Workflow rule to allow mixture of AND/OR and Parallel/Sequential

We would like approval workflows to support a combination of sequential and parallel approval steps, with flexible AND / OR logic within each stage.

At the moment, approvals can be configured as either:

• Person A AND Person B AND Person C
  Meaning all listed approvers must approve.

Or:

• Person A OR Person B OR Person C
  Meaning any one listed approver can approve.

However, the current setup does not allow a mixed approval structure such as:

• Person A AND either Person B OR Person C

This limits the ability to create approval workflows that reflect real business processes.

Current Limitation

A common approval scenario may require:

• Approval from a specific person or role, and

• Approval from one of several other nominated people or roles.

For example:

• The Manager must approve, and

• Either the Project Manager or Bid Contact must also approve.

Requested Enhancement

Allow approval workflows to support a combination of:

• Sequential approvals

• Parallel approvals

• AND / OR logic within approval groups

Example Use Case

A quote, variation, purchase, or contract may need review from someone close to the work, such as the Project Manager or Bid Contact, before or alongside approval from a nominated Manager.

The business rule may be:

The Manager must approve, and either the PM or Bid Contact must also approve.

This ensures management oversight is retained, while still allowing the operational approval to come from the most appropriate available person.

Why This Is Useful

Reflects Real Business Approval Processes

Many approval processes are not simply “everyone must approve” or “anyone can approve”. They often require a combination of mandatory approvers and optional approvers from a group.

Prevents Approval Bypass

Using simple OR logic can allow an approval to be completed without the required Manager approval. More flexible logic would ensure critical approvals cannot be skipped.

Avoids Over-Approval

Using simple AND logic forces every listed person to approve, even when only one person from a role or group is required. This can slow down approvals unnecessarily.

Improves Workflow Flexibility

The ability to combine sequential and parallel approvals would allow organisations to design workflows that match their internal delegation and authority structures.

Reduces Manual Workarounds

Without this functionality, users may need to manage parts of the approval process manually outside the system, which creates extra administration and weakens the audit trail.

Improves Auditability and Compliance

A properly configured workflow would clearly show which approval requirements were met, who approved at each stage, and whether mandatory approval steps were completed.