Multiple approver process without using approval flow connectors

[Boon-1]

Hi all,

What is the best approach to design a multiple approvers canvas app without using the "Approval Connector" as it is not allowed in my organisation? I will not be using "Forms" to design my form as well due to difficulty in manipulating the layout to suit my custom design. 

Thanks for your advice in advance! 

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @Boon-1 ,

The problem of not using the Approval Flow is that it ceases to become "automatic". You could of course trigger an email to the "next" approver when the previous one approved the item (using the Office365Outlook connector directly in PowerApps). It is a fairly broad question - if you can be more specific, I can probably comment further.

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[Boon-1]

Hi Warren,

Many thanks for responding. Indeed without the approval connector, the process will not be efficient and cumbersome.

By the way, the form that I am planning to design involve will require several subject matter expert to review the content and approve/reject the request before it is forwarded to the management team for final sign off and approval.  Appreciate your further advice on this use case.

[WarrenBelz]

Thanks @Boon-1 ,

This is now all about lists and logic. You essentially need to code the equivalent of an Approval Flow. My approach would be to have a reference list with the names and email addresses of the people "in the chain" and then invoke the email using the Office365Outlook facility to send the mail to the next person triggered on the approval of the previous one. You can get a bit more sophisticated by also updating a "status" field at each stage and capturing the date of that approval, so you can have galleries (or SharePoint filtered and grouped views) showing anything that has been in a status longer than allowed (I actually do this across several processes)

These are just ideas to get you going - happy to elaborate further on any specific issue you might have.

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[Boon-1]

Hi Warren,

By this method of sending the email using Office365outlook in PowerApps, does it mean the approver will have to log into PowerApps to indicate his approval ? Can this be done in the email even without the approval connector?

[ScottShearer]

@Boon-1 

Where will you be storing your data?  This will impact how your question might be answered.

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @Boon-1 ,

Generally yes, but @ScottShearer has said there may be a workaround depending on your data source.

I would possibly be heading for something on a Flow based on an incoming email to a folder (which you could set with Rules) and process the content, but I am not a Flow guru (in the least) and if I was going to use a Flow, I would use an Approval Flow (you have not mentioned why this is a problem).

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[Boon-1]

Hi Scott,

I will be storing my data in SharePoint.

[Boon-1]

Hi Warren,

The “Approval Flow” is disallowed in my organization somehow and i also do not understand the reason.  

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @Boon-1 ,

I don't think that was the answer @ScottShearer wanted (we will wait and see), but I am a SharePoint user and there is no real automation built-in that would help you. As I mentioned, looking a the Flow options of GetEmailsV3, you could probably initiate something when a mail is received with a specific subject, but I have never needed to do it.

Having said that, if I was in your situation, I would send a Deep Link in the email to a Power App page that could be customised for the particular approval. You would have to share the app and data source with all potential approvers, but after the intro "slpash" screen, all they would see would be the relevant approval screen.

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