ISMS.online allows you to set up an Approval Process for reviewing policies and controls. This helps maintain the integrity of your work with a visible record of approvals, including timestamps and approver details.
Previously, the approval process only allowed a single approver per project. We’re pleased to introduce Approval Chains in the Projects area, enabling you to set up multiple approvers — in a defined order — for each project, if you choose.
Note: You must have Administer permissions for the project to edit the approval order.
How the Approval Chain Works
If your organisation requires multiple sign-offs for updates to policy packs, you may have previously managed this by creating several to-dos. With Approval Chains, you can:
- Set any number of approvers.
- Define the order in which each person must approve.
- Ensure all approvals are completed before the activity can be marked as finished.
Setting Up a Chain of Approval
Example: Using the ISO 27001 Policies and Controls section.
- Go to Project Settings
- Open the project and select Settings from the top right.
- Scroll to the Approval section.
- Enable Approval Order
- Approval order is off by default.
- Check the box to enable it.
- Add Approvers
- Click Add Approver to choose from those who have access to the project.
- Approvers will be listed in order from first to final. You can adjust the order later if needed.
- Approval in Action
- When an activity is set for approval, all users can see the status, including which approver it is currently waiting on.
- Each approver is notified via email, their activity feed, and the approval tab, which displays the full approval order.
- Once an approver signs off, the approval request moves automatically to the next person in the chain.
- After the final approver signs off, any configured reminder options will appear for the assigned user.
- Open the project and select Settings from the top right.
- Scroll to the Approval section.
- Approval order is off by default.
- Check the box to enable it.
- Click Add Approver to choose from those who have access to the project.
- Approvers will be listed in order from first to final. You can adjust the order later if needed.
- When an activity is set for approval, all users can see the status, including which approver it is currently waiting on.
- Each approver is notified via email, their activity feed, and the approval tab, which displays the full approval order.
- Once an approver signs off, the approval request moves automatically to the next person in the chain.
- After the final approver signs off, any configured reminder options will appear for the assigned user.
Editing the Approval Chain
You can update the Approval Chain at any time from the same settings page used to create it:
- Change the order by dragging and dropping users.
- Remove an approver with the remove icon — the chain will automatically update.
- Add or re-add approvers as needed, using the same method as the initial setup.
Related Links
These are some other guides you might find useful:
- Approving Policies and Control
- Setting up a Project for Approval
- Granting Approval Rights
- Creating and Administering an Account
For further assistance, contact us at support@isms.online or use the live chat within ISMS.online.