How to Trigger Custom Value Approval Workflow(s) On Same Request Type

[Alex Palmer]

I have a question that I am hoping someone will be able to help me with. We are in the process of moving from a team-managed service desk to a company-managed service desk for better control of workflows.

We have some access requests that include Approvals, as an example: 

1. Storage Accounts 

2. Kubernetes

3. 1Password

However we have some access request(s) that do not include approvals, as an example: 

1. Aha!

2. Smartsheet

3. LucidChart

Each access request that needs an approver are all different from one another, however our main requirement is that we would like to keep the access request(s) both that need approval and DO NOT need approval on the same queue/request type. 

What would be the best way to go about setting up a trigger to generate on the back end for the approvals depending on the value selected? Is there a way to do this? Or will I have to seperate each one out based on different use case / process workflow? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Tessa Tuteleers · Accepted solution]

Hi @Alex Palmer , 

First and foremost, congratulations with moving to a more structured service management! Especially in Service mgmt I think it really important to have a transparent, clear process for all parties involved. 

Now for you current question, how would you like to differentiate between the different types of access requests? 
I hear that you want to bundle them all in 1 queue / request type / process flow. Those are 3 completely different levels of bundling however. 

Queues accept JQL so can contain whatever you want, issue types and flows are linked, but an issue type can have many request types. 

If you want to use the same workflow you could: 

• Use 1 issue type (Access request) with multiple customer request types 
  • "Access to storage account"
  • "Access to Aha!"
  • ...
• Use 1 issue type Access request) with 1 Customer request type ("I want access") and use an (Insight) list of the different services you could request access to?

2 very different possibilities, where the latter is more scalable of course. 

Automation is needed in both. 

• If you go the insight way, you can add the approver on the insight object, and use an Insight post function after creation to add the approver to the ticket. If the approver is empty, you could autotransition with an automation rule for auto-approval (i.e. no approval needed)
• If you have another list you can map each list item to an approver with automation
• If you have different Customer request types, you can fill in the approver in the request form itself. 

There are a lot of ways to tackle something like this, let me know if you need more info and enjoy the journey! 

- Tessa

[Alex Palmer]

Hi Tessa,

Thank you so much for the response, this has been super helpful to evaluate options. With our current service desk we have multiple applications we provision (screenshot attached), I don't think listing all of those out as multiple request types, therefore I think Option 2 may do the trick... 

Can you add an approver to each of the checkboxes (or picklist) or whatever route we decide to go? i.e. can you set an approval workflow for Storage account to go to one person only, however for 1password you could set up a workflow based on two people who both have to approve? 

Thanks again for everything, definitely moving in the right direction!

-Alex