Ever felt like your approval processes are stuck in the Stone Age? Waiting for one person at a time to greenlight a document can drag things out and slow progress. What if there was a way to modernize, simplify, and speed it up—all while keeping everything organized and in one place?

In this post, we’ll explore how to create a dynamic parallel approval flow using Power Automate with SharePoint. This process allows multiple approvers to review at the same time, dynamically pulls approvers from a SharePoint list, and even handles rejections with ease. Bonus: A Power App tracks every approval step, creating a single, transparent source of truth.

Check out the video tutorial here for the full walkthrough:

Let’s break this down step by step, so by the end, you’ll create a system that’s flexible, fast, and frustration-free.

What is a Parallel Approval Process?

Instead of routing a document to one person, waiting for their response, and then passing it to the next in line, a parallel approval process allows multiple people to review and approve simultaneously.

Think about it—whether the legal team, operations, or compliance needs to weigh in, they don’t need to take turns. Everyone gets notified at the same time, saving days (or weeks!) of back-and-forth. Plus, combining this with a SharePoint-powered system creates a smooth, automated workflow unique to your needs.

Why Make It Dynamic?

The magic of this setup lies in its flexibility. By tapping into a SharePoint list to manage approvers, you can easily adapt to changes. If someone goes on vacation, just mark them as inactive. No need to overhaul the workflow.

How the System Works

Here’s a high-level overview of what we’re building:

1. A Power App to submit documents and track approvals.
2. A SharePoint list to manage approvers based on roles (e.g., legal, compliance, operations).
3. A Power Automate flow to manage parallel approvals, track decisions dynamically, and handle rejections or resubmissions.

Let’s start building!

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Step 1: The Power App Submission Process

The Power App is the front-end hub for your approval system. It lets users submit documents, view approval history, and track progress in real-time.

App Features:

• Document Submission: Users can upload files and provide comments.
• Dynamic Tabs: Different tabs show approval statuses for each department, like legal or compliance.
• Approval History: Past approvals, rejections, timestamps, and comments are all visible in one place.

The app interacts with a SharePoint list that holds approval statuses, making everything transparent and easy to follow.

Step 2: Setting Up the SharePoint Lists

To keep things flexible, we’ll use a SharePoint list to manage approvers dynamically:

1. Approvers List:
   • Columns include names, roles (e.g., legal, operations, compliance), and active/inactive status.
   • Need to remove someone while they’re out? Just toggle their “active” status—no code changes required.
2. Tracking List:
   • This logs every approval step for each document. It ties back to a master record via a unique ID.

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Step 3: Building the Power Automate Flow

This is where the magic happens. Power Automate handles all the heavy lifting behind the scenes, from assigning approvers to logging every decision in SharePoint.

Key Steps in the Flow:

1. Initialize Variables: These variables help track approvers, approval outcomes, and comments from each stage. For example:
   • A Boolean variable checks if a submission needs legal approval.
   • A string variable logs comments from approvers.
2. Fetch Approvers from SharePoint: By filtering the approvers list based on roles, the flow grabs the relevant email addresses dynamically.Example: To get all “legal” approvers, a condition checks the “approval type” field in the SharePoint list.
3. Parallel Approval Branches:
   • Each branch in the flow corresponds to a department (e.g., legal, compliance, operations).
   • All branches run simultaneously, saving time.
   • Each branch processes its assigned approvers, logging outcomes like “approved” or “rejected.”
4. Handle Rejections: If any approver rejects the document, the flow updates SharePoint to reflect the rejection. The app then displays this status for the user to address and resubmit.
5. Resubmissions: Once changes are made, users can resubmit the document, and the flow seamlessly restarts.

Designing the Flow Interface:

Power Automate’s modern design tools make it easier to build and organize flows. Use scopes and parallel branches to structure your flow for better clarity. Grouping multiple steps within scopes keeps the flow compact and readable.

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Step 4: Track Approvals in the App

With the Power App connected to the SharePoint tracking list, users can view approval histories, such as:

• Who approved or rejected a document.
• The reason behind any rejection.
• Timestamp details (when approvals or rejections occurred).

This creates a one-stop shop for tracking every piece of the process. No more guessing or chasing emails to understand where things stand.

Benefits of This Approval Setup

By automating parallel approvals, you’re solving multiple pain points at once. Here’s what makes this approach shine:

• Speed: Simultaneous approvals mean faster decisions.
• Flexibility: Easily adapt approver lists without modifying the flow.
• Transparency: Approval histories give a clear picture of who approved what, when, and why.
• Minimized Errors: Dynamic assignment ensures the right people review the right files—every time.

This setup also improves collaboration by uniting tools like SharePoint, Power Automate, and Power Apps into a cohesive workflow.

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Final Thoughts

Dynamic parallel approvals bring efficiency to even the most tangled workflows. With a system like this, you’re freeing your team from unnecessary delays and providing a clear structure that grows with your needs.