Sending a Document to an Approval Workflow ▶ Watch video
Once the creation or editing of a document is complete, the system allows you to send it to the previously defined approval workflow. Sending it automatically activates the sequence of configured validations, notifying the responsible users at each stage of the process (for example, technical review, legal validation or final approval).
Also, while the review process is taking place, you can view its step by step to see which step the review is at; you will receive an email notification, or go to the My Tasks section to see if you have a pending task.
- Advantage: Improves time management and prevents oversights or uncontrolled expirations.
Step by Step:
- Once the document is complete, click Publish document from the editing view.
- The system will activate the predefined workflow associated with the document type.
- Automatic email alerts will be sent to the users assigned to each stage.
- Click the My Tasks module to see the documents under review that are pending approval.
- The document will show its progress and updated status after each review or approval.
- Finally, once all approval stages have been completed or one has been rejected, you will be notified by email informing you that the document was approved or rejected.
Document Approved
Document Rejected
Save as draft (without mandatory workflow)
If a folder has the Require mandatory workflow option enabled, all its documents must go through an approval workflow. However, this requirement does not apply to drafts: when creating a document you can enable "Save as draft?" and save it without a workflow, without approvers or signers, to continue working on its content. The mandatory workflow will only be applied when you publish the document.
Document tabs
When you open a document's detail (in addition to the ribbon with the workflow status) you will find several tabs that gather all its information and actions:
- Details: general information about the document (type, title, version, workflow, code, document type fields) and the file preview.
- Document history: record of versions and changes.
- Comments: notes associated with the version and the review document. They are added with + Add and allow you to leave observations during the process.
- Related docs: allows you to link other existing documents that relate to this one.
- Attachments: allows you to attach supporting documents to the main document.
- Transmittals: transmittals associated with the document.
- Change requests: requests to modify the published document (see the Change Requests guide).
Comments and annotations on the review document
During the review, reviewers and approvers cannot modify the original document. This is where the review document becomes key: when the document has its PDF version (the review document; see Document Creation), the review is carried out on that PDF. From the Comments tab, a viewer opens in which each reviewer can draw annotations and leave comments directly on the review document, without altering the original file.
Step by Step:
- Open the document and go to the Comments tab. In the viewer's toolbar, choose an annotation tool: you can highlight, underline or strike through text, or draw a shape (line, arrow, rectangle, circle or polygon) and choose the color.
- Draw the mark on the part of the document you want to note and write your comment in the Note box; then click Confirm.
- The annotation and its comment are recorded in the side panel, with your name, the date and the actions to edit or delete your own.
How it works:
- The viewer lets you mark, draw shapes and add text notes on the pages of the review document.
- You can add and edit your own annotations as long as you have a pending review task on the document and the version under review is the current one. Other people's annotations are shown in read only.
- Comments are organized by document version ("Version: [ ]" selector), so you can consult the observations of each iteration.
- If a version has no review document, the tab only offers a preview of the document (without annotations); in that case, when applicable, you can upload the review PDF with Upload PDF.
Review and approval by an external approver
When a workflow step has an external approver (Approver Type: External; see Approval Workflows), that person reviews and approves or rejects the document from the external portal (app.docuklaud.com), without needing a Microsoft 365 account or access to the SharePoint site.
Step by Step:
- The external approver receives a notification email with the approval request (document, code and version) and the Go to task button.
- The link takes them to the external review portal, where they find the Approve and Reject buttons, the Download Document button and the annotation tools. Important: the document preview is only shown if the document has a review document; if it does not, the approver will only see the Approve / Reject options and the option to download the original document.
- If the document has a review document, they can add comments directly on it: draw the mark, write the note and confirm. The comment is recorded with their email.
- To resolve the task, they click Approve or Reject.
- If they reject, they must indicate the Rejection status and the reason in the Comment field (required) and confirm.
- Upon completion (whether approval or rejection), the portal displays the "Task Completed" message.
