How Approval Server automates approval-driven business processes
When a AR System application triggers an approval process, an Approval Server routes a request to collect signatures within a defined approval process, handling all notifications and requests for more information as it collects each response (approval or rejection). The Approval Server then reactivates the original application and reports the result of the approval process.
Approvals in business processes
An approval indicates an agreement to or rejection of a request or decision. In business, an approval represents the signature or acknowledgment of an individual where required in a process. Approvals must often be recorded to provide an audit trail and proof of authenticity associated with a signature. The approval server provides this functionality in Remedy applications and also allows you to add any type of approval or signature-driven process to your own AR System applications. You can use the approval server for processes with the following requirements:
- Workflow that needs agreement or acknowledgment from others
- Processes that must be auditable
- Signatures that must be authenticated
Notification with feedback
Although you can use built-in AR System functionality to exchange simple notifications, using Approval Server to do so enables you to build a feedback loop. You can use this functionality to support business processes for which you must make sure that all the relevant parties have seen and approved, acknowledged, or signed the workflow.
Flexibility and common experience
You can use Approval Server to define or modify how each approval process should work. You can set up new processes and adapt existing processes as changes occur in your organization. Customizing Approval Server does not require programming expertise. For every stage of the approval process, you can define notifications to inform interested parties of the status of an approval request.
Approval Server allows approvers to gather more information about a request from any AR System user. You do not need to build custom workflow or separate solutions for each application. All processes can share the same approval engine, providing a common approval experience across applications.
Approval data and audit
As an approval request is routed through the approval process workflow, the Approval Server collects data about the request in the request form and the other supporting forms. Some of this data is temporary (for use only during the process), while other data (such as signatures) is saved for audit purposes.
Because Approval Server processes are designed to implement business processes and rules, you can use the following data as an audit trail for any process that uses the Approval Server:
- The original request
- Electronic signatures of every person who approves or rejects a request
- More information requests and their responses
- Dates and times for each approval activity
You must have AR System Administrator permissions to view the data.
You can also use Approval Server logging to record data about all requests and responses, as well as to track the configuration changes that the process administrator or AR System administrator makes.