Icon for Travel request workflow solution

Travel request

The 'Travel request' workflow manages the tasks from the initial travel request through to planning the travel arrangements, seeking authorization, and finalizing the arrangements.

A step-by-step guide to Travel request

This guide will explain the 'Travel request' workflow step by step.
It makes use of numerous screenshots, but if you'd like to follow along in the Kotive webapp, you can sign up and copy the workflow into your account for free.
Keep the workflow open in a separate tab in your browser, and interact with it while reading the steps in this guide.

Section 1: A new travel request

In this section, an employee submits a travel request, and HR reviews the request.

Travel request

The first part of this form is a paragraph that's titled: !!! IMPORTANT CHANGES you need to make BEFORE running this workflow: This paragraph contains instructions on how to personalize the workflow for you and your company. If you intend to run the workflow, these changes can not be ignored.

Next you'll notice four faded out fields. These are called 'hidden fields'. These fields capture information without displaying it to the user and make the information available to other tasks in the workflow.

The workflow starts when an employee fills in this form, indicating who will be traveling, the reason for the trip, etc.
Travel request

Notify HR of request

Human Resources receives an email notifying them about the travel request and instructing them to review the request in the next task. Kotive creates the content of the email by pulling in the details from the previous form.

Let's start by looking at how the email is typed up. There are lots of normal looking text words, but there are also lots of rectangular, shaded in, blocks of text. What's the difference?

Well, the normal text is just that: normal text. There's nothing special about it. But the blocks of text are actually information that is being pulled in from the previous form. If you click on the text area of the email while in the webapp, you'll see that it changes and suddenly looks like a lot of code with lots of curly brackets { } and numbers. This code (also called dynamic field tags) is what tells these fields of text what they're going to end up saying. When this email gets sent to Human Resources, it won't look like it does now, it will all be normal text, because the workflow will look at the previous form and put the information from those forms into this email.
Notify HR of request

HR review travel request

This form task has one condition:

Activate this task when...
'Role' IS 'HR'

This form can only be viewed by somebody from Human Resources.

HR reviews the travel request, indicates if the required documentation has been received, and approves or denies the travel request for further review.

If HR approves the travel request, the 'HR review travel request - approved' form task is activated next. However, if HR denies the request, the 'HR review - denied' form task is activated next, instead. This is possible because of conditions.
HR review travel request

HR review travel request - approved

This form task has two conditions:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'Yes'
AND
'Role' IS 'HR'

This form can only be viewed by somebody from Human Resources, IF they approved the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task.

HR provides the estimate cost for the trip, and makes comments on the travel request, before saving the form.
HR review travel request - approved

HR review - denied

This form task has two conditions:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'No'
AND
'Role' IS 'HR'

This form can only be viewed by somebody from Human Resources, IF they denied the travel request in the previous form task.

HR provides a reason for denying the travel request, and saves the form.
HR review - denied


Section 2: Notifications and review

The applicant and a manager are informed of HR's decision, and management reviews the travel request.

Declined email to applicant

This email task has one condition:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'No'

This email will only be sent if HR declined the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task.

The applicant is notified that their travel request has been declined. If HR declined the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task, then the workflow ends as soon as this email has been sent.
Declined email to applicant

Approved email to applicant

This email task has one condition:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'Yes'

This email will only be sent if HR approved the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task.

The applicant is notified that their travel request has been approved, and is up for final review by management.
Approved email to applicant

Email Management

This email task has the same condition as the previous email task:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'Yes'

This email will only be sent if HR approved the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task.

Management is informed that HR has approved a travel request. The details of the request are listed in the email, and the manager is instructed to review the request in the next form task.
Email Management

Review by management

This form task has two conditions:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request for further review?' IS 'Yes'
AND
'Role' IS 'Manager'

This form can only be viewed by a manager, IF HR approved the travel request in the 'HR review travel request' form task.

The manager approves or denies the travel request, leaving comments where necessary.
Review by management


Section 3: Notifying the applicant and HR

In this section, the applicant and HR are notified whether or not the request has been approved by the manager.

Travel declined

This email task has one condition:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request?' IS 'No'

This email will only be sent if the manager declined the travel request in the 'Review by management' form task.

HR and the applicant are informed that the manager declined the travel request.

If the manager declined the travel request in the 'Review by management' form task, then the workflow is finished as soon as this email has been sent.
Travel declined

Travel approved

This email task has one condition:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request?' IS 'Yes'

This email will only be sent if the manager approved the travel request in the 'Review by management' form task.

HR is informed that the manager approved the travel request, and is instructed to continue with the booking.
Travel approved


Section 4: Finalizing the booking

In this section, HR provides the required booking information, and the applicant receives the final booking details.

Final booking details

This form task has two conditions:

Activate this task when...
'Do you approve the travel request?' IS 'Yes'
AND
'Role' IS 'HR'

This form can only be viewed by HR, IF the manager approved the travel request in the 'Review by management' form task.

HR provides the required booking information and uploads important documentation before saving the form.
Final booking details

Email booking details

The applicant receives an email with the final booking details, along with the link to the uploaded important documentation.
Email booking details

After the 'Email booking details' email has been sent, the 'Travel request' workflow is complete.
Get started now and clone this workflow directly into your Kotive account for free.

The Travel request workflow is automatically copied into your account when you select it. Want to make one or two changes to fit your situation better? No problem!