Need to create a data page that allows for pending changes, that only get saved when approved.

[RossChevalier]

Hi,

I have a situation where I need to allow Supervisors to request field changes to an employee record that then goes to HR for approval before the changes are applied.  I have a master data page for HR to use where they can make updates that works great.    I need to display the information currently in the system, and allow the Supervisor to make a requested change which would then flow to HR for approval and then to HR Admin to update in the master database.  Is there any way that I can do this with only one Employee master database?  I'd rather not create a separate pending update database.  To that end is there some way to make an edit to a record pending, until a person of suitable authority approves it?

For example, a Supervisor may wish to move an employee to a different department, or change the employee's compensation.   They need to be able to use the existing CASPIO Employee data as their starting point, and have those changes be pending until a senior HR person approves them.

I can do basic workflows but given the number of fields in the employee database itself, I am concerned about having to duplicate the master employee table to make a pending change table and then keep it in sync with the master employee database.

Thank you kindly

 

Ross

[kpcollier]

I don't think you'll need to make another table, unless you want to save the previously stored information (the department that the employee was previously in, employee's previous salary, etc).

I'm just trying to think this through my head. But, what if for every editable field you want to have approval for, you add an empty field to the table being edited? (and maybe some dropdowns - more on this part later) This may be a drag if you want every field to require approval. Or maybe we can build upon this to work with just one or two empty fields, not sure.

Let's say a supervisor wants to change the role of an employee. On the Edit Information page, the real Role field is replaced with the blank approval Role field (let's call this Role_Edit). This way, when the supervisor goes to edit the Role field, he isn't changing the data in the real field, but putting the requested change in the Role_Edit field.

Now that this Role_Edit field is not blank anymore, it triggers the filter on the HR page view. Now the HR can see the current Role value next to the proposed Role value, side by side in real time. Then, HR can use the dropdown that was brought up earlier to delineate Approved or Denied and click update.

Finally, have a trigger on the back end do some work. First, build a block so that if the dropdown value = Approved, then the trigger will copy the Role_Edit value to the actual Role field. Then create another block that triggers when the dropdown is given a value, that erases the contents of the dropdown and the Role_Edit, getting it primed for the next change request. If the dropdown value = Denied, then you can just go straight to the block the erases the Edit fields. 

 

I haven't tested this out. Just trying to think of a solution. If you have some questions I'll be more than happy to give it a try.