DOA Tables (Delegation of Authority)

A DOA (Delegation of Authority) table decides who a task goes to based on the data in each request — instead of hardcoding a single approver on a node. For example: route a travel request to a different approver depending on the department and amount, with higher amounts escalating to senior management.

You define the rules once as a table, then point an Approval or Input node at it. At runtime the workflow looks up the request's data, finds the matching row, and assigns the task to the people listed in that row.

How matching works

When a node uses DOA, the engine resolves the assignee at runtime:

1. It gathers the request's current data (form values, initiator details, global constants, etc.).
2. It goes through the rows in order (top to bottom).
3. For a row to match, every column condition must be satisfied — each column's operator is applied between the request's value and the row's value.
4. The first row where all conditions match wins. Its assignees (and any escalation overrides) are used.
5. If no row matches, the table's default assignee is used.

Use a DOA table in a workflow

1. In the Approval or Input node, set the assignment type to DOA and select the DOA table.
2. At runtime, the engine resolves the assignee from the matching row.
3. If the matched row defines escalation (SLA hours + escalation assignees), those override the node-level and table-level escalation settings for that request.

Create and manage DOA tables

DOA tables are managed in the admin / data area of Workflows Studio, scoped to a specific application:

1. Create the table — give it a name, choose the application, and set a default assignee as a fallback.
2. Add columns — for each piece of data you want to match on, add a column with its data-center field, a header name, a data type, and a matching operator.
3. Add rows — enter the values to match and the assignee(s) for each rule. Rows are evaluated top-to-bottom, so order more specific rules above general ones.

Bulk-manage with a spreadsheet

For large tables, use Excel import/export rather than editing row by row:

1. Export the table to get an XLSX template. Each field has a ..._Label column (what users see) and a ..._Value column (the value used for matching).
2. Fill it in. A single rule can span multiple spreadsheet rows (for multiple values or multiple assignees); the New_Row column marked "Yes" indicates the start of a new rule. Use {{...}} in a value to match dynamically.
3. Upload & verify — the file is validated (columns exist, users are valid) and any errors are reported.
4. Commit — apply the verified data. Choose to replace the whole table or append to it.