SharePoint Document Approval: Best Practices and Tutorial

SharePoint is a powerful collaboration and document management platform used by many organizations to streamline processes and improve productivity. One of the key features of SharePoint is its document approval functionality, which allows users to submit documents for review and approval by designated approvers. In this article, we will explore the best practices for SharePoint document approval and provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up and use this feature.

Best Practices for SharePoint Document Approval

When implementing SharePoint document approval, it is important to follow best practices to ensure a smooth and efficient process. Here are some recommendations:

1. Define Approval Workflows

Before setting up document approval in SharePoint, it is crucial to define the approval workflows for different types of documents. This involves identifying the stakeholders involved in the approval process, determining the sequence of approval, and setting up notifications and reminders. By clearly defining the workflows, you can ensure that documents are reviewed and approved in a timely manner.

2. Use SharePoint Forms

SharePoint forms provide a user-friendly interface for submitting documents for approval. By using SharePoint forms, you can collect all the necessary information from the submitter, such as document details, justification for approval, and any additional comments. This helps streamline the approval process and ensures that all the required information is captured.

3. Leverage SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online, part of Microsoft 365, offers additional features and benefits for document approval. It allows for real-time collaboration, version control, and seamless integration with other Microsoft tools such as Outlook and Teams. By leveraging SharePoint Online, you can enhance the document approval process and improve overall efficiency.

4. Implement Enterprise Content Management

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) refers to the strategies, tools, and processes used to manage an organization's documents and information. By implementing ECM principles in SharePoint, you can ensure that documents are properly organized, tagged, and secured. This makes it easier to track the approval status of documents and maintain a centralized repository for all approved documents.

Tutorial: Setting Up SharePoint Document Approval

Now that we have explored the best practices for SharePoint document approval, let's dive into the step-by-step tutorial on how to set up this feature:

Step 1: Enable Document Approval

The first step is to enable the document approval feature in SharePoint. To do this, follow these steps:

- Navigate to the SharePoint site where you want to enable document approval.

- Go to the site settings and click on "Site contents".

- Click on "Add an app" and search for "Document Library".

- Click on "Document Library" and give it a name.

- Once the document library is created, go to the library settings.

- Under the "Permissions and Management" section, click on "Versioning settings".

- Check the box that says "Require content approval for submitted items?" and click on "OK".

Step 2: Set Up Approval Workflows

After enabling document approval, the next step is to set up approval workflows. Follow these steps:

- Go back to the library settings and click on "Workflow settings".

- Click on "Add a workflow" and select "Approval - SharePoint 2010".

- Give the workflow a name and set the desired options, such as who should approve the documents and whether to send notification emails.

- Click on "Next" and customize the workflow settings as per your requirements.

- Once the workflow is set up, click on "Finish" to save it.

Step 3: Submitting Documents for Approval

With the approval workflows in place, users can now submit documents for approval. Here's how:

- Navigate to the document library where you want to submit the document.

- Click on "New" and select the document type you want to submit.

- Fill in all the required information in the SharePoint form, such as document details and justification for approval.

- Click on "Save" to submit the document for approval.

Step 4: Approving Documents

Approvers can easily review and approve documents in SharePoint. Here's how:

- Approvers will receive a notification email with a link to the document for approval.

- Click on the link to open the document in SharePoint.

- Review the document and click on the "Approve" button to approve it.

- If any changes are required, click on the "Reject" button and provide comments for the submitter.

- Once the document is approved, it will be marked as approved in SharePoint and the submitter will be notified.

Conclusion

SharePoint document approval is a powerful feature that can greatly improve the efficiency of document review and approval processes. By following best practices and leveraging SharePoint's capabilities, organizations can streamline their approval workflows and ensure that documents are reviewed and approved in a timely manner. By implementing SharePoint document approval, organizations can benefit from improved collaboration, enhanced document management, and increased productivity.