Document Review and Approval Workflow

Why should we automate document review and approval instead of handling it by email and spreadsheets?

Manually tracking document versions, reviewer comments and approval status across email and spreadsheets makes it easy to lose track of where a document is or who is holding it up. This workflow gives each submitted document a record with a reference number, a status and a timeline, so anyone can see at a glance whether a document is in review, revision, awaiting approval or published. It also removes the need to manually chase reviewers, authors, owners and HR, since tasks and email notifications are generated automatically at each stage.

What is the return on investment of using this workflow for controlled documents?

The workflow reduces the administrative time spent creating tracking spreadsheets, sending status update emails, and re-explaining process steps to new staff, since the process runs the same way every time a document is submitted. Because reviewer and author tasks have due dates and the record keeps a timeline of what happened, teams can more easily spot documents that are stalled and follow up sooner. Over time this can support faster document turnaround and fewer delays caused by documents sitting unnoticed in someone's inbox.

Who is involved in this workflow, and what does each role do?

The author submits the document via the request form and, if changes are needed, uploads a revised document and version number. A reviewer examines the document and records comments and a recommendation, the document owner approves or rejects it, the document controller publishes and distributes the approved document, and HR records the date all affected staff acknowledged it when acknowledgement is required. Each of these is a task assigned within the workspace and tracked on the document's record.

What happens if the reviewer recommends changes are needed?

When the reviewer's recommendation is 'Changes needed', the record status is set to In Revision and an author task is created, due in 5 days, to upload the revised document and new version number. Once the author submits this, the revised document and version number are saved to the record, the status returns to Reviewing, and the workflow restarts at the reviewer task so the updated document is reviewed again. This cycle can repeat as many times as needed until the reviewer recommends the document is ready for approval.

What happens if the document owner rejects the document?

If the document owner's decision is rejected, the record status is set to Rejected and the author is sent an email notifying them that the document was not approved. This gives the author a clear signal recorded on the document's timeline, and the process ends at that stage unless a new submission is made through the request form.

How does the workflow handle staff acknowledgement of published documents?

After a document is approved and the document controller records the published date, publish location and next review date, the workflow checks the 'Must staff acknowledge this document?' answer from the original request form. If acknowledgement is required, HR is assigned a task with no due date to record the date all affected staff acknowledged the document, and this date is saved to the record before the status is set to Published. If acknowledgement is not required, the workflow proceeds directly to setting the status to Published.

Can we customise the review or approval steps for our own document types?

Yes, a workflow can be adjusted by describing the change in plain English or by editing its steps directly in the workflow editor, and earlier versions are kept so changes can be reviewed. This means task due dates, the fields captured on reviewer or author tasks, or the routing logic can be tailored to fit how a specific organisation manages its policies, procedures, plans or forms.

What information does the request form capture, and where does it go?

The public request form asks for the author's name and email, document title, document type, version number, summary of changes, the document upload, and whether staff acknowledgement is required. This information is used to create the document record at the start of the workflow, and the author is sent an acknowledgement email containing their reference number.

How are authors and reviewers kept informed without needing an account?

Authors interact with the workflow through the public request form and through forms emailed to them when a task such as revising a document is assigned, and they receive email notifications for acknowledgement, rejection and publication. This means authors and other external participants never need to log in or hold an account to take part in the review and approval process.

What does the record show once a document is published?

Once published, the record status is set to Published and the record holds the published date, publish location and next review date entered by the document controller, along with the full timeline of every status change and task from submission onward. Each business should confirm its own record-keeping obligations for controlled documents against what the workflow captures.