How to create and manage document approval processes in SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online is a powerful platform that offers a wide range of features for document management and collaboration. One of the key functionalities of SharePoint Online is the ability to create and manage document approval processes. This feature is particularly useful in organizations where documents need to go through a review and approval process before they can be published or shared with others.

SharePoint Document Management

Before diving into the details of document approval processes, let's first understand the basics of SharePoint document management. SharePoint provides a centralized location for storing and organizing documents, making it easy to access and collaborate on them. With SharePoint, you can create document libraries to store different types of documents and set permissions to control who can access and edit them.

Creating a Document Approval Process

Now that we have a basic understanding of SharePoint document management, let's explore how to create a document approval process. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Create a Document Library

The first step is to create a document library where you will store the documents that need to go through the approval process. To create a document library, follow these steps:

• Go to your SharePoint site and click on "Site Contents" in the left navigation menu.
• Click on "New" and select "Document Library" from the drop-down menu.
• Enter a name for the document library and click on "Create".

Step 2: Configure Library Settings

Once you have created the document library, you need to configure the library settings to enable the approval process. Follow these steps:

• Go to the document library and click on "Library Settings" in the ribbon.
• Under the "General Settings" section, click on "Versioning settings".
• Enable the "Require content approval for submitted items?" option and click on "OK".

Step 3: Set Approval Permissions

After configuring the library settings, you need to set approval permissions for the document library. Follow these steps:

• Go to the document library and click on "Library Settings" in the ribbon.
• Under the "Permissions and Management" section, click on "Permissions for this document library".
• Click on "Stop Inheriting Permissions" to create unique permissions for the library.
• Remove any existing groups or users that you do not want to have approval permissions.
• Add the users or groups who should have approval permissions.
• Assign the "Approve" permission level to the users or groups.
• Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Step 4: Configure Approval Workflow

Now that you have set up the document library and approval permissions, you can configure the approval workflow. Follow these steps:

• Go to the document library and click on "Library Settings" in the ribbon.
• Under the "Permissions and Management" section, click on "Workflow Settings".
• Click on "Add a workflow".
• Choose the "Approval" template from the list of available workflows.
• Enter a name for the workflow and select the desired options for the approval process.
• Click on "Next" to configure additional settings for the workflow.
• Review the settings and click on "Finish" to save the workflow.

Managing Document Approval Processes

Once you have set up the document approval process, you need to manage it to ensure that documents are reviewed and approved in a timely manner. Here are some tips for managing document approval processes in SharePoint Online:

1. Monitor the Approval Status

SharePoint provides a built-in feature to monitor the approval status of documents. You can view the approval status column in the document library and filter or sort documents based on their approval status. This allows you to easily identify documents that are pending approval or have been approved.

2. Set Reminders

SharePoint allows you to set reminders for document reviewers to ensure that they review and approve documents on time. You can configure email notifications to be sent to reviewers when a document is awaiting their approval. This helps in keeping the approval process on track and avoids delays.

3. Configure Escalation Rules

In some cases, documents may not get reviewed or approved within the specified timeframe. To prevent delays, you can configure escalation rules in SharePoint to automatically escalate the approval process. For example, if a document is not reviewed within 3 days, it can be automatically escalated to the next level of approval.

4. Generate Reports

SharePoint provides reporting capabilities that allow you to generate reports on the document approval process. You can track metrics such as the average time taken for approval, the number of documents awaiting approval, and the approval rate. These reports can help you identify bottlenecks and make improvements to the approval process.

Conclusion

SharePoint Online offers powerful features for creating and managing document approval processes. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily set up an approval process for your documents and ensure that they are reviewed and approved in a timely manner. Additionally, by effectively managing the approval process, you can improve collaboration and document management within your organization.