Approval Requests overwriting Formulas and Column Formulas

Jeremy Center

Previously, a formula typed into an approval column would be overwritten when the approval workflow was run. However, the admin would have to manually add the formula back to the top or bottom row to be carried into the next entry, if additional row entries hadn't copied it into new rows.

With the new column formulas, approval workflows are not able to run in columns that have column formulas applied. Is there a better way to get that formula to copy into any new row, regardless if it were overwritten by an approval workflow?

Paul Newcome

You may be able to use helper columns. Can you describe your workflow and needs in more detail?

Jeremy Center

Yes. It's a management of change approval system, with about 20 approvers in the system. If any approvers decline the initial request, it will send back an update request to the submitter asking for more info, and when that information is submitted, it will send out additional requests to only the approvers that declined during the first round.

Due to our record keeping policy for auditing standards, I can't overwrite the first approval column, so each approver has a 2nd approval column that is only triggered if they declined the first round.

I have some formulas built in that if someone approves the first round, it will automatically show approved in the 2nd round as well, otherwise it stays blank. If someone declines the first round, and the 2nd round of approvals is triggered, it will overwrite that formula with the approval work flow. This is usually fine, but if this happens to the top row, then the 2nd approval column formula won't carry into the new row.

I also have some formulas that look at both approval rows for all approvers, and will show if the current change request row is in progress or approved, and there are some notification and lock row automations built on this. If the 2nd column formula disappears, it won't trigger overall progress formulas correctly, which in turn won't notify the required party or lock the row.