Approval with e-signature

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Approval with e-signature

    The Approval with e-signature feature in ServiceNow enables users to approve or reject approval records by re-entering their login credentials, ensuring compliance with Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature requirements. This plugin records detailed information about each e-signature approval, including the signer’s printed name, timestamp, and the meaning of the signature (approval or rejection). This information is maintained in the activity stream and audit history of the approval records, providing traceability and regulatory compliance.

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    Key Features

    • Compliance Support: Validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11, supporting regulatory needs for electronic signatures.
    • Approval Tables: Supports Change Request [changerequest] and Standard Change Proposal [stdchangeproposal] tables by default. Additional tables can be added to require e-signature approvals.
    • Approver Authentication: Approvers must re-enter credentials to authorize approval or rejection; failed authentication keeps the approval state unchanged.
    • Approval History: Each approval record tracks changes in an activity stream, capturing e-signature events as field changes.
    • Multiple Approval Methods: Approvals can be made through context menu options, UI actions, or by changing the state field on the Change Request form—all trigger credential re-entry.
    • User Credential Sources: Supports authentication via local User [sysuser] records or through a remote identity provider using Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) with SAML 2.0 integration.
    • Plugin Activation and Configuration: Activating the plugin enables e-signature for all approval-enabled tables by default. It supports setting up e-signature authorization using local credentials or SSO.
    • Deactivation: Provides a procedure to disable e-signatures if needed.

    Practical Benefits and Outcomes

    • Ensure regulatory compliance for electronic approvals, especially in regulated industries requiring 21 CFR Part 11 adherence.
    • Enhance security by requiring user authentication for every approval action, preventing unauthorized approvals.
    • Maintain comprehensive audit trails with detailed e-signature information directly tied to approval records.
    • Flexible integration with existing user authentication systems, whether local or SSO-based, facilitating seamless adoption.
    • Streamline approval workflows with multiple options for approvers to authenticate and record their decisions.

    Approve or reject an approval record by re-entering your login credentials. See the history of an approval from its activity stream or its audit history.

    Support for Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11

    The Approval with e-signature plug-in is validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature requirements. This plug-in is required for compliance to 21 CFR Part 11.

    Each time someone approves a record, the system stores this information.
    • The printed name of the signer
    • The date and time when the signature was made
    • The meaning of the signature (approval or rejection)

    This information is stored as part of the activity stream and audit history of the record.

    Approval tables

    By default, Approval with e-signature supports these tables.
    • Change Request [change_request]
    • Standard Change Proposal [std_change_proposal]

    When you add an approval table, any approval for the table needs an e-signature authorization. See Select an approval table to add or remove a table from supporting Approval with e-signature.

    Approver Authentication dialog

    Approvers must enter their user credentials to change the approval state. If the credentials fail, then the approval remains unchanged. The system checks the user credentials against local user records or an active single sign-on integration.

    Dialog to enter user credentials

    Approval History

    Each Approval [sysapprover_approver] record has an activity stream that tracks changes to it. Approvals made by e-signature are stored as field changes.

    Figure 1. Example activity stream
    Example approval showing Bow Ruggeri approving a change request

    Available approval options

    The Change Request [change_request] table provides these approval options.

    List options
    The Change Request table provides context menu options to approve or reject records. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject context menu option, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
    UI actions
    The Change Request form provides UI actions to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject UI action, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
    Change record state
    The Change Request table provides a State field to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approved or Rejected state, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.

    User credential sources

    Approval with e-signature supports these types of user credential sources.
    • A set of local User [sys_user] records.
    • A remote identity provider service accessed by the Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) integration.

    User credentials must be set up before enabling Approvals with e-signature. See Creating users to create local User records.

    See Multi-Provider Single sign-on (SSO) to create an integration to a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 identity provider.