Approval with e-signature
Summarize
Summary of Approval with e-signature
The Approval with e-signature feature in ServiceNow enables users to approve or reject records by re-entering their login credentials, ensuring secure and compliant approval processes. This functionality supports compliance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11, which governs electronic signatures in regulated industries. Each approval action captures essential details such as the signer’s printed name, the timestamp, and the meaning of the signature (approval or rejection), all recorded in the activity stream and audit history for full traceability.
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Key Features
- Compliance Support: Validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature requirements, making it suitable for regulated environments.
- Approval Tables: By default, supports the Change Request [changerequest] and Standard Change Proposal [stdchangeproposal] tables. Additional tables can be configured to require e-signature authorization for approvals.
- Approver Authentication: Approvers must confirm their identity by re-entering credentials via a confirmation dialog before changing an approval state. Credentials are validated against local user records or through Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) integrations.
- Approval History Tracking: Each approval’s change is recorded in the activity stream and audit history, showing detailed field changes for accountability.
- Approval Options: Approvals can be made through context menu options, form UI actions, or by changing the State field on the Change Request table. All methods invoke the credential confirmation dialog.
- User Credential Sources: Supports both local user databases and remote identity providers via SAML 2.0 SSO integration, allowing flexible authentication setups.
Practical Use and Configuration
- Plugin Activation: Enabling the Approval with e-signature plugin activates e-signature enforcement for all tables with existing approvals by default.
- Customizing Approval Tables: Administrators can add or remove tables that require e-signature approval to tailor compliance and security requirements.
- Credential Setup: Local user accounts must be created or SSO integrations configured before enabling e-signature approvals.
- Deactivation: Procedures exist for disabling e-signature requirements if necessary.
- SSO Configuration: For SSO-based approvals, proper configuration on both the ServiceNow instance and the SAML Identity Provider (IdP) is required.
Customer Benefits
- Ensures secure and verified approval actions by requiring re-authentication for each approval or rejection.
- Provides a compliant audit trail that captures detailed electronic signature data, supporting regulatory audits.
- Supports flexible authentication methods to fit diverse organizational security policies.
- Integrates seamlessly with existing approval processes on key ServiceNow tables, enhancing governance without disrupting workflows.
Approve or reject an approval record by re-entering your login credentials. See the history of an approval from its activity stream or its audit history.
Support for Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11
The Approval with e-signature plug-in is validated for Title 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signature requirements. This plug-in is required for compliance to 21 CFR Part 11.
- The printed name of the signer
- The date and time when the signature was made
- The meaning of the signature (approval or rejection)
This information is stored as part of the activity stream and audit history of the record.
Approval tables
- Change Request [change_request]
- Standard Change Proposal [std_change_proposal]
When you add an approval table, any approval for the table needs an e-signature authorization. See Select an approval table to add or remove a table from supporting Approval with e-signature.
Approver Authentication dialog
Approvers must enter their user credentials to change the approval state. If the credentials fail, then the approval remains unchanged. The system checks the user credentials against local user records or an active single sign-on integration.
Approval History
Each Approval [sysapprover_approver] record has an activity stream that tracks changes to it. Approvals made by e-signature are stored as field changes.
Available approval options
The Change Request [change_request] table provides these approval options.
- List options
- The Change Request table provides context menu options to approve or reject records. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject context menu option, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
- UI actions
- The Change Request form provides UI actions to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approve or Reject UI action, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
- Change record state
- The Change Request table provides a State field to approve or reject a record. When someone selects either the Approved or Rejected state, the system displays the Approver Authentication confirmation dialog.
User credential sources
- A set of local User [sys_user] records.
- A remote identity provider service accessed by the Multi-Provider Single Sign-On (SSO) integration.
User credentials must be set up before enabling Approvals with e-signature. See Creating users to create local User records.
See Multi-Provider single sign-on (SSO) to create an integration to a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 identity provider.