Configuring Approval Workflows#

This guide is for implementers setting up multi-tier approval workflows for disaster relief requests. You should be comfortable configuring access rights and understanding basic workflow concepts, but you don't need to write code.

Mental Model#

DRIMS uses the spp_approval module to manage request approvals. Each request flows through a two-dimensional state model:

Approval States (what we're configuring here):

        stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> draft
    draft --> pending: Submit
    pending --> approved: Approve
    pending --> rejected: Reject
    pending --> revision: Request Changes
    revision --> pending: Re-submit
    revision --> rejected: Abandon
    rejected --> draft: Reset
    approved --> [*]

State

Description

Who Can Act

draft

Being prepared by requester

Request creator

pending

Awaiting approval decision

Request Approvers

approved

Approved for fulfillment

Warehouse staff

rejected

Denied with reason

Request creator (can reset)

revision

Returned for changes

Request creator

Key Concepts:

  • Approval is separate from fulfillment - Once approved, requests move to fulfillment states (allocated → dispatched → delivered)

  • Multiple approvers can act - Any user with the Request Approver role can approve pending requests

  • Self-approval prevention - Requesters cannot approve their own requests (enforced by spp.approval.mixin)

  • Audit trail - All approval decisions are logged in the request's chatter

Assigning Approvers#

Step 1: Give Users the Request Approver Role#

Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users and edit the user who should approve requests.

In the DRIMS section, check:

Group

Purpose

DRIMS Request Approver

Can approve/reject requests (read-only otherwise)

Note

Request Approvers can see all requests across all areas, but they can only view and approve them. They cannot create or edit requests unless they also have the DRIMS Officer or Field Officer role.

Step 2: Assign Geographic Scope (Optional)#

If approvers should only see requests from certain areas, assign them in Areas tab:

Field

Value

DRIMS Areas

Select provinces/districts/divisions

This uses area hierarchy, so assigning "Western Province" gives access to all districts within it.

Step 3: Verify Access#

Ask the approver to log in and check:

  1. DRIMS → Requests → Pending Approval menu is visible

  2. They can see pending requests

  3. The Approve, Reject, and Request Revision buttons appear on requests

Example: Three-Tier Approval#

Many organizations use tiered approval based on request value or priority:

Tier

Approver

Threshold

Tier 1

District Coordinator

Requests up to $5,000

Tier 2

Provincial Director

Requests $5,001 to $25,000

Tier 3

National Director

Requests over $25,000

Implementation#

DRIMS doesn't enforce threshold rules automatically—you implement this through role assignment and training:

District Coordinator Setup:

Field

Value

Groups

DRIMS District Coordinator, DRIMS Request Approver

DRIMS Areas

Colombo District

Training guideline: "Approve requests up to $5,000. Escalate higher-value requests to Provincial Director."

Provincial Director Setup:

Field

Value

Groups

DRIMS District Coordinator, DRIMS Request Approver

DRIMS Areas

Western Province

Training guideline: "Approve requests $5,001 to $25,000. Escalate higher-value requests to National Director."

National Director Setup:

Field

Value

Groups

DRIMS Manager

DRIMS Areas

(none - sees all via manager rule)

Training guideline: "Approve all requests over $25,000."

Important

Workflow enforcement is procedural. DRIMS logs all approval actions in the audit trail and chatter, but it doesn't automatically route requests based on value. Train your team on approval thresholds and monitor the audit logs for compliance.

Life-Threatening Request Bypass#

Requests marked as Life-Threatening are intended to bypass normal approval thresholds and receive immediate attention.

Setting the Flag#

When creating a request, the requester checks:

Field

Purpose

Is Life-Threatening

Emergency flag for immediate escalation

Combined with Priority:

Priority

Checkbox

Response Time

Critical

✓ Life-Threatening

Immediate

High

(optional)

Within 24 hours

Medium

(not used)

48-72 hours

Low

(not used)

Can wait

Emergency Approval Process#

Train approvers on emergency protocols:

  1. Monitor the dashboard - Life-threatening requests appear prominently

  2. Immediate notification - Set up email alerts for life-threatening requests using Odoo Automated Actions

  3. Fast-track approval - Approve immediately, even if above normal threshold

  4. Document justification - Add notes in chatter explaining emergency approval

Note

The life-threatening flag is visible in the request list view and on the form. It's a visual indicator—you still need to approve the request manually.

Common Patterns#

Single-Tier Approval#

Use case: Small organization with one approval authority

Setup:

  • Assign DRIMS Request Approver to the program manager

  • All field officers create requests

  • Program manager approves all requests

Role

Groups

Field Officer

DRIMS Field Officer

Program Manager

DRIMS Request Approver, DRIMS Manager

Multi-Tier with Area-Based Approval#

Use case: Regional approvers for their areas, national approver for all

Setup:

User

Groups

Areas

Western Regional Coordinator

DRIMS District Coordinator, DRIMS Request Approver

Western Province

Southern Regional Coordinator

DRIMS District Coordinator, DRIMS Request Approver

Southern Province

National Director

DRIMS Manager

(none - sees all)

Emergency-Only Fast Track#

Use case: Normal requests follow full approval, but life-threatening requests go straight to national level

Setup:

  • Train district coordinators to not approve life-threatening requests

  • National director monitors life-threatening requests filter

  • Use dashboard alerts to flag life-threatening requests

Dashboard filter:

Filter

Value

Approval State

Pending

Is Life-Threatening

✓

Approval Workflow in Practice#

Approving a Request#

  1. Go to DRIMS → Requests → Pending Approval

  2. Open the request

  3. Review:

    • Justification and affected population

    • Requested items and quantities

    • Priority and date needed

  4. Click Approve, Reject, or Request Revision

  5. Add notes in the chatter explaining your decision

Requesting Revisions#

If a request needs changes:

  1. Click Request Revision

  2. Add a message in chatter: "Please update the quantity justification for tarpaulins"

  3. State changes to revision

  4. Requester receives notification

  5. Requester edits the request and clicks Re-submit

  6. State returns to pending for re-approval

Rejecting a Request#

  1. Click Reject

  2. Add rejection reason in chatter: "Request duplicates REQ-2025-001"

  3. State changes to rejected

  4. Requester can Reset to Draft to fix and re-submit

Are You Stuck?#

Don't see the Pending Approval menu?

You may not have the DRIMS Request Approver group. Contact your administrator to add it to your user account.

Can't approve a request you created?

DRIMS prevents self-approval. The spp.approval.mixin enforces this rule. Ask a colleague with the Request Approver role to approve it.

Approver can see requests but buttons are missing?

Check that:

  1. The request is in pending state (not draft or approved)

  2. The user has DRIMS Request Approver group (not just Viewer)

  3. The user isn't the request creator (self-approval blocked)

Need to configure automatic approval rules?

DRIMS doesn't support automatic approval based on thresholds. You can implement this with custom code using CEL expressions and the spp_approval module's approval manager, but that's a developer task. For most implementations, procedural approval with trained staff is sufficient.

Want email notifications when requests need approval?

Set up email alerts in Settings → Technical → Automation → Automated Actions. Create an action on spp.drims.request that triggers when approval_state changes to pending, and send email to users with the Request Approver role.

Life-threatening requests aren't being prioritized?

The life-threatening flag is a visual indicator, not an automatic escalation. Train approvers to:

  1. Monitor the dashboard for life-threatening requests

  2. Set up email alerts for immediate notification

  3. Establish a protocol for 24/7 approval coverage during active disasters

See Also#