Service Catalog - Request Approval vs Requested Item Approval

[thisismichaelb]

Still jumping into Service Catalog.   Not sure I understand the difference between the Request Approval and a Requested Item Approval.

Is the Request record/workflow where you will always capture the approval?   Or can you also capture the approval in the Requested Item record/workflow?

Also, every single Request record appears to go through the same "Service Catalog Request" workflow.   Since a Request record doesn't really have any defining characteristics (ie config item/request item/etc) - what condition would you build to trigger a different Request workflow?   Or you just build one "master" Service Catalog Request workflow?

The wiki is no help (where does it even define requests and what they are?) and I'm not sure this question was asked here yet.

[Makosko]

Doug,

yes it did.. to be honest, we are not far from what you have in place. Our set-up is as follows:

1. there is a checkbox on the cat_item form/table called 'u_approval_required'

2. if true, a cat item will be 'sent for approval' using a value from the Approver variable ( similar to what you have -> variable set) By default, a client script will pre-populate it with your manager but you are FREE to change it to any Active User.

this is where I get stuck and let me tell you why.

Say, I add 3 items to my shopping cart, each item requires an approval, which is fine. so for item 1, I select Approver 1, for item 2, I select Approver 2 etc.. in short, 3 different users were selected as approvers. I submit the shopping cart, workflow kicks off on the request level and here we go.. your script determines that an approval is required but who should it be ? 3 different users... who do i choose ? first one ? all of them ? what if one of them rejects ? -> this is exactly what has been torturing my head for the last few weeks

[randrews]

I can see that being a major problem.. and another issue is how do you FIND the other two approvers.. since the requested for isn't the one on the request....

we only allow requests to be for a single customer and don't have this issue... i am not sure the best way to resolve that other than not using a request level approval for multiple items.

[Makosko]

ach I see.. so in your company, a PA can`t request an iPad for her boss ?

[randrews]

She can.. the requested for isn't read only in the catalog view so she simply puts in their name... she can't request them for 3 different people in one ticket.

[Makosko]

Requested For is a variable ? if so, does it overwrite the requested_for field once submitted ?

Furthermore, what about your Employee Manager variable ? does it get set to current user`s manager or can it be freely changed ? and most importantly, is its value used for generating approvals in your workflow ?