Automation - Is it possible to re-send an approval workflow?

Hello,

I have an approval request workflow setup that sends data input from a Smartsheet form. Unfortunately, some of our approvers are losing the approval request email in their inbox or not responding to the approval requests in a timely manner. Is there a way to re-send the approval request for outstanding approvals and/or automate the follow up process for pending requests?

Also, is the only way to trigger the approval via the button that's included in the approval email?

I know this functionality exists (reminders/status) for row update requests, but I don't see a similar process for the automation approvals.

Thanks,

Gordon

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Accepted answers

Gordon

@Michele Thomas Figured out a workaround, sort of. Pending approvals from Automation are shown in the recipient/approver's notification center and can be approved there. This doesn't solve the issue if you cannot get the recipient to respond timely or you need to "skip" them, but at least you're not stuck if the receipient cannot find the original email.

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Michele Thomas

Hi Gordon,

I asked this exact question the other day. There is not. You will have to resend the request update.

Gordon

@Michele Thomas Thanks, but since the approval request is being sent via Automation, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do that? I can manually go to the row and send an update request, but it's not going to trigger the next automation step for the 2nd approval that follows the first?

Hopefully we're both missing something. Seems odd that this is really the UI/UX that was designed for automation workflow approvals.

Gordon

Traci Summers

I've been struggling with this as well. Asking executives to log in to Smartsheet is not an option. I need to re-trigger the workflow so it's fresh in their inbox.

The request update feature does not send the approval again, it just prompts them to log in to Smartsheet. Again, not really an option for our busy executives.

Gordon

@Traci Summers I figured out a workaround by manually changing the approval status column in the sheet from Submitted to Approved, which then triggers automation to go to the next approval step. I haven't experimented yet if this same technique will work on one-step approvals.

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