Serval workflows can be configured to require approvals before execution. This provides an additional layer of control and security for sensitive operations in your organization.

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Overview

Workflow approvals in Serval offer flexible options to match your organization’s approval processes:
  • Individual Approvers: Specify one or more users who can approve the workflow.
  • Group-based Approvals: Leverage groups created in Serval or synced from external systems. Multiple groups can be added to a single approval step.
  • Manager Approvals: Automatically route approvals to the requester’s manager.
  • Multi-step Approvals: Create approval chains where multiple parties must approve in sequence.
  • Self-Approval: Toggling self-approval enables users, who are also approvers for the workflow, to approve their own requests.
Workflow Approvers Block

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Configuring Workflow Approvers

To configure approvers for a workflow, click Add Approvers above the workflow blocks. This will open the workflow approvers configuration dialog. Workflow Approvers Dialog

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Adding Approvers

In the configuration dialog, you can:
  1. Select Users or Groups: Use the toggle to switch between individual users and groups
  2. Search for Approvers: Type a name or email to find specific users or groups
  3. Add Special Members: Select “User’s manager” to automatically route to the requester’s manager
  4. Configure Self-Approval: Toggle whether approvers can approve their own requests

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Multi-step Approval Process

For workflows requiring multiple levels of approval, you can add additional approval steps by clicking “Add approval step”. This allows you to create approval chains such as:
  1. First, the requester’s manager must approve
  2. Then, a member of the Engineering team must provide approval
  3. Finally, a specific member of the IT team must provide final approval
Configured Workflow Approvers

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Best Practices

  • Use Groups for Scalability: Instead of adding individual users, consider using groups to make approval management easier as your team grows
  • Leverage Manager Approvals: For requests that need hierarchical approval, use the “User’s manager” option
  • Consider Self-Approval Settings: Carefully evaluate whether approvers should be able to approve their own requests based on your security requirements
  • Document Approval Chains: For complex multi-step approvals, document the approval flow for your team’s reference
  • Sole Approver: In the case of a specified user to be the sole approver, it is recommended that you turn on self-approval. Otherwise, the workflow will be unable completed whenever the requester is also the sole approver.