SharePoint Document Approval Workflow: Best Practices and Tutorial

SharePoint is a powerful collaboration platform that enables organizations to manage and share documents effectively. One of the key features of SharePoint is its document approval workflow, which allows users to streamline and automate the process of reviewing and approving documents. In this article, we will explore the best practices for implementing a SharePoint document approval workflow and provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to set it up.

Benefits of SharePoint Document Approval Workflow

Before diving into the tutorial, let's take a look at some of the benefits of implementing a document approval workflow in SharePoint:

• Efficiency: Automating the document approval process eliminates the need for manual tracking and reduces the chances of errors or delays.
• Transparency: With a document approval workflow in place, all stakeholders can easily track the status of a document and know who is responsible for the next step.
• Compliance: SharePoint allows organizations to enforce compliance with regulatory requirements by ensuring that all documents go through a standardized approval process.
• Version Control: The document approval workflow in SharePoint helps maintain version control, ensuring that only the latest version of a document is approved and accessible to users.

Setting Up SharePoint Document Approval Workflow

Now let's get into the step-by-step process of setting up a document approval workflow in SharePoint:

Step 1: Create a Document Library

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

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

Step 2: Enable Content Approval

Once you have created the document library, the next step is to enable content approval for the library. This will ensure that all documents uploaded to the library go through the approval process. To enable content approval, follow these steps:

1. Go to the document library you created in step 1.
2. Click on "Library" in the ribbon at the top of the page.
3. Click on "Library Settings" in the drop-down menu.
4. Under the "General Settings" section, click on "Versioning settings".
5. Scroll down to the "Content Approval" section and select "Yes" for "Require content approval for submitted items?".
6. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Step 3: Create an Approval Workflow

Now it's time to create the actual approval workflow for the document library. SharePoint provides several built-in workflows that you can use, or you can create a custom workflow using SharePoint Designer. In this tutorial, we will use the built-in "Approval - SharePoint 2010" workflow. To create an approval workflow, follow these steps:

1. Go to the document library you created in step 1.
2. Click on "Library" in the ribbon at the top of the page.
3. Click on "Workflow Settings" in the drop-down menu.
4. Click on "Add a workflow" under the "Workflows" section.
5. Choose the "Approval - SharePoint 2010" workflow from the list of available workflows.
6. Enter a name for the workflow and select the options you want, such as who can approve the documents and whether to send email notifications.
7. Click on "Next" to continue.
8. Configure any additional settings for the workflow, such as the duration for the approval process.
9. Click on "Finish" to create the workflow.

Step 4: Test the Approval Workflow

Once you have created the approval workflow, it's important to test it to ensure that it is working correctly. To test the workflow, follow these steps:

1. Upload a document to the document library.
2. Wait for the approval workflow to start. You can check the status of the workflow in the workflow history of the document library.
3. Once the workflow is complete, check the status of the document to see if it has been approved or rejected.

Best Practices for SharePoint Document Approval Workflow

Now that you have set up the document approval workflow in SharePoint, here are some best practices to ensure its effectiveness:

1. Clearly Define the Approval Process

Before implementing the document approval workflow, clearly define the steps and criteria for approval. Make sure all stakeholders are aware of the process and understand their roles and responsibilities.

2. Use Metadata to Organize Documents

Metadata allows you to categorize and organize documents based on specific attributes. Use metadata to tag documents with relevant information such as project name, client name, or department. This will make it easier to search for and retrieve documents during the approval process.

3. Set Up Notifications and Reminders

Configure the approval workflow to send email notifications to approvers when a document is waiting for their review. Set up reminders to ensure that documents are not stuck in the approval process for too long.

4. Monitor and Analyze Workflow Performance

Regularly monitor the performance of the document approval workflow to identify bottlenecks or areas for improvement. Analyze data such as average approval time, number of rejected documents, and reasons for rejection to optimize the workflow.

Conclusion

Implementing a document approval workflow in SharePoint can greatly improve the efficiency and transparency of your document management process. By following the best practices outlined in this article and using the step-by-step tutorial, you can set up a robust and effective document approval workflow in SharePoint. Remember to regularly review and optimize the workflow to ensure it meets the evolving needs of your organization.