Building an Approval Chain
TriblockHR has two approval systems. Picking the right one is most of the work.
The decision
| Use Approval Workflows when… | Use Workflow Automations when… |
|---|---|
| You want sign-off on a built-in process: time off, timesheets, pay runs, invoices, profile changes, forms. | You need logic: branch on values, quorum approvals, delays, automatic emails or field updates. |
| The chain is the same every time — stage 1, stage 2, done. | The flow depends on the data ("only route amounts over $5,000 to the GM"). |
| Set up in two minutes, by an HR admin. | Built visually, by an admin willing to test before enabling. |
Rule of thumb: start with an Approval Workflow. Reach for Automations only when you catch yourself wishing a workflow had an "if".
Walkthrough A: manager sign-off on time off
- Settings → Workflows → Create Workflow, type Timeoff Requests.
- Add one stage: approver type Direct Manager. (Resist the second stage — see below.)
- Save. From now on the manager is notified on each request, and approval still triggers everything documented in time off → payroll — timesheet placement included. On time off specifically the request keeps its own Approve and Deny buttons rather than swapping them for Access Workflow — but each appears only when the chain accepts that decision from the viewer at that point, so an approver whose stage has not opened sees no buttons. A Workflows button shows the chain's progress.
Walkthrough B: conditional invoice routing
- In Workflow Automations, create a workflow: a condition node on the amount, the high branch to an approval node assigned to the GM, both branches converging on a send email confirmation.
- Create an automation: trigger Activity on invoice creation, pointed at your workflow. Leave it disabled.
- Test with Run Now against a test record, watch the run in the Runs view, then enable.
The three mistakes
- Too many stages. Every stage is latency on every request. One stage covers 90% of needs; add the second only where the money justifies the wait.
- Approver chains that break on org changes. Prefer role-based and manager-based approvers over named individuals — named approvers leave, and their stages stall until someone notices. When someone does leave, check both systems for chains naming them.
- Enabling an automation untested. Automations act without supervision. Run Now first, watch the run, then enable — and check the Runs view the day after anything new goes live.
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Both walkthroughs, back to back (6 min)
Screen recording of walkthrough A end to end including the employee's request hitting the manager's workflow page, then walkthrough B with the test-before-enable discipline shown explicitly. Close on the decision table as a slide.
Save as: how-to__approval-chains__vid1.mp4