Default Service Catalog approvals

You can define default approvals that apply globally to all Service Catalog items.

To set up default approvals, the Service Catalog Manager needs to configure the Approval Roles and the Approval Activities that define the approvers, approval conditions and approval levels. For example, different levels of approval roles are required to approve a request depending on the order's cost value. After that, approvers can perform several types of approval tasks.

Note: Settings in Approval Roles and Approval Activities are saved in an approval definition record that is named "Service Catalog Approval," which is a request-level approval.

Define approval roles

User roles: Service Catalog Manager, System Administrator

Approval Roles are a way to identify which users have the capability to approve Service Catalog requests. Service Manager has two OOB Service Catalog Approval Roles: "Use Group" and "1st Level Manager."

Step 1: Create an approval role

1. Log on to Service Manager.
2. Click Service catalog > Administration > Approval Roles.

3. Click Search. Two OOB roles are displayed in the list: "1st Level Manager" and "Use Group."

   Note  

   • 1st Level Manager is the manager specified in the user’s contact record.
   • Use Group is a group comprising several operators; it is a sample role that shows how you can specify a group as an approver.
   • You can select 1st Level Manager and view the JavaScript that defines the approver dynamically, based on the Contact Record of the requestor. Or, select Use Group and view the Expression that defines the approval role Use Group as SYSTEMS ADMIN.
4. Select Use Group from the list.

5. Modify the role information as follows:

   • Role Name: testRole

   • Description: testRole

   • Select the Define Approver option

   • Enter the following expression under the Expressions tab:

     $L.approval.role.user=callback.contact in $L.file

6. Click Add. A message that confirms the addition of the svcApprovalRole record is displayed.
7. Log out of Service Manager.

Step 2: Create an approval definition record

1. Type db in the command line, enter ApprovalDef in the Table field, and then click the Search icon.
2. In the Name field, enter SVCTest.
3. In the Group/Oper column of the table, enter testRole.
4. Click Add.

Step 3: Add an approval activity to a Catalog Item

1. Click Service catalog > Administration > Manage Items, and then perform a search for "Digital Badge."
2. On the Approvals tab, add "SVCTest" to the Request Level Approvals list.
3. Click Add/Edit Cart Item Approvals, and then click Edit Approval Activity.
4. Select the Role option, enter testRole in the Role field, and click Next.
5. Click Next, click Finish, and then click OK to save the update of the Catalog Item.

Step 4: Verification

1. Click Service Catalog > Order from Catalog.
2. Click Services > Browse Catalog > Personal Productivity Services > Authentication and Security > Digital Badge > Request > Next > Request Now.
3. Complete all mandatory fields, and then click Submit.
4. Log on to Service Manager, and search for the interaction that you just created. You should see two pending approvals on the Current Approvals tab. One is "General Approval" and the other is the new approval, in which the Approver is the contact of the interaction.

Define approval activities

The Service Catalog Manager can configure the approval sequence and approval conditions when defining Approval Activities. In this example, the Service Catalog Manager defines required approvals based on the request cost. If the cost value of an order is more than 1000 US dollars, the 1st Level Manager is required to approve as the second level approver; if the order costs over 5000 US dollars, the Technical IT Approver is also involved as the third level approver.

1. Log on to Service Manager as Service Catalog Manager.
2. Click Administration > Approval Activities.
3. Select Add New Approval Activity. The Add / Edit an Approval Activity window opens.
   
4. To define approval activities for 1st Level Manager:
   1. Enter a Description. For example, First Level Manager.
   2. Select Role.
      Note: The option User means you can only specify a particular operator while the option Role allows you to dynamically configure who can approve. For instance, you can set it up so that the manager defined in a user’s contact record can approve.
   3. Use the Fill button to select 1st Level Manager from the list.
   4. Select 2 for the Approval Sequence.
   5. Click Next. The Approval Condition window opens.
5. To set up an approval condition for 1st Level Manager:
   
   1. Click Add Condition.
   2. Provide your approval condition. For example, enter the following values:
      • Field in Interaction – svc.cost
      • Comparison - Greater Than
      • Value - 1000
   3. Click Next. The Approval Condition is added.
   4. Click Next. The Add/Edit Approval window opens, with the new Approval Activity on the list.
6. To define approval activities for Technical IT Approver:
   1. Select Add New Approval Activity.
   2. Enter a Description. For example, Technical IT Approval.
   3. Select Role.
   4. Use the Fill button to select Technical IT Approver from the list.
   5. Select 3 for the Approval Sequence.
   6. Click Next. The Approval Condition window opens.
7. To set up an approval condition for Technical IT Approver:
   1. Click Add Condition.
   2. Provide your approval condition. For example, enter the following values:
      • Field in Interaction – svc.cost
      • Comparison - Greater Than
      • Value - 5000
   3. Click Next. The Approval Condition is added.
   4. Click Next. The Add/Edit Approval window opens, with the new Approval Activity on the list.
8. Click Finish.

Note: When an employee self-service (ESS) requestor submits an order successfully from Service Catalog, a Service Desk interaction is created with each request. You can view all the required approvers in the Approvals section of the interaction.