Configuring Approvers and Approval Workflows

Role: Knowledge Manager, Administrator

Minimum Version: Ivanti Neurons for ITSM 2023

Knowledge articles follow a defined approval process driven by workflows. You can configure these workflows and create approver contact groups to streamline the approval process.

Approval Workflows

Knowledge management provides an approval workflow for each knowledge article type.

Article Type

Workflow Name

Business Object

Document

Knowledge Approval Process for Document

FRS_Knowledge.Document

Error Message

Knowledge Approval Process for Error Message

FRS_Knowledge.ErrorMessage

Issue and Resolution

Knowledge Approval Process for Issue Resolution

FRS_Knowledge.IssueResolution

Patch

Knowledge Approval Process for Patch

FRS_Knowledge.Patch

Q&A

Knowledge Approval Process for Q and A

FRS_Knowledge.QandA

Reference

Knowledge Approval Process for Reference

FRS_Knowledge.Reference

Workflows mostly consist of the Get Approval and Notification workflow block. These define the approvers, the approval sequence and criteria, the notification recipients during the approval process, and the voting deadlines. These settings can be changed to customize the approval process as described in the following sections.

See Using Workflows for information on workflows.

Configuring Approvers

To configure approvers create a contact group and add the approvers group to the workflow.

To create the approvers contact group.

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Configure > Users and Permissions > Groups.

3.Select New Contact Group and fill in the contact group details. Ensure to select Knowledge Advisory Board as Group Type.

4.Select Link from the Members section and double-click the user's record to add it as a member of the groups

To add approvers in the workflow.

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Business Objects > select the required business object such as FRS_Knowledge.Document.

3.Select the required workflow from the Workflows tab.

4.Select the Edit button to open worflow edit icon of the version you are required to edit.

5.Double-click the Get Approval block to reconfigure.

6.In the Approvers area, select the required group as approver From a Group drop-down. Select Save.

Configuring the Approval Criteria

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Business Objects > select the required business object such as FRS_Knowledge.Document.

3.Select the required workflow from the Workflows tab.

4.Select the Edit button to open worflow edit icon of the version you are required to edit.

5.Double-click the Get Approval block to reconfigure.

6.In the Approval/Denial Criteria area of the Get Approval block properties window, select an approval method.

7.Select Save.

Approval criteria are controlled by the information in the Approval/Denial Criteria area of the Get Approval block properties window.

Configurable Criteria Conditions for Approval/Rejection

Approve if all approved

Every member of the approval group approves the request.

Approve if any approved

One member of the approval group must approve the request.

Approve if at least N% approved

The specified percentage of the approval group members approve the request.

Deny if any rejected

One member of the approval group rejects the request.

Deny if at least N% rejected

The specified percentage of approval group members rejects the request.

Email Notifications

Email notification occurs at two general stages in a knowledge approval workflow:

•Approvers are notified when an article is ready for them to review.

•The owner of an article is notified about the article status after it is reviewed or after a review deadline expires.

Configuring Approver Notifications

The KnowledgeApprovalVoteNotification quick action (affiliated with the FRS_ApprovalVoteTracking business object) sends email to approvers when an article is ready for them to review. By default, this notification is sent to $(OwnerEmail).

To reconfigure this quick action:

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Automation Tools > Quick Actions.

3.Scroll to FRS_ApprovalVoteTracking and select Add/Edit.

4.Under Your Actions, double-click KnowledgeApprovalVoteNotification and reconfigure it as necessary.

5.Select Save.

To specify that another quick action be used:

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Business Objects > select the required business object such as FRS_Knowledge.Document.

3.Select the required workflow from the Workflows tab.

4.Select the Edit button to open worflow edit icon of the version you are required to edit.

5.Double-click the Get Approval block to reconfigure it.

6.In the Approval Notification Quick Action area, use the drop-down list to select another quick action.

7.Select Save.

Configuring Owner Notifications

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Business Objects > select the required business object such as FRS_Knowledge.Document.

3.Select the required workflow from the Workflows tab.

4.Select the Edit button to open worflow edit icon of the version you are required to edit.

5.Double-click the Notification block to reconfigure it. The Notification properties window opens.

6.You can use the default template that appears, or modify it as needed.

7.Select Save and then click OK.

Configuring a Voting Deadline for an Approval Request

Voting deadlines for article approvers are configured through Get Approval workflow blocks. Deadlines can be based on a duration (in days, hours, and minutes) or on the date in a field that you specify.

1.Log in to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.

2.Open the Configuration console and go to Build > Business Objects > select the required business object such as FRS_Knowledge.Document..

3.Select the required workflow from the Workflows tab.

4.Select the Edit button to open worflow edit icon of the version you are required to edit.

5.Double-click the Get Approval workflow block that is labeled as default, to reconfigure it. The Get Approval properties window opens.

6.In the Approval Voting Deadline area, do one of the following:

•Select a Field to specify a field name.

•Select Duration and specify the duration length in the provided fields. (The duration clock starts when the Get Approval workflow block is triggered; the deadline is reached when the duration ends).

7.Select Save and then click OK.