Change Approval Policies vs Flow Designer

[tahnalos]

I'm working on converting a large workflow for Change Request to the Flow Designer standard but also notice that there is a new feature called Change Approval Policies.  Is there any advantage to using Change Approval Policies compared to Flow designer?  I prefer having some level of consistency in how approvals will work so would defer to your opinions on the differences.

Thanks

[Punit S]

Both Change Approval Policies and Flow Designer can be used to manage approvals for change requests in ServiceNow. However, there are some key differences between the two approaches that may impact your decision on which one to use.

Change Approval Policies are a new feature introduced in ServiceNow Paris release. They provide a way to define a standard approval process for all changes within an organization, based on predefined policy criteria. Change Approval Policies are designed to simplify the approval process by removing the need for custom workflows or scripts.

Flow Designer, on the other hand, is a more flexible approach that allows you to create custom workflows for approvals and other processes in ServiceNow. With Flow Designer, you have more control over the approval process and can tailor it to the specific needs of your organization.

The advantage of using Change Approval Policies is that they provide a standardized approval process that can be easily applied to all changes within an organization. This can be particularly useful in large organizations where consistency and efficiency are important. Additionally, Change Approval Policies are designed to be easy to configure and maintain, making them a good choice for organizations with limited resources or expertise in workflow management.

The advantage of using Flow Designer is that it offers more flexibility and customization options. With Flow Designer, you can create custom workflows that are tailored to the specific needs of your organization. This can be particularly useful for organizations that have unique or complex approval processes. Additionally, Flow Designer allows for more advanced features such as integration with external systems and automated decision-making.

In summary, the choice between Change Approval Policies and Flow Designer will depend on your specific needs and requirements. If you prioritize consistency and simplicity, Change Approval Policies may be a good choice. If you require more flexibility and customization options, Flow Designer may be a better fit. It's also worth noting that you can use both approaches together if needed, depending on the particular requirements of each change request.

Please mark my answer as a solution/helpful in case it adds value and moves you a step closer to your desired ServiceNow solution goal.

Thanks,
Punit

[tahnalos]

Hi Punit, thanks for answering earlier.

How does one trigger a Change Approval policy?  Is it strictly through the condition builder, or does it need to be triggered through flow activity, either by Workflow, or Flow designer?

Thanks