compliance.
Contingent on previous approval	Link this approval to another one in the checklist. The field can be hidden or disabled unless the linked approval is completed. You can also block the previous approval from being edited once this field is active.	Enables sequential approval chains. For example, require Manager Approval before QA Sign-off becomes active.
Lock fields	Prevent editing of specific checklist fields while the approval is active or once it’s completed. You can choose to inherit locks from previous approval steps or set custom fields to lock.	Ensures that critical information remains unchanged while approvals are in progress or finalized. Helps preserve record integrity.
Automations on start / request	Define actions that occur when the approval is requested. You can update the record's status, add or remove participants, change the owner, or send a notification. Includes a "Update Privacy" option to change record visibility: keep it unchanged, hide everything, hide only the chat, or make it public.	Kick-start processes once approval is requested. For e.g., notify stakeholders, restrict access, or assign accountability. Great for early-phase coordination.
Automations on approval	Set up what happens when the approval is granted. Options include marking a revision as current, changing the status, modifying participants, changing ownership, sending messages, and setting record visibility through the "Update Privacy" options.	Moves the process forward once approved, which is ideal for release steps, document control, or escalating to downstream workflows.
Automations on rejection	Define what happens when an approval is rejected. You can update the status, automatically cancel prior approvals in the chain, change participants, send messages, and manage record visibility using privacy options.	Handles alternate paths and cleanup when approvals are denied. Common in quality non-conformance or deviation handling.
Automations on cancellation	Trigger actions when an approval is cancelled (either pending or granted). You can change status, notify users, adjust participants, reassign ownership, and configure privacy using the same visibility options.	Useful when workflows are aborted or approvals are rescinded to keep stakeholders aligned

Conditions field

Setting name	Description	Use case
Show until condition met	Displays the approval field until a specified condition is satisfied. Once met, the field is automatically hidden.	Useful for fields that are only relevant in early phases. Example: initial approval fields hidden after a phase change for approval fields
Hidden until condition met	Keeps the field invisible until defined criteria are true. Once the condition is satisfied, the field becomes visible.	Reveals fields based on dynamic logic (e.g., only show regulatory approvals if "Country = US").
Mandatory until condition met	Makes the approval field required only until a condition is met. After that, it becomes optional	Create conditional requirements. For example, make sign-off mandatory unless a “skip validation” option is selected.
Disable until condition met	Prevents user interaction with the field until a defined condition is met. Field appears greyed-out or non-editable until triggered.	Control user actions and enforce order. Commonly used in sequential approval chains or stage-gating logic.
Condition Builder	All condition types use the same builder structure- a. Condition: Choose from form fields, checklist data, or system metadata like owner b. Qualifier: Set specific criteria c. Copy/Delete: Clone or remove condition sets	Enables highly tailored approval flows. E.g., show the field only if status = “Ready for Review” and category = “Critical”.

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