Setting up approval workflows shouldn’t feel like a second job. If you’re on a procurement team and you spend too much time chasing signatures and keeping track of who’s approved what, this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through how to build a real multi-step approval process in Signnow that actually fits how your team works—without getting lost in menus or stuck with fancy features you don’t need.
Let’s get you moving faster (and with less chaos) when it comes to getting contracts, POs, or vendor agreements signed by the right people, in the right order.
Why Multi-Step Approval Matters (and Where It Can Go Wrong)
Most procurement teams deal with approvals that aren’t just “send it to the boss and wait.” Maybe legal, finance, and a VP all need to sign off—sometimes in a specific order. Without a workflow tool, you’ll end up with:
- Documents lost in email threads
- Unclear version control (“Wait, which PDF was signed?”)
- People signing out of order (and having to start over)
- No audit trail if things go sideways
Signnow can help, but only if you set it up right. The built-in workflow tools are solid but have some quirks. Skip the marketing promises—let’s focus on what actually works.
Step 1: Get Your Approval Chain on Paper First
Don’t touch software yet. Grab a whiteboard or notebook, and answer these questions:
- Who really needs to approve each type of document? (Name roles, not just people.)
- Does the order matter? (For most procurement teams, yes.)
- Are there “if this, then that” rules? (E.g., “If over $10k, add Director approval.”)
- Do people need to see each other’s comments, or just sign?
Pro tip: If you can’t explain your process in a few sentences, you’re not ready to build it in Signnow. The software won’t fix unclear rules.
Step 2: Prep Your Document Templates (and Save Yourself Headaches Later)
Before inviting approvers, make sure your docs are ready to roll:
- Use clean, up-to-date templates. Avoid uploading random working files.
- Add fillable fields (signatures, dates, text boxes) where each approver needs to interact.
- Check for anything that needs to be locked down (e.g., prices, terms)—you don’t want someone editing these mid-approval.
What to skip: Don’t waste time on “branding” or custom fonts unless your legal team cares. Focus on fields and accuracy.
Step 3: Set Up Your Signnow Workflow
Here’s where Signnow actually comes in. The platform calls these “Roles” and “Signing Steps.” Here’s how to set up a multi-step approval:
- Upload your document.
-
Start with your template and hit “Create Invite” or “Create Signing Link.”
-
Add Roles for Each Approver.
- Click “Add Role.”
- Name each role by function, not person (e.g., “Procurement Lead,” “Finance,” “Legal,” “VP”).
-
Assign each role to a signer field on the document (drag-and-drop).
-
Set the Signing Order.
- Make sure the “Set Signing Order” toggle is ON.
-
Drag roles into the exact order you want. This is crucial—Signnow will not enforce order unless you do this.
-
Assign Emails (or Leave as Placeholders).
- For each role, you can assign a specific email address or leave it blank to fill in later.
-
If you have regular reviewers, pre-fill their emails to save time.
-
Double-check Permissions and Visibility.
- Decide if each signer sees the whole doc or just their section. (Most teams want everyone to see everything, but sometimes you want to limit access for sensitive fields.)
Pitfall alert: If you skip the signing order, Signnow will send the doc to everyone at once. That’s usually not what procurement wants. Always double-check this step.
Step 4: Add Conditional Steps (If Needed—But Don’t Over-Engineer)
Signnow has some “if/then” logic, but it’s not as robust as true workflow engines. You can:
- Add extra roles that only get filled if a certain amount/condition is met.
- Manually delete or add approvers each time you send a document.
But: If your process needs complex rules (e.g., “If vendor is international and PO is over $50k, loop in Compliance before Legal”), Signnow alone might not cut it. You’ll end up doing some manual editing or using a more advanced tool.
Advice: Keep it simple at first. Build out the “main path” and add exceptions manually while you learn what’s actually needed.
Step 5: Test Your Workflow with a Real (But Low-Risk) Document
Before you roll this out to the whole company, do a dry run:
- Use a test document and add yourself (and maybe a friendly coworker) in all roles.
- Walk through the entire approval flow—watch for:
- Missing fields
- Out-of-order emails
- Confusing instructions
- Any “wait, what do I do here?” moments
Pro tip: Ask someone not involved in building the workflow to try it out. They’ll notice weird steps you’ve become blind to.
Step 6: Roll Out to the Team—With a Short Cheat Sheet
Once you’ve ironed out the kinks, get the team using it. Don’t dump a 20-page manual on them. Just give:
- A 1-page “how to approve in Signnow” PDF or email
- Screenshots showing how to open, sign, and “pass it along”
- Who to ask if something breaks
Honest take: Most issues come from people who ignore the email, can’t find the “Sign” button, or try to approve from their phone and get stuck. Be ready to answer these common questions.
Step 7: Monitor, Iterate, and Don’t Be Afraid to Change It
No workflow survives first contact with real procurement. You’ll spot bottlenecks, unnecessary steps, or people who never actually add value. A few things to watch:
- Who’s slowing things down? (Signnow’s audit log will show you.)
- Are there steps you can automate or skip?
- Are you chasing signatures for things nobody reads?
Change the workflow as you go. There’s no prize for sticking with a process that isn’t working.
What Works Well in Signnow (and What Doesn’t)
What Works:
- Enforcing approval order is reliable (if you set it up right).
- Audit trail is clear—helpful for compliance.
- Templates save time for recurring documents.
What Doesn’t:
- Conditional routing is pretty basic.
- Approver notifications can end up in spam (warn your team).
- Mobile signing is fine for simple docs, but clunky for multi-step flows.
What to Ignore:
- Fancy integrations and “AI” features—most procurement teams don’t need them to get signatures.
- Over-customizing notifications or branding.
Keep It Simple—And Change What Doesn’t Work
Setting up a multi-step approval process in Signnow isn’t rocket science. The hardest part is getting clear on who needs to sign, in what order, and not overcomplicating things with too many edge cases. Start simple, test it, and fix what’s broken. In procurement, speed and clarity beat fancy features every time. Get your core workflow running, then make it better as your team actually uses it.