# Workflow & Automation Module | Secure Privacy Governance Solution > Build compliance approval workflows, automate task assignments, and maintain audit trails using the Workflow & Automation module in Secure Privacy's Governance Solution. - Canonical: https://support.secureprivacy.ai/article/setting-up-workflow-automation-governance-platform - Product: Privacy & AI Governance - Category: Governance Solution - Published: 2026-03-09T17:52:00+00:00 - Updated: 2026-03-22T11:47:16.806+00:00 - Reading time: 5 minutes --- The **Workflow & Automation module** in Secure Privacy's **Governance Solution** lets you delegate work, automate task assignments, and enforce structured approval chains across your compliance program. Build custom multi-step workflows that route tasks to the right people, trigger escalations automatically, and maintain a complete audit trail of all decisions — ensuring consistent, documented review processes for DPIAs, risk assessments, and policy changes. ## Who Is This For? - **Compliance managers** who need structured, auditable approval processes for DPIAs, risk reviews, and policy changes - **Team leads** who want to automate task assignments, escalations, and deadline reminders - **Privacy officers** who need to enforce consistent review processes across their team and ensure nothing is approved without the correct sign-off chain ## Accessing Workflows From the left sidebar in the Governance Solution, navigate to **Automation > Workflows**. The main view shows three tabs: **Workflows**, **Assignments**, and **Approvals**. ## Creating a Compliance Workflow ### Step 1: Create from scratch or use a template Click **\+ Create** to build a workflow from scratch, or click **Use Template** to start from one of the pre-built compliance workflow templates: - **System Assignment Review** — A two-step approval process for assigning team members to systems in the Systems module. - **Impact Assessment Approval** — A multi-level approval workflow for DPIA and impact assessment sign-off. - **Process Activity Assignment** — A simple workflow for assigning data processing activities to responsible team members. ### Step 2: Configure workflow steps Each workflow consists of one or more steps. Configure the following settings for each step:

Setting

Description

Step Name

A descriptive label for the step (e.g., "Manager Review", "Final Approval")

Step Type

Review, Approval, or Completion

Escalation (days)

Number of days before the step automatically escalates if not completed

Approvers

Select specific users or assign by role — owner, admin, or member

Require all approvers

Whether all selected approvers must approve, or whether one approval is sufficient to advance the step

### Step 3: Set the "Applies To" scope Choose what the workflow applies to: **System**, **Assessment**, or **Process**. This determines which module actions will automatically trigger the workflow. ### Step 4: Activate the workflow Toggle the workflow status to **Active**. The workflow will now trigger automatically when the relevant action occurs in the configured module. ## Managing Assignments and Approvals ### Assignments tab View all current workflow assignments across your team — including who is responsible for each step and the current completion status. Use this view to monitor workflow progress and identify any steps that are overdue or blocked. ### Approvals tab Review all pending approval requests in one place. Approvers can accept or reject items directly from this view, with the option to add comments — keeping a clear record of the decision and its rationale. ## Workflow Automation Features - **Automatic notifications:** Team members receive alerts when a task or approval step requires their action — eliminating the need for manual follow-up. - **Escalation timers:** If a step is not completed within the configured timeframe, it automatically escalates to the next approver or a designated manager. - **Smart reminders:** The platform sends reminder notifications as deadlines approach, reducing the risk of steps being missed or delayed. - **Audit logging:** Every workflow action — including approvals, rejections, and escalations — is recorded with a timestamp, providing a complete audit trail for compliance documentation. ## Workflow Best Practices ### Keep workflows simple to start Begin with two to three steps and add complexity only when your team has identified a genuine need. Overly complex workflows increase the risk of bottlenecks and reduce adoption. ### Set realistic escalation timers Configure escalation periods based on your team's typical response time for each step type. Too short and approvers will feel pressured; too long and bottlenecks go undetected. ### Use role-based approvers wherever possible Assigning approvers by role — rather than by named individual — ensures workflows continue functioning correctly when team members change roles or leave the organization. ### Review workflow performance regularly Monitor how workflows are performing through the Assignments tab and Reporting & Analytics — identifying steps where approvals are consistently delayed or where escalations are being triggered frequently. ## Troubleshooting ### Workflow not triggering Verify that the workflow status is set to **Active** and that the **Applies To** scope matches the module where you expect it to trigger. A workflow scoped to "Assessment" will not trigger on System or Process actions. ### Approver not receiving notifications Confirm that the approver has an active account within your Secure Privacy organization and that notification settings are enabled in their user profile. Contact your account administrator if the issue persists. ## Next Steps - Connect workflows to the **Task Management** module for automatic task creation on workflow completion - Use the **Impact Assessment Approval** template with the **DPIA Management** module to enforce structured GDPR Article 35 review processes - Monitor workflow activity and approval completion rates through **Reporting & Analytics** ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can a workflow have different approvers for different steps? Yes. Each step in a workflow is configured independently — including its approvers, step type, and escalation timer. This allows you to build multi-level approval chains where, for example, a manager reviews first and a DPO provides final sign-off in a subsequent step. ### What happens when an escalation timer runs out? When a step is not completed within the configured escalation period, the platform automatically escalates the task — notifying the next approver in the chain or a designated administrator, depending on your workflow configuration. All escalations are recorded in the audit log. ### Can workflows be used to enforce DPIA approval processes under GDPR Article 35? Yes. The **Impact Assessment Approval** template is specifically designed for DPIA workflows, supporting multi-level review and sign-off processes that ensure DPIAs are completed and approved before high-risk processing begins. Every approval step is logged, providing an auditable record of the DPIA review process. ## See Also - [How to Handle Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs)](https://support.secureprivacy.ai/article/managing-data-subject-access-requests-dsars-in-secure-privacy) - [Secure Privacy Pricing Plans Overview](https://support.secureprivacy.ai/article/secure-privacy-pricing-plans--consent-management-platform) - [Website Visits vs Page Views vs Consent Explained](https://support.secureprivacy.ai/article/website-visits-vs-page-views-vs-consent-explained)