Estimated Read Time: 2 minutes
Sections in this article:
Example Use Case
Before Gatekeeper, many organisations manage contract requests using paper-based or email-based approval forms. This article walks through a standard Contract Approval Form and shows how the same process can be rebuilt as a Kanban workflow in Gatekeeper, giving you full visibility and an audit trail at every stage.
This example focuses on a simple form with two main sections:
- Section A - Vendor, contract, and budget details
- Section B - Approval details
Example:
This process follows these steps:
- The requestor completes Section A and emails the form to the approver.
- The approver reviews the request and records their decision (approve or reject) on the form.
- If approved, the form is sent to the relevant team to set up the vendor and contract.
This process, and the data behind it, is often hidden across emails, folders and direct messages, making it difficult to track progress and maintain transparency.
Gatekeeper workflows can digitise and automate this form-based process. A workflow shows where a request sits in the CAF process, with all data and documents compiled centrally in kanban cards.
Scenario: Pipeline request (not submitted yet)
Scenario: Request submitted and under review
Scenario: Request approved and being set up
This 3-phase kanban board gives you oversight of the process as a whole, and creates an audit trail on the workflow showing:
- who requested the new contract
- who reviewed and approved the request
- who set up the documents and data in the CMS
Outside of the kanban board, vendor and contract records are created in the Vault and assigned a status of Live and Approved.
Additionally, these records created via a workflow can be traced back to their form of origin. To do this, from the contract record in the Vault, click the Workflow Forms tab to find a link to the workflow form completed during that contract's approval.
Adding Complexity
Workflows can support more complex processes. For example, if the CAF included an extra section for executing or signing a contract, this would be added as an extra phase on the kanban board. In the example below, the contract is being signed, internally, externally, or both.
This is the underlying logic behind how workflows are built in Gatekeeper. Kanban boards connect every step of a process, such as Contract Approval, Contract Renewal Review, or Vendor Onboarding, into a single, structured and easy-to-manage workflow.
Next Steps
As a next step, visit Creating a Workflow Diagram to learn about building your own diagram for a Gatekeeper workflow.