Creating individual mappings for Change Management

Multi-level approval process

The following flow chart explains the approval process with multiple levels.

The example uses multiple log ons from the Calbro Services sample data to test the interactions between Change Management and the Approval Server — Ian Plyment, Mary Mann, and Francie Stafford. Ensure you have the logon name and password information for these sample users before you start the example procedure. The logon name for these sample users is the same as their first names. The password information can be retrieved from the People form, where you can search for employees of Calbro Services.

This example also illustrates the use of multiple levels of approvals.

To create individual mappings for change management

1. From the Application Administration Console, click the Custom Configuration tab.
2. From the Application Settings list, select Change Management > Approval > Approval Mappings, and then click Open.

3. In the Approval For field, select Individual.

   To map an individual approver, you can select any individual who has a record in the People form. It is not necessary to select a person with the Infrastructure Change Approver functional role (for example, Francie Stafford). The Infrastructure Change Approver functional role is only required when the Approval For field is set to Group.

4. In the Approval Indicator field, select which form this approver mapping will affect, for example, Change.

5. In the Phase Name field, select which approval phase needs mapping in the application, for example, Review.

   Important

   When you select a phase name, the Phase Company field is automatically populated.

6. Save the approver mapping, as shown in the following figure. 
   Do not create any other mappings. For example, let the Level field setting remain at zero for now.

   

   If you have not created any other approver mappings and you did not modify the default approval configuration settings, whenever a change request is moved to the Review phase, the change request cannot be moved from the Request For Authorization status until this individual approves the request.

To test the relationship between change requests and the Approval Server

1. To test the example, open three instances of the web client and then log on to your development server with your sample users.
2. As Ian Plyment, create a change request.
3. Use the Process Flow Status bar to move the change request from the Draft status to the next stage.
4. Log on to your server as Mary Mann, open the Approval Console, and then approve the change request.
5. Go back to the window where Ian Plyment is logged in, and then refresh the change request.
   The Approvers table is now empty and the change request has moved to Planning In Progress status.
6. Create another approver mapping for Francie Stafford for the Review phase.
   Make sure the Level setting for her is one (1). You now have created a multiple-level approver mapping; both Mary Mann and Francie Stafford must approve the change request before it can move to the next stage.
7. As Ian Plyment, create another change request, and then move it from Draft status to Request For Authorization status.
   As before, if Ian clicks the Approver tab, he sees that Mary Mann is listed in the list of approvers. She is the first level of approvers who must approve the request before it moves to the next level.
8. As Mary Mann, refresh the contents of the Approval Console, and then approve the change request.
9. As Ian Plyment, refresh the change request.
   The Approvers table now displays Francie Stafford in the list of approvers. She is the second level of approvers who must approve the request before it can be moved to the next stage.
10. Log on to your server as Francie Stafford, open the Approval Console, and then approve the change request.
11. As Ian Plyment, refresh the change request.
    The Approvers table is now empty after both levels have approved the change request. The change request has moved to Planning In Progress status.
12. To continue testing how approvals work and to prevent confusion with group mappings, set your individual mappings to Offline status.