This documentation supports the 23.3 version of BMC Helix Change Management.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Managing approvers

You can create additional approvers on an ad hoc basis. The following rules apply:

  • You can add support groups or individuals as approvers.
  • Group approval requests are sent only to group members with the Infrastructure Change Approver role.
  • If an individual approver is needed, only people defined within the People form can be chosen as approvers.

Important

The ability to add someone as an approver is restricted, based on the permissions of the user adding an approver. If the user adding signatures cannot see the user based on row-level access, they cannot add them as an approver. But anyone with a record in the People form can become an approver if the assigner has access to that information.

There are slight differences between ad hoc approvals and the typical approval processes configured by the application administrator.

  • If you add an ad hoc approver (for example, Bob Baxter) and an approver mapping does not exist, the approval server immediately generates an approval signature for the ad hoc approver and Bob is notified that he must approve the change request. The change request cannot move past the next approval phase until Bob (the ad hoc approver) approves the request.
  • If you add an ad hoc approver (for example, Bob Baxter) at the Draft status and an approver mapping already exists (for example, Mary Mann for the Review phase), the approval server immediately generates an approval signature for the ad hoc approver and Bob is notified that he must approve the change request. The change request cannot move past the next approval phase until both Bob (the ad hoc approver) and Mary (the mapped approver) approve the request.
  • If the request is already at the Review phase and you add an ad hoc approver where an approver mapping already exists (for example, Mary Mann), the approval server generates two approval signatures: one for Bob (the ad hoc approver), and one for Mary (the mapped approver). Also, Bob is notified that he must approve the change request. The change request cannot move past the next approval phase until both Bob (the ad hoc approver) and Mary (the mapped approver) approve the request.

For more information about the relationship between approver mappings and approval process configuration records, see the following topics:

The following topics provide instructions for adding approvers:


Multiple approvers and multiple approval levels

There can be more than one level of approval, and there can be several approvers on each level. At least one approver on each level must approve the change request before it can be reviewed by the next level of approvers. Approvers can review the actions of previous approvers by viewing their comments and the approval audit trail.

Important

  • This information is also applicable for the Release Management module.
  • You can configure the approval process to have one or all approvers on each level approve the change request before the change can be reviewed by the next level of approvers. Modify the If Multiple Approvers setting to configure this option. For information about modifying the If Multiple Approvers setting, see Defining roles for an approval process.

The application administrator can also configure the change management chain (parent-child) approval process. If the change is configured for the management chain approval process, the requester's manager is notified.

If the change is approved by all approvers, the approval process is complete and the change moves to the next status. If the change is rejected by any approver, the change is stopped. The change manager or change coordinator can then cancel the change or update it and resubmit it for approval.

Approving the change request can complete the approval or trigger the next step in the approval process. If there are several levels of approvers, your approval can send the approval request to the next approver or if you deny the request, the approval process is completed, regardless of whether more approvers are defined. An approval signature cannot be modified after the request has been rejected, and the approval process is finished. If the change request is to be implemented, the change manager must first restart the approval process.

For additional information, see the following topics in the Action Request System online documentation portal:

 

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