Building approval flows with Power Automate
Approval processes form the backbone of many business processes. Whether it is approving purchase orders, authorizing leave requests, or reviewing documents: Power Automate offers powerful capabilities to digitize and automate these processes. In this article, you learn step by step how to build professional approval flows.
The basics of approvals
Power Automate includes a built-in Approvals connector that significantly simplifies setting up approval processes. This connector handles the complete lifecycle: sending approval requests, tracking status, collecting responses, and routing based on the outcome. Approval requests are automatically displayed in the Power Automate app, via email, and in Microsoft Teams.
The simplest approval flow consists of three steps: a trigger that starts the process, an approval action that sends the request to the right person, and a condition that determines what happens upon approval or rejection. From this foundation, you can build toward more complex scenarios.
Single vs. multi-level approvals
With single approvals, the flow sends the request to one person who approves or rejects it. This is suitable for simple scenarios such as leave requests or small purchase orders. With multi-level approvals, there are various options: everyone must approve, the first response determines the outcome, or a majority must agree.
Power Automate supports all these patterns out-of-the-box. The type "Approve/Reject - Everyone must approve" requires unanimity, while "Approve/Reject - First to respond" places speed above consensus. Choose the pattern that best fits your organizational culture and the risk profile of the process.
Parallel and sequential patterns
For more complex processes, you often need a combination of parallel and sequential approvals. Consider a budget request that must first be approved by the department manager and then, for amounts above a certain threshold, also by the financial director. This is a sequential pattern: the second approval only starts after the first.
Parallel approvals are useful when multiple departments need to give their approval simultaneously. A project proposal that requires approval from both IT and Finance can be sent to both parties in parallel, significantly reducing the lead time.
- Sequential: Approvals take place consecutively, each step waits for the previous one.
- Parallel: Multiple approvals run simultaneously, the flow waits until all responses are received.
- Conditional: The next approval step depends on the amount, category, or other criteria.
Well-designed approval flows reduce the lead time of decision-making processes by an average of 65%. The key lies in combining automation with clear escalation paths.
Configuring escalations and time-outs
One of the most common frustrations with approval processes is that requests get stuck. Power Automate offers various mechanisms to prevent this. Configure a time-out on the approval action so that the flow automatically takes action when an approver does not respond within the set time.
After a time-out, you can send a reminder, escalate the request to a manager, or automatically approve or reject it based on your policy. Use the "Do Until" loop in combination with delays to build a reminder mechanism that periodically notifies the approver until a response is received.
Integration with Teams and Dynamics 365
The integration of approval flows with Microsoft Teams ensures that approvers can respond directly from their daily workspace. Adaptive Cards in Teams display the relevant details and action buttons without the approver having to switch to another application.
For organizations working with Dynamics 365, you can link approval flows to business processes in the CRM. A quote that exceeds a certain amount automatically triggers an approval flow that notifies the sales manager. After approval, the quote status is automatically updated in Dynamics 365 Sales. At Breathbase, we design approval architectures that seamlessly fit into the broader Power Platform landscape of our clients.
