Configurable approvals experience

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configurable Approvals Experience

    The Configurable Approvals Experience in ServiceNow enables approvers to make informed decisions by providing in-context information and a consistent layout across various approval types. This feature enhances productivity through a unified approvals inbox, allowing management of requests from both internal and external applications in one location.

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    Key Features

    • Configurable Experience: Tailor the information and actions for each approval type to enhance user experience for both employees and approvers.
    • Unified Approvals Inbox: Centralize approval management across applications like SAP Concur and Workday without the need to switch tools.
    • Omni-channel Approvals: Enable approval management from various channels such as NowMobile, Outlook, and MS Teams, meeting users where they are.
    • User Roles: Specific roles are required for managing approvals, including roles for administrators and approvers. Key roles include Approvals admin and Workday admin.

    Key Outcomes

    By leveraging this configurable approvals experience, administrators can integrate external applications, automate processes, and improve efficiency. Approvers benefit from a streamlined management process, allowing them to view, manage, and make decisions on requests based on contextual information. Employees can submit approval requests and track their status easily, improving overall workflow and communication across the organization.

    Enable the approver with the in-context information for informed and prioritized approval decisions.

    Use the approval templates with common info, primary info, tabs, and action groups to make informed decisions. You can configure individual approval types to display the request-specific information, while still having a consistent layout that is similar to other approval types.

    Improve productivity with a unified approvals inbox. You can manage requests from internal and external applications from one location. Approvers can approve or send back Concur expenses to the requester right from Employee Center Pro with a configurable omni-channel experience.

    Configurable experience

    Enhance employee and approver experience by configuring the information and actions for each approval type.

    Unified approvals inbox

    Manage all your approvals from a unified location across business applications such as SAP Concur and Workday without switching the tools.​

    Omni-channel approvals

    Meet employees where they are for approval management from all channels such as NowMobile, Outlook, and MS Teams.

    Approvals user and roles

    Table 1. User roles
    User roles Required role
    Approvals admin sn_hr_sp.esc_admin
    ESM framework admin sn_hr_integr_fw.admin
    Workday admin sn_hr_workday.admin
    Flow designer admin flow_designer
    Note:
    • The approver_user or the business_stakeholder role is required to be able to approve or reject items on the Employee Center Pro portal.
    • The sn_request_read and sn_request_approver_read are read-only roles.

    For more information, see Approvals hub integration with SAP Concur and Approvals hub integration with Workday.

    How external integration works

    Approvals hub integration enables you to share data between the two platforms, automate processes, and improve efficiency. Here are the steps involved in integrating ServiceNow and external applications such as SAP Concur and Workday.

    Here is what an administrator can do.
    As an administrator
    • Use prebuilt integrations and the ability to build custom integrations.
    • Pull external data and transform it for display on Employee Center Pro.
    • Use the default to-dos configuration and task configuration to customize the approval flows.
    • Enable quick actions to process the request.
    • Sync data and status between the applications.
    Here is what an approver can do.
    As an approver
    • View and manage open and assigned requests from ServiceNow and external applications from a unified location.
    • Make approval decisions based on the contextual information as configured in the to-dos configuration and task configuration.
    • Perform quick actions to process the request.
    Here is what an employee can do.
    As an employee
    • Submit your approval requests from any internal and external applications.
    • View progress or status of the request.

    For more information, see Approvals experience reference and Use approval experience.