Not every request needs the same level of approval. A half-day off is different from two weeks off; a 2 million VND advance is different from a 50 million VND advance. This article shows how to tier approvals using the built-in tools.
The mechanism: multiple flows, evaluated in order
Tanca does not have an "if the amount is greater than X" field set directly in a flow. Instead, you create multiple approval workflows for the same request type, each with a different Initiation block, and then arrange their order — the first matching flow is applied.
Three tiering methods you can use right away
| To tier by | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Branch | One workflow per branch, with the Initiation block set to that branch |
| Department | One workflow per department, with the Initiation block set to the corresponding department |
| Staff level | The Initiation block selects a specific list of employees — for example a separate workflow for management level |
Tiering by value
For financial requests, the most effective approach currently is to split into multiple sub-forms instead of a single form:
- In the request type's configuration dialog, click + Add to create a sub-form.
- Give it a name that states the threshold clearly, for example Advance under 5 million and Advance of 5 million or more.
- Configure a separate approval workflow for each sub-form — one level for the small one, two or three levels for the large one.
- State the threshold in the description so employees choose the correct form.
This method depends on employees choosing the correct form. Compensate with two things: name the forms with the figure stated clearly, and give the first-level approver the authority to reject with the reason "wrong form selected".
Use a Formula field so approvers see the figure immediately
For custom forms, add a Formula field that pre-calculates the total amount or total number of days (article B8-03). Approvers can tell which tier a request belongs to at a glance, without adding it up themselves.
Limit with configuration instead of flows
Some conditions are handled more neatly in the request type's Configuration dialog:
- Monthly submission limit — blocks it from the start instead of leaving it to the approver to reject.
- Days of notice required before submitting — forces early submission and reduces urgent requests.
- Auto-approve — for request types that are purely record-keeping and don't need anyone to review them.
Before launching, submit a test request at each tier using a real employee account and confirm it goes through the correct flow. A misconfigured flow only shows up when there is a real request, and by then it's too late.