Salesforce: Approval Process - Who can approve ?

To build an approval workflow in Salesforce is simple, since Salesforce provide Approval Processes. You can find this under Setup - Create - Workflow & Approvals - Approval Processes.

In early blogs, we have discussed about Serial and Parallel Approval in Salesforce, in this blog, we would like to discuss in depth option of users can approve?

Manager Approval
In the approval process Step 3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties, there is option to determine next automated approver.

Notice that Next Automated Approver Determined By is not a mandatory field here.

Option available here:

• Manager - a standard field in user object and has no relation with Role Hierarchy
• All custom fields in user object with type = Hierarchy - in above sample: Boss and Sales Director.

If you select Manager as in above screenshot, when you set up Approval Step, in Step 3. Select Assigned Approver you will have option to select Automatically assign using the user field selected earlier. (Manager).

Once this approval step saved, if you go back to approval process Step 3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties, Next Automated Approver Determined By become mandatory field.

Change the user field here will auto change Assigned Approver in Approval Steps.


Which Manager?
In Approval process Step 6. Specify Initial Submitters, admin can define who can submit for approval. We have option for the submitter: Record Owner, Record Creator, Public Groups, Role, Role and Subordinates, or specific User. This mean the Manager who approve could be Record Owner's Manager or Submitter's Manager.

How we configure this in Salesforce?

1. Submitter's Manager
This is default option, in approval process Step 3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties, just select Manager.

2. Record Owner's Manager
If we need the one who approve is not submitter's manager, which valid in many use case, you need go to approval process Step 3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties, just select Manager, also check Use Approver Field of Opportunity Owner.

Once save, we can confirm in the Approval Process.

Who else can approve?
In approval step - Step 3. Select Assigned Approver you will have option to automatically assign to approver(s)

• User  --> a specific user to define
• Queue --> only for object support Queue, such as: Case, Lead and custom object
• Related User --> in this list, we have Record Owner, Record Creator, User who last modify the record, Lookup field to User in the object (example in Opportunity) - this is not related to custom field in User object.

For information on When multiple approvers are selected, check out this blog.