multiple approvers +documenting who approved

Laura D.

hello, I have a workflow that sends out an approval request to 2 people in one cell because I only need 1 approval and it doesn't matter who completes it. I would like another column to document who actually completed the approval request. I can see who did it in the cell history, but I can't figure out a way to map that information to a cell.

Does anyone have any ideas on a workaround?

Paul Newcome

I would suggest a separate column for each approver. These can be hidden after setting things up. The next step would be another column with a formula to output the approval status. You can also use another column with a formula to output a name based on which of the separate approval columns registered the approval.

Paul Newcome

I would suggest a separate column for each approver. These can be hidden after setting things up. The next step would be another column with a formula to output the approval status. You can also use another column with a formula to output a name based on which of the separate approval columns registered the approval.

Andrée Starå

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/136956/multiple-approvers-documenting-who-approved

Hi,

I hope you're well and safe!

Please look at my post below, which contains a method I developed.

More info: 

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/68589/lock-or-store-date-value-solution-without-using-zapier

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic day!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅ Did my comment(s) help/answer your question or solve your problem? Please support the Community and me by marking it - Insightful 💡- Vote Up ⬆️ - Awesome ❤️ - or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer! I appreciate it, thanks!

Laura D.

@Paul Newcome Thanks for your response! I think this is the workaround I'm looking for. A couple questions though, on the execution. Should I send out 2 approval requests then? to each person? If so, how do I set it up where only 1 approval is necessary? I need it to be set up as whoever has time to get to it first can complete the work and the approval.

Or if I keep my current set up with both people in 1 cell, then the other columns with each name and approval status (4 more columns), how would I set up the formula to register who sent the approval? I've considered trying the modified by column, but couldn't quite figure out how to set it up to copy the name over at that exact second that the approver approved the request.

Thanks in advance!

Paul Newcome

Making it so that only one is necessary is part of the formula in the "main" column. It would basically be an IF statement with an OR in there to say if one or the other is "Approved" then output "Approved", and then nesting in more IF logic for submitted and a declined.

=IF(OR([Paul's Approval]@row = "Declined", [Laura's Approval]@row = "Declined"), "Declined", IF(OR([Paul's Approval]@row = "Approved", [Laura's Approval]@row = "Approved"), "Approved", "Submitted"))

You would also use a very similar nested IF to output who approved:

=IF([Laura's Approval]@row <> "Submitted", "Laura", IF([Paul's Approval]@row <> "Submitted", "Paul"))