Approval Workflow: Add or Update Approvers function not working as expected

Question

Hello,

I'm about to implement a simple approval workflow process to approve purchase requisitions.  There are occasions when the workflow needs to have an additional approver and I need to have an approver to be able to add an approver to the flow.  I've been tested the "add or update approver" function, but it doesn't appear to generate an approval request in the tasks list (the new approver doesn't receive an email etc.).

Any suggestions as to what I need to do to fix it? I'm using the SharePoint 2010 approval workflow (out of the box).

Thanks,

Denise

Answer 1

Hi Denise,

I'd like to explain that we cannot change the approve order type when we are trying to add a new approver to the SharePoint 2010 approval workflow (out of box).

We can only select the order type when we are starting the approval workflow, One at a time (Serial) or All at once (Parallel). After that, every time the existing approvers add a new approver to the workflow, the approve order type will inherit the order type how the prior approver was added, we can't make changes to it.

For example, the order type was selected to Serial when A was added as an approver. Now A wants to add B as an approver to the workflow, then the order type of B will be set to Serial.

Given this situation, you may try selecting the approve order type to All at once (Parallel) when starting an workflow.

Furthermore, after one person is added as an approver, he/she can go to Workflow Tasks directly to check the tasks that need to be approved.

Besides, here is a reference that may help you learn more about SharePoint 2010 approval workflow: All about Approval workflows

Regards,

Joanne

Answer 2

Thanks for the information!

Denise

Answer 3

Further testing shows that I needed to be more patient! The users can only be added as "serial" order, so I had to wait for the prior person to approve the document before it went to the user that I added.

Is there a way to add the users in parallel or is it only in serial?

Thanks,

Denise