# RE Workflow - CRITICAL Flow Questions for Kickoff
**Must Be Answered Before Development Starts**

---

## 🔴 SECTION 1: REQUEST SUBMISSION FLOW

### **Q1. What happens IMMEDIATELY after "Submit Request" button is clicked?**

**From SRS:** "Once submitted, the request enters the Approval Workflow and notifies the first approver."

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**
- [ ] Does request go DIRECTLY to Level 1 approver, or is there a review/validation step?
- [ ] Can initiator cancel/recall request after submission but before any approver acts?
- [ ] Is request immediately visible to ALL approvers, or ONLY Level 1?
- [ ] Can initiator edit request after submission? (Before any approvals)

**Why Critical:** Affects database state, notification triggers, and user expectations.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 2: APPROVAL REJECTION FLOW

### **Q2. When approver REJECTS - what EXACTLY happens to the request?**

**From SRS:** "Reject Request – Sends remarks to the initiator and marks as closed."

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**
- [ ] **Option A:** Request permanently CLOSED (cannot be reopened)?
- [ ] **Option B:** Request goes back to initiator as DRAFT (can modify and resubmit)?
- [ ] **Option C:** Request goes back to PREVIOUS level for reconsideration?
- [ ] **Option D:** Request CANCELLED (like it never existed)?

**If rejected at Level 3 (out of 5 levels):**
- Do Level 4 and 5 approvers see it was rejected?
- Or does it just disappear from their pending list?

**Why Critical:** Affects entire workflow state machine and database design.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 3: FINAL APPROVAL & CLOSURE SEQUENCE

### **Q3. After FINAL approver approves - what is the exact closure sequence?**

**From SRS:** "After final approval, the request returns to the Initiator with AI-generated conclusion remarks."

**CRITICAL SEQUENCE QUESTIONS:**

**Step 1:** Final approver clicks "Approve" → What happens?
- [ ] Request status changes to "Approved" immediately?
- [ ] Or status is "Pending Closure" until initiator acts?

**Step 2:** AI generates conclusion remarks → When?
- [ ] Immediately after final approval?
- [ ] Or when initiator opens the request?

**Step 3:** Request "returns to initiator" → How?
- [ ] Initiator gets notification to "close" the request?
- [ ] Or it just appears in their "Approved" list?

**Step 4:** Initiator must act → Required or optional?
- [ ] **Option A:** Initiator MUST review and click "Close" (workflow not complete until then)?
- [ ] **Option B:** Auto-closed, initiator can OPTIONALLY edit conclusion?

**Why Critical:** Affects workflow completion logic and user responsibilities.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 4: TAT CALCULATION ACROSS LEVELS

### **Q4. How does TAT work when request moves between levels?**

**From SRS:** "TAT starts only when a request reaches that approver's level."

**CRITICAL SCENARIO:**

```
Request Flow:
- Level 1: 2 days TAT → Takes 3 days (1 day overdue)
- Level 2: 1 day TAT → Takes 1 day (on time)
- Level 3: 2 days TAT → Takes 2 days (on time)
```

**QUESTIONS:**
- [ ] **Total TAT:** Is it 5 days (2+1+2) or 6 days (3+1+2 actual)?
- [ ] **Reporting:** Does Level 1 delay affect overall TAT status?
- [ ] **Visibility:** Does Level 2 approver see that Level 1 was late?
- [ ] **Level 1 TAT breach:** Who gets notified? (Initiator, Manager, Admin?)

**Why Critical:** Affects TAT calculation logic, database schema, and reporting.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 5: WORK NOTES vs APPROVAL COMMENTS

### **Q5. What's the difference between Work Notes and Approval Comments?**

**From SRS:** 
- "Each action requires comments and remarks (mandatory)" - Approval Comments
- "Participants communicate via the Work Notes (Chat View)" - Work Notes

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**Approval Comments (when clicking Approve/Reject):**
- [ ] Visible to everyone or only certain roles?
- [ ] Can be edited after posting?
- [ ] Part of official audit trail?

**Work Notes (ongoing discussion):**
- [ ] Can be added ANYTIME during workflow (before approvals)?
- [ ] Visible to all participants immediately?
- [ ] Are Work Notes considered when approver makes decision?

**Scenario:** Approver wants clarification before approving
- Should they use Work Notes to ask questions?
- Or use "Send Back" action (if it exists)?
- Or reject with comment "need more info"?

**Why Critical:** Affects UI design and user behavior expectations.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 6: SPECTATOR ROLE & PERMISSIONS

### **Q6. What EXACTLY can spectators do vs not do?**

**From SRS:** "Spectators (view-only participants) who can comment but not approve."

**CRITICAL PERMISSION QUESTIONS:**

**Can Spectators:**
- [ ] Add Work Notes / Comments? (**SRS says YES "can comment"**)
- [ ] Upload documents/files?
- [ ] @mention other users?
- [ ] Add more spectators?
- [ ] See approval comments from approvers?
- [ ] See Activity log (all actions)?
- [ ] Download documents?

**Can Spectators be added:**
- [ ] Only during request creation (Step 4)?
- [ ] Anytime during workflow (by initiator or approver)?
- [ ] Even after request is closed?

**Why Critical:** Affects access control, UI rendering, and feature availability.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 7: ACTIVITY LOG vs WORK NOTES

### **Q7. Activity Tab vs Work Notes - what goes where?**

**From SRS:**
- "Activity Tab" - Every event captured with timestamps
- "Work Notes" - Chat view for collaboration

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**Activity Tab shows:**
- [ ] System events ONLY (request created, approved, TAT breach)?
- [ ] System events + Work Notes messages?
- [ ] System events + Approval comments?
- [ ] Everything (all-in-one timeline)?

**Work Notes shows:**
- [ ] Only manual messages from users?
- [ ] Messages + file uploads?
- [ ] Messages + @mentions + reactions?

**Scenario:** User adds a comment via Work Notes
- Does it appear in Activity Tab too?
- Or only in Work Notes section?

**Why Critical:** Affects data modeling and UI tab content.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 8: DOCUMENT UPLOAD TIMING

### **Q8. When can documents be uploaded - only during creation or anytime?**

**From SRS:** "Step 5: Documents & Attachments" + "Work Notes supports file sharing"

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**During Request Creation (Step 5):**
- [ ] Initiator uploads supporting documents
- [ ] Are these the ONLY "official" documents?

**After Submission:**
- [ ] Can initiator add more documents? (If yes, until when?)
- [ ] Can approvers add documents? (E.g., approval memos, signatures?)
- [ ] Can spectators add documents?

**Via Work Notes:**
- [ ] Files attached in Work Notes - are they "official" documents?
- [ ] Or just "discussion" attachments?
- [ ] Do they appear in Documents Tab or only Work Notes?

**Why Critical:** Affects document versioning, storage structure, and permissions.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 9: OPEN REQUESTS vs CLOSED REQUESTS

### **Q9. What determines if request appears in "Open" vs "Closed" lists?**

**From SRS:** Side menu has "Open Requests" and "Closed Requests"

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**"Open Requests" shows:**
- [ ] All In Progress requests (not yet fully approved)?
- [ ] Only requests where I'm the ACTIVE approver?
- [ ] Requests I initiated that are pending?
- [ ] Requests I'm spectating that are in progress?

**"Closed Requests" shows:**
- [ ] Approved + Rejected requests?
- [ ] Only Approved requests?
- [ ] Requests where I was involved (initiator/approver/spectator)?

**Scenario:** Level 1 approves, moves to Level 2
- Does Level 1 still see it in "Open Requests"?
- Or does it move to "Closed Requests" for Level 1?
- Or moves to a "Completed Actions" section?

**Why Critical:** Affects navigation, filtering logic, and user workflow visibility.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 10: MY REQUESTS - STATUS CATEGORIES

### **Q10. In "My Requests" screen - what are ALL possible statuses?**

**From SRS:** "Categorized as Total, In Progress, Approved, Rejected, and Draft."

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**"In Progress" means:**
- [ ] Submitted, waiting for approvals?
- [ ] Or also includes "Pending Closure" (final approved, waiting for initiator to close)?

**"Approved" means:**
- [ ] Final approval received + initiator closed it?
- [ ] Or just final approval (even if not closed yet)?

**Missing Status?**
- [ ] "Pending Closure" - Final approved, waiting for initiator action?
- [ ] "Cancelled" - If initiator recalls request?

**Status Transitions:**
```
Draft → In Progress → Approved → Closed?
     ↘ Cancelled
     ↘ Rejected
```

**Why Critical:** Affects status state machine and database enum values.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 11: POST-CLOSURE ACTIONS

### **Q11. After request is "Closed" - what actions are still possible?**

**From SRS:** "Closed requests remain accessible to all participants and spectators."

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**Can users still:**
- [ ] Add Work Notes / Comments? (Continue discussion?)
- [ ] Upload documents?
- [ ] Add new spectators?
- [ ] Edit conclusion remarks?
- [ ] View all history (Activity + Work Notes)?
- [ ] Download documents?

**Can Closed request be:**
- [ ] Reopened (moved back to In Progress)?
- [ ] Archived (moved to separate storage)?
- [ ] Deleted (by initiator or admin)?

**Why Critical:** Affects immutability rules and audit compliance.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 12: PARALLEL WORKFLOWS

### **Q12. Can same approver have multiple roles in one workflow?**

**From SRS:** Up to 10 approval levels can be defined.

**CRITICAL SCENARIOS:**

**Scenario A:** Same person at multiple levels
- Level 1: John Smith
- Level 3: John Smith
- Is this ALLOWED or BLOCKED?

**Scenario B:** Initiator as Approver
- Initiator: John Smith
- Level 2 Approver: John Smith
- Should system warn: "You cannot approve your own request"?

**Scenario C:** Approver as Spectator
- Level 2 Approver: John Smith
- Also added as Spectator
- Is this redundant or okay?

**Why Critical:** Affects validation rules and conflict detection.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 13: PRIORITY (EXPRESS vs STANDARD)

### **Q13. Does Priority affect anything OTHER than TAT calculation?**

**From SRS:** "Express (calendar days) vs Standard (working days)"

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**Does Priority affect:**
- [ ] UI display (badge, color, sorting)?
- [ ] Notification urgency (Express gets immediate, Standard batched)?
- [ ] Approver assignment (Express can go to senior approvers only)?
- [ ] Reminder frequency (Express reminded more often)?
- [ ] Search/filter options?

**Can Priority be changed:**
- [ ] By initiator before submission?
- [ ] By approver during workflow (escalate to Express)?
- [ ] Or fixed once set during creation?

**Why Critical:** Affects business rules and notification design.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 14: 6-STEP WIZARD NAVIGATION

### **Q14. In the 6-step wizard - can user go back/forward freely?**

**From SRS:** "The user proceeds through a 6-step wizard"

**CRITICAL QUESTIONS:**

**Navigation Rules:**
- [ ] Must complete Step 1 before going to Step 2? (Sequential)
- [ ] Or can jump to any step? (Free navigation)
- [ ] Can go back to Step 2 from Step 5? (With data saved?)

**Data Persistence:**
- [ ] Data saved only when clicking "Save as Draft"?
- [ ] Or auto-saved when moving between steps?

**Mandatory Steps:**
- [ ] Must complete ALL 6 steps before "Submit" button appears?
- [ ] Or can skip optional steps (e.g., Documents, Spectators)?

**Scenario:** User fills Step 1-3, closes browser
- Data lost or auto-saved as draft?

**Why Critical:** Affects wizard component logic and draft handling.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 🔴 SECTION 15: APPROVAL COMMENTS - MANDATORY RULES

### **Q15. Comments/Remarks mandatory for BOTH Approve AND Reject?**

**From SRS:** "Each action requires comments and remarks (mandatory)."

**CRITICAL CLARIFICATION:**

**Mandatory Comments for:**
- [ ] **Approve:** YES - Must explain why approving
- [ ] **Reject:** YES - Must explain why rejecting
- [ ] Both require same min/max character limit?

**Comment Field:**
- [ ] Plain text only?
- [ ] Rich text (bold, bullets)?
- [ ] File attachments allowed with comments?
- [ ] Character limit: 500 mentioned for Reject, what about Approve?

**Scenario:** Approver tries to approve without comment
- Block action with error?
- Or just show warning (can proceed)?

**Why Critical:** Affects validation rules and UI behavior.

**Decision:** _______________________

---

## 📋 SUMMARY: TOP 15 CRITICAL FLOW DECISIONS

### **Blockers (MUST decide before development):**
1. ✅ **Rejection behavior** - Goes to draft, closed, or previous level?
2. ✅ **Closure sequence** - Who closes? Initiator or auto-closed?
3. ✅ **TAT across levels** - How to handle delays?
4. ✅ **Request status state machine** - All possible statuses and transitions?
5. ✅ **Post-closure actions** - Can users add comments after closing?

### **High Priority (Week 1):**
6. ✅ **Spectator permissions** - Exactly what can they do?
7. ✅ **Activity vs Work Notes** - What goes where?
8. ✅ **Document upload timing** - Only at creation or anytime?
9. ✅ **Open vs Closed lists** - Filter logic?
10. ✅ **Duplicate roles** - Same person in multiple roles?

### **Medium Priority (Week 2):**
11. ✅ **Priority impact** - Affects more than TAT?
12. ✅ **Wizard navigation** - Sequential or free?
13. ✅ **Comments mandatory** - For both approve and reject?
14. ✅ **Work Notes vs Approval Comments** - Difference?
15. ✅ **Submit flow** - Immediate to approver or validation?

---

## ✅ ACTION ITEMS FOR KICKOFF MEETING

**Bring this document to the meeting with stakeholders.**

**Agenda Item: Workflow Flow Decisions (45 minutes)**

1. **Rejection Flow** (10 mins) - Decide: Draft, Closed, or Back?
2. **Closure Sequence** (10 mins) - Decide: Auto or Manual?
3. **TAT Calculation** (10 mins) - Decide: How to handle delays?
4. **Status State Machine** (10 mins) - Decide: All statuses and transitions?
5. **Spectator Permissions** (5 mins) - Decide: What they can/cannot do?

**Expected Outcome:** Clear decisions on all 15 questions, documented and signed off.

---

**Document Owner:** Development Team Lead  
**Priority:** 🔴 CRITICAL - Affects core workflow logic  
**Status:** ⚠️ AWAITING DECISIONS  
**Impact:** Cannot design database schema or state machines without these answers


