A workflow without approvals?

[JP-ODU]

Working on a project to create a catalog item and associated workflow for Software Decision Analysis and the request is that I not have any approvals and the word approval not appear on the request ticket in Service Portal. This is a reflection of the SDA's position that they are not approving/denying anything, merely documenting, but it seems to me that approval is required by ServiceNow lingo. Previously, we had a business rule set to auto-approve all requests. When I try to disable that so that there's no mention of the request being approved, it no longer proceeds through the steps of the Service Catalog Item task workflow that I made, instead waiting for approval...

So approval *is* required to make Service Catalog work, yes? Is there any way for me to "reskin"/rename that term to satisfy the request of "no approvals?" or should I just respond that the request is unfeasible?

Thanks!

[Mark Roethof]

Hi there,

Approval required for Catalog Item? No it is not 🙂

You can just create Catalog Tasks, have scripted steps, etc.. No approval record required.

What might cause a little confusion, is the Approval field on Requested Items. You could just add a Approval Action step in your workflow, and put on Approved. This will also change the state of the Approval field on Requested Item.

If my answer helped you in any way, please then mark it as helpful.

Kind regards,
Mark

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[Steve L_]

Approvals are not a requirement and you may want to create a new catalog item and attach it to a new workflow or modify the existing item and/or workflow to make a decision based on criteria.

[JP-ODU]

Sorry, I must be missing something, then. I made a workflow for the items that doesn't require approval and it was working. But upon disabling the Auto Approve Requests workflow, my Catalog Item tasks aren't firing, the RITM is sitting at Stage: Waiting for Approval...

It's only by manually approving the request (or reinitiating the workflow that auto approves requests) that it seems I can move the catalog item tasks out of Waiting for Approval.

What is it that I do to bypass the need for approval? Is there some higher-level workflow I should be looking for to remove the approval requirement?

[Steve L_]

Sounds like your approval engine is running. And yes, since you disabled the workflow, the request and item would be stuck. Your probably best copying the current workflow and changing the stage for the tasks, then attach that to the new catalog item.