This guide outlines how activity approval request functions in Custodia platform. It explains the default behavior and available options.
Activity Approval Process
All activities must follow a consistent approver type, meaning you must choose one of the approval paths listed below. You cannot mix different approval types across activities.The following approval paths are available.
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Team Hierarchy
By Default, approvals are based on the organization’s reporting structure.
- Uses the organizational tree to determine the appropriate approver.
- You can configure whether the direct manager or the 2nd level manager approves.
- Example: If the Client Support team reports to Global Client Support, both the manager of Client Support and the manager of Global Client Support will get the approval request (if team hierarchy is set up correctly).
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Role-Based Approver Groups
Approvals are routed to a group of users assigned a specific role (e.g., “Finance”).
- Ideal for centralized approvals by Finance, Compliance, or Procurement teams.
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User-Specific Approver Field
Each user has an “approver” field that can be set from the web dashboard.
- This field allows assignment of a specific person with the correct permission role as the approver.
- Useful for organizations with flat or customized team structures.
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Budget Owner Approver
If you'd like specific activities to have a designated approver, you can create a budget for each activity and use the budget owner as the approver.
Keep in mind that if you choose this approach, all activities must follow a consistent pattern. That means each activity type must have an assigned budget owner who is authorized to approve activities.
Things to Keep in Mind
Self-Approval by Managers
- If a manager is the approver and submits a request on behalf of a direct report, the activity is automatically approved.
Auto-Approval Thresholds
- Activities under a specified amount (e.g., $100) can be set to auto-approve.
- Thresholds are managed through the Policy Manager in the web dashboard.
Advanced Workflow Options
Multi-Step Approval Flows
Organizations can configure approval in multiple steps.
- Example: First approval goes to the Manager → Second approval goes to Finance.
- Each step can include one or more approvers.
- The first approver to take action in a step will move the request to the next step.
Self-Approval Rules
- Workflow rules can control whether users are permitted to approve their own activity requests.
- This setting can be restricted or allowed based on your internal approval policy