Workflow - is there a way to skip an assignment/step if no users are in the Role?

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Posted on by Community Member Microsoft Employee

Hello,

I'm trying to create my P/R Workflow in such a way that I won't have to edit it often, if ever.
I'm using User Groups (see picture at bottom after W/F chart). My problem: in some Departments the same person is the 2nd & 3rd Level Approver and they will be required to approve it twice (once for 2nd & once for 3rd level).

I want to avoid either (1) Making the person approve it 2X or (2) Editing the Workflow and removing or adding approval steps each time someone is promoted and their approval limit changes. I'm using User Groups, so I'm not having to assign names to the Approval steps. This is good and will work well.

I'm looking for a solution something like: "If there are no users in the User Group for the 2nd Level Approver, send it to the 3rd Level Approver automatically". Any thoughts?

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Community Member Microsoft Employee on at

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RE: Workflow - is there a way to skip an assignment/step if no users are in the Role?

Hi Rahul & Crispin - This is a little tough for me to explain, so I've included another picture.
I think I will have the same problem even if I 'leverage managerial hierarchy'. As Crispin said "'if there are no users', you cannot catch this with a condition in the workflow configuration." Read below and see what you think.

I will be setting up a similar W/F for each of the Cost Centers. I won't normally have a user group without a user, but once we put this in place personnel will be changing over time. A user will be maintaining the User Groups.

Example of my problem: W/F is all setup for each of the Cost Centers just like the chart below. There are users assigned to the User Groups for each of the Approval Levels and life is good. But then, the Finance Department downsizes and now the 2nd & 3rd Level Approver is the same person. There are 3 options at this point.

1) Change nothing. Result: The user will have to approve the P/R twice.

2) Remove the user from the 2nd or 3rd Level Approval User Group. Result: The W/F will error out because there's no user and I can't trap this condition.

3) Change the W/F and remove the 2nd or 3rd Level Approval step. Result: It will work. I want to avoid editing the W/F once it's set up.

Thanks for your assistance.
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Community Member Microsoft Employee on at

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RE: Workflow - is there a way to skip an assignment/step if no users are in the Role?

Hi Michael,

When using user groups its always fixed assignment and the only way to circumvent is to put conditions. It is manageable when used sparing but looking t your scenario I recommend you to leverage managerial hierarchy approach so that AX would dynamically route to the right person in the chain.