Power Automate Multi Level Approver Using Get Items List

[Olijk]

Hello,

Recently, I made a post about multi level approvals and get list @abm assisted with this request and created the following video:  https://youtu.be/CplQ16x2h8U

My initial post stated, I am in process of trying to build a multi level approval using a get items list similar to the below. I am not too familiar with using this function…

For example, amount Dollar

Amt| Approvers

0-10k| one approver

10001-50000| multiple approvers

50001-100000| multiple approvers and so forth. It would be 8 levels of approvers based on amt.

Below was my initial flow:

-when and item is created

-update item to pending manager approval

-start and wait approval 

-Condition- if outcome is approved

-update item to approve /terminate flow if not approved

-condition, if item is over 10000—

-update item to pending additional approvals

-start and wait approval

-Condition- if outcome is approved

-update item to approve

-condition if item is over 50k…

-update item to pending additional approvers

-start and wait approval 

-condition if approved

-update item to approve…

This would continue up to 8 levels depending upon the amount. 

This Youtube video was spot on when using a list with based on dollar thresholds and one approver.  However, upon doing more research and communicating with @abm my initial ask using get items was incorrect.  This would be a sequential flow, so once the manager approves, and dependent upon the amount, it would go to Level 2 approvers then Level 3 approvers and so forth.  For example, if my amount was over 55k, then, my manager would have to approve first, then the second level manager would have to approve and then the 3rd level would have to approve and so forth. I was looking for the below:

-When an item is created

-Start and waits for Manager approval

-Condition if approved (if rejected update item to rejected and terminate the flow)

-Update item to approved

-Get Items (for anything over 10000k)

-Start and Wait Approval for approvers (from the Get list) over 10000k

-Condition if approved

-Update item to approved

Thank you in advance Power Automate Community!

[Deano12]

For me there's 2 ways I would consider when doing this. Multi level approval can be done based on conditions for each step of the process, keep in mind that only 8 conditions can be used per flow process.

Scope:

Approve level 1 > Direct Line Manager
Approved
Condition | Is Column2 value >= ## 

Yes

Approve level 2 > Threshold 1 Approvers

Approved

Yes

Condition | Is Column2 value >= ###

Yes

Approve level 3 > Threshold 2 Approvers 

Follow under all conditions with the final action of what ever takes place once all approval levels have been completed.

-------------------

Second Option

Flow 1 - handles the Line Manager approval

Flow 2 - Triggers when item is modified and contains trigger conditions for 'lvl 1 approve' eq true AND Column2 >= ##

Flow 3 - Uses the same set of conditions as flow 2 but with different threshold. Instead of lvl 1 approve, make it 'lvl 2 approve eq true AND Column 2 >= ###

Continue to build flows for each level of approval.

Its up to you which way you go, it's nice to have everything in 1 flow, but you will end up being restricted to 8 total conditions and if something breaks, you'll need to backwards engineer a large flow. Where as with each individual flow, you are unrestricted in terms of conditions as well as it's easier to see which one failed.

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

Is that means the first 10K always approved by the managers? (First Level). That means second level amount is 10001-50000| multiple approvers and so on.

Thanks

[Olijk]

Hello @abm ,

Yes that is correct. The first 10k will always be approved my the manager (first level).

This statement is also correct…That means second level amount is 10001-50000| multiple approvers and so on.

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

Thanks. Will get back to you.

[abm · Accepted solution]

Hi @Olijk 

Made a video regarding this. Watch the video and comment.

https://youtu.be/cpNS2P7QVRo

Thanks

[Olijk]

Hello @abm,

Thank you sooo much for the video!  It was super helpful. This worked for one of my flows and partially my second flow.  However, I have a new wrinkle.  In my second form, the user would select their manager, which was apart of the flow you built on Youtube.

The wrinkle is if 2 people select their manager which has approvals up to 50K, then that manager would get 2 emails based on the approval config, correct.  However, if the other users select their manager, then the flow works as it was designed to do. Should I create another config table or add on to the condition outside of the loop? For example if outcome is equal to approve and the approver email is address is not equal to @yahoo.com, then follow the Youtube flow. Condition 2 if outcome is equal to approve and is equal to @gmail.com (which would be the 2 users that select their managers name with approvals up to 50K), then dont send an 2 emails...go to o the next step.  Maybe do another start and wait approval and then...This is where I am getting stuck. 

The second wrinkle is that the user would like to select the third level of approvals on the submission form.  I was thinking about adding a specific field to the form and then in the start and wait approvals bringing in that field so the approvers would know who needs to approve. Thoughts???

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

I have made the video based on that requirement. Not sure you explain this or not. Not sure what you meant by 2 people select their managers? That configuration is flexible enough to send approvals based on any range of amount and multiple approvers. 

[Olijk]

Hello @abm ,

Thank you for the reply.  I will try to explain further

Fill out the SP form

Select their managers name 

The flow:

-Get manager Approval first (this is now the new wrinkle). 2 managers in this list has approvals up 50K. This would mean that the manager would get 2 emails based on the approval config, 1 as the first level approver then the other one as the 2nd level approver. Should I add a condition after start and wait approval or create a 2nd config?

-Then use get items to filter out the Approval Config list based on dollar amount.

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

The first level is the manager which is upto 10K. Once that is approved then second level approval (10K - 50k) which is going to be by two managers. So it will send approval for second level first manager and wait for his approval. Once he approved then it will send second approval for the second manager. I am not sure why you need another config? This is what you explained me and I have re-worked on the video earlier. Looks like you keep changing the requirements. 

Thanks

[Olijk]

Hello @abm 

Thank you for the email and yes I understand what the flow is doing. Yes, the requirements keep changing based on the users. The current set up works because I have tested multiple times. I believe I may just need to change the submission form requirements based on the users preference and remove the 2nd level from the approval config and hard code the start and wait approvals for the first 2 levels and then continue with the flow from the video.

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

Thats looks like an option. Based on the original requirement I believe the solution I provided is correct. I would appreciate if you could mark accept as solution.

Thanks

[Olijk]

Hello @abm ,

i just accepted the video as a solution. I thought I did that a few days ago☺️

[Olijk]

Hello @abm   ,

I had to adjust my power apps to include another field that has a dollar amount. So when the user selects one form type amount field A appears, when the user selects another form type amount field B appears.

When I go to get items, I followed the video… Formx0020 le Amount.

With my form now having 2 dollars fields, my Odata query was Formx0020 le AmountA or Formx0020 le AmountB. I tried with and without brackets.

When I got to the 3rd Compose, using the split expression, it gives me an error message, as seen on the attached. 

Should I use another Expression?

[abm]

Hi @Olijk 

Ideally this should be another new thread. Could you please create and let me know.

Thanks