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# How to Structure Approval Processes Inside BPM
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/structure-approval-processes-inside-bpm/
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:22:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T20:22:29.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

Structuring approvals inside a broader BPM process means the approval step is just one stage of a Kanban flow — not a separate system a request has to exit the process to go through. In **Jestor**, **Approvals** and general **BPMS** capabilities share the same underlying structure.

Treating approval as a separate system from the rest of the process creates an artificial seam — data has to move between two tools just to get a request from "submitted" to "approved" to "done."

## What breaks when approval sits outside the main process

- A request has to leave the main process to go through a separate approval tool
- Data re-entry between the process tool and the approval tool
- No single view combining the request's full lifecycle, before and after approval
- Two separate audit trails instead of one continuous history

## How approval fits naturally into a BPM process

- Approval is a **stage** in the same Kanban flow as the rest of the process
- **Alçada** rules determine routing at that stage, the same way any conditional logic would
- The request's full history — before, during, and after approval — stays in one record
- SLA tracking covers the approval stage the same way it covers any other

## Why Jestor fits this use case

- No artificial seam between "the process" and "the approval" — it's one continuous flow
- Conditional logic and alçadas apply directly within the Kanban structure
- One audit trail covers the entire lifecycle of the request
- Approval-specific features (alçadas, ERP posting) stay available within the same process

| Approach                   | Data continuity                        |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Separate approval tool     | Data re-entry required between systems |
| Approval as a stage in BPM | One continuous record and history      |

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Does approval-as-a-stage support alçada-based routing?** Yes, the same alçada logic applies within the process stage. More at [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

**Is there a separate audit trail for the approval step?** No, it's part of the same continuous record history.

**Can this connect to the ERP the same way a dedicated approval tool would?** Yes, the same native ERP integrations apply.

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