Multi-level Workflow not re-triggering on edit

Question

Currently here is my workflow. I am using a normal sequential custom workflow, trying to mimic a state machine workflow.

Goal of workflow : Multi-level approval.

Rules :

• On approval, following user on next approval level will be assigned a task to approve item.
• On rejection, a new task should be assigned back to previous user, so that he can make amendments to the list itself.

Idea to make it work:

• Set workflow to start automatically when item is created and modified.
• When a new item is submitted, automatically workflow kicks in which is the first obvious step.
• If one of the approvers reject, workflow will update a column in the list and create a task to the previous approver.
• Same column will be updated when the previous approver updates the task. As the workflow is meant to kick in when an item is edited, it should kick in at this point.

Example Scenario:

1. Person A (Non 'System Account' user submits a new item)
2. Start approval process for 'First Approver'
3. 'First Approver' on completion of task will update a status column 'State' to 'FirstApprover'.
4. If 'First Approver' rejects the task, the status column 'State' will be updated to 'NormalUser'.
5. 'NormalUser' will receive a task, which on approve, will be updating the 'State' to 'FirstApprover'. Here from my understanding, workflow should kick in as we have set workflow to trigger when an item is new/updated.

However at this point, workflow is not re-triggering when the item is updated.

Questions:

• Why is my workflow not re-triggering when item is updated?
• Is my idea of retriggering a sequential workflow to mimic a state machine workflow for the above scenario in a multi-level approval workflow correct?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I think this assumption is not correct:

Same column will be updated when the previous approver updates the task. As the workflow is meant to kick in when an item is edited, it should kick in at this point.

I expect that you have configured the workflow to wait for a task to finish and as long as an instance of a workflow is running no new workflow is started. Only one workflow instance on an item at a time. Otherwise you would get in a loop of updating the item and starting the workflow over and over again.

You can still accomplish what you want by looking at the task outcome (reject), set a workflow variable or update your list item so the progress is visible and continue to a new approval stage. This stage will then look at the item property or workflow variable to determine who is the current approver.