Workflow approval confusion

My company is evaluating the latest Sitefinity RC and one of our requirements is implementing an approval system for publishing both new and updated content. I've tried two separate configurations and I'm not getting the results I expected.

Hi Matthew,

Thank you for contacting Telerik Support.

I have attached a small screen cast illustrating the workflow process. It is done by two users - one in content creating role, and one in approving role. Please note that we currently have two issues with work flow which should be fixed for next week's weekly release. The first one is that when a content item passes through workflow once it cannot be saved as draft any more (#101464). The other one is that when an item is sent for approval and is awaiting approval it should not be opened for edit. The person who sent it for approval should get a message that the item cannot be edited since it is waiting approval.

Regards,
Radoslav Georgiev
the Telerik team

Thanks for the video. What you demoed matched what I have and am able to do, but it doesn't address the issues I pointed out.

Hi Matthew,

Thank you for getting back to me.

I think I pointed this out in my previous response, but I may not have been clear enough. When a page or a content items is being sent for approval, and while it is awaiting approval the default behavior is that the person who sent it for approval cannot edit it. He/she should be able to modify only after the item has been published/rejected. Currently we have a bug in this behavior and the system is not acting as it should.

The second problem which we have is that once an item goes through all steps for workflow users in roles which do not have approve/publish permissions cannot save as draft/send for approval a page. This bug should be resolved next Friday's weekly release.

Those two issues a re preventing you from property working with workflow as you expect to.

Greetings,
Radoslav Georgiev
the Telerik team

Dear Radoslav

QUOTE
I think I pointed this out in my previous response, but I may not have been clear enough. When a page or a content items is being sent for approval, and while it is awaiting approval the default behavior is that the person who sent it for approval cannot edit it. He/she should be able to modify only after the item has been published/rejected. Currently we have a bug in this behavior and the system is not acting as it should.
UNQUOTE

I think this does not make sense. It should be possible to make changes on your own document awaiting approval. If you edit a page it should return to its previous status.

Why: Imagin I make a tyPo - I would have to have the page rejected to fix it. So as long as a page is not approved I should be able to edit it again.

Markus

Hi Markus ,

I see you point. What you describe below is a valid scenario and we will have to cover it.
Ideally that would be a setting in the workflow which administrators can choose to use or not
(locking items sent for approval).

The request was logged in our Feature Request system (ID#373932).



Greetings,
Kalina
the Telerik team

@Markus

What about the common scenario in which a page is created by an administrator, then the designer has to approver it, and finally the director....so 3 step approval.

If it was sitting with the director, as the designer I would be PISSED that the creator was able to go in, and change what I had previously approved.  So then to the director it appears as if I had lost my mind approving such a fugly page (for example).  It would also be confusing if I the creator was able to go in and change it, then re-triggering the workflow so the director has this email to approve something that's not even at him yet (from his\her point of view)

I would say you can edit to your hearts content as long as it hasn't been approved by anyone yet, and once that first guy approves, it's locked.

@steve

I totally agree. Only the person in the last step who sent it for approval should be able to take it back to edit mode.

but then again if we take it a bit further

a) does something
b) approved and sent for approval of C
c) is out for lunch does nothing

b) should be able to take it back
b) should be able to take it back and reject it in case a) contacted him that he messed up. Otherwise we would have to wait for c) do come back from luch to reject.

I never had a 3 step approval workflow. So I would assume that c) has to recect in order for b) to recect again.

Complicating. Good I am working with small business - who (unfortunately) have no workflow (yet).

Markus

We installed the latest update but are having the same results. We want existing pages to go through the same approval process as new pages. Do the workflows not allow this? Our content changes and it seems extremely odd that only new content goes through the approval process but not existing.

Guys,

Am I losing my mind here or is this really by design?

If I create content and send it for approval, once approved I can change it and republish without it going back through the workflow.

So disgruntled employee No1 sends a good article to the boss for approval, once approved, he changes it and bad mouths the company and goes ahead with publishing - that makes no sense whatsoever.

Please tell me this isnt true!

Thanks
higgsy

Hi higgsy,

Thank you for contacting us.

By design the approval workflow in Sitefinity allows only users which are set as approvers or are in the administrators  role to publish content on the live site. All other users will be able only to save one item as a draft or to send it for approval (no matter if the item is just created or already published). Even published items cannot be re-published from user who is not an approver or an administrator.
Also, once an item is send for approval and its status  status is set to Waiting for approval it cannot be opened or modified by users which are not approvers/administrators.

Kind regards,
Antoaneta
the Telerik team

Hi Antoaneta,

Thanks for your response, but I disagree that this is how sitefinity is working.

I know I also have a ticket open, but i think this is beneficial for others so i will also describe it here.

I have two users.

1) UserA - is a member of the Editors role, and a role I have created called Publishers.
2) UserB - is a member only of a role I have created called Approvers.

I have created a two level workflow - members of the Approvers role are set on the 1st Level approving, whilst members of the Publishers role are set on the 2nd level of approvers.

If UserA creates a news article an email is sent to members of the Approvers role. Once the news article has been approved an email is sent back to members of the Publishers role - notifying them that content is "Awaiting publishing". However this is where the problem occurs. UserA is able to re-open the news article and completely change it and publish it without it ever going back through the workflow. How can this possibly be correct? Surely whenever content is changed the entire workflow process should start again? Am i wrong?

@steve and @marcus - do you have any views on this? Am i being a numpty?

Regards,
higgsy

I think it should be started over... :)

Am I right in my understanding of how it currently works though? It can't be surely, thats not workflow in any shape or form and I'm actually embarrassed to try and explain that to my client if that is the case...

Telerik - please tell me its not so!

I have not yet had a project which has needed workflow...I have one coming up around Q2-Q3, sorry I can't be of much help :)

No problem, thanks for your response anyways mate.

For once i'm hoping im being an idiot?!?!?!?! 

Hello higgsy,

I have investigated the behaviour of the workflow using the roles and scenarios you describe. Definitely, User A should not be able to publish or to modify an item which is in workflow process. Only if an item is Rejected or Published the user will be allowed to make modifications, but again, he will need to go through the whole approval process again.

That said, this is not the correct behavior and it is not like this by design. I will log this as a bug for fixing in our system and will raise its priority.

All the best,
Antoaneta
the Telerik team

Hi Antoaneta,

Well at least I know im not going mad. I find it unbelievable that this got through testing, how do you release a product with Workflow being one of its new and improved features, and it doesnt even work - I dont know who does the testing, or what procedures you have in place, but it's amateur at best - especially for a software development company. I wouldnt expect a junior to make that sort of oversight.

Can you please provide me with a bug # and an ETA for resolution. To wait until the Q2 release is unacceptable, I sold this product to seveal clients based very much on the workflow, which embarrsinly I know have to explain is somewhat useless.

higgsy

Hello higgsy,

I absolutely understand your frustration and I am sorry for the inconvenience this issue is causing to you and your clients.

The issue has been logged for fixing for Q2 release. Since this issue is very serious I raised its priority and hope that we will be able to fix it earlier.

Regards,
Antoaneta
the Telerik team