Requests (formerly Initiatives) is one of Sastrify’s core features, alongside Workflows, designed to streamline SaaS procurement for both new purchases and renewals. It provides a structured, centralized approach that improves efficiency and ensures transparency throughout the process. All active workflows operate within this feature, enabling you to create and manage internal procurement requests while keeping communication, documentation, and approvals in one place.


This centralization delivers key benefits by standardizing and integrating the purchasing process, making internal approvals transparent and trackable, improving visibility for stakeholders, and fostering stronger collaboration across teams.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Create a new request


You start a new request from one of the available entry points:

  1. From the Navigation Bar: Select Requests from the left menu.

  2. From the Tool Stack: Choose the relevant tool, then click the Requests tab.



To create a new request:

  1. Click New Request.
  2. Select a workflow. (Only active workflows are available.)


  3. Enter a name for the request.
  4. Assign an approver. (This person will be the first approver in Stage 1, as defined by the workflow.)
  5. Choose a product from the dropdown list. (This should be the SaaS product you want to purchase or renew.)
  6. Complete the remaining fields: business need, cost, collaborator, and due date.
  7. Upload and attach any relevant supporting documents, such as offers, proposals, or the latest contract.
  8. Click Continue to move to Step 2. (Step 2 includes custom questions defined in the workflow setup.)
  9. Answer the additional questions.
  10. Click Submit to finalize the request. Or, save it as a draft to finish later.



Track active & historical requests


Once created, a new initiative appears under the “Active Requests” tab on the main Initiatives page. This tab provides a table view of all ongoing initiatives, displaying key details such as the requester, assignee, collaborators, status, progress, and due dates. It serves as the central place to track and manage all active requests. 


In addition to the “Active Requests” tab, the page includes a “Requests History” tab, which stores all closed and completed requests, and a “Draft Requests” tab, where requests saved as drafts are kept.



In addition, since each request is created and anchored to a specific tool, it can also be accessed directly from that tool’s detail page:

  1. Navigate to Inventory > Tool Stack.

  2. Select the relevant tool.

  3. Open the Requests tab.

  4. Click on a specific request to open its detail page.


Work with a request


Each request has a dedicated detail page where stakeholders and collaborators can manage the procurement process from start to finish. It functions as a collaborative workspace that brings everyone together to drive purchasing or renewal efforts.


Every request is organized into three tabs. 

  • The Overview tab is the central collaboration space where stakeholders can approve workflow steps, track progress through a timeline of stages, take quick actions, and communicate by tagging and mentioning individuals. It also serves as a hub for posting status updates, sharing relevant documents, and viewing activity logs.
  • The Documents tab allows you to upload files directly within the request. Once a request is completed, all related documents are automatically stored in the product’s repository for seamless record-keeping.
  • The Request Form tab provides visibility to the submitted request details, which can be reviewed and updated at any time.



Manage and track approval process


At the top of the Overview tab, you’ll find the approval section. The approval sequence for each request depends on the workflow applied. For more details on how approval sequences are set up, refer to this Knowledge Base article on Workflows.



To approve a step, the assignee must provide relevant background or contextual information in the text box. The “Approve” button is enabled only once this field is filled. Once approved, the request automatically progresses to the subsequent step.



In the case of parallel approvals, all approvals at the same level must be completed before the request can progress to the next step. Parallel approvals are indicated by purple nodes. In this scenario, the “Action Required” section displays separate tabs showing the number of parallel approvals that still need to be granted.



If necessary, the assignee also has the option to reject the step. To reject a step, the assignee must provide relevant background or contextual information in the text box. The “Reject” button is enabled only once this field is filled. When a rejection takes place:

  1. The request is immediately terminated.

  2. It moves from the “Active Requests” tab to the “Requests History” tab.

  3. In the Requests History tab, the request is marked as "Rejected" in the Stage column, with an indication of the step at which it was rejected.

  4. The request can be reopened at any time. Once reopened, the approval process restarts from the very beginning.



Once all approvals are finalized and the procurement process is finished, the request reaches the completed state.

  • You will be prompted to renew if it’s a renewal or to activate if it’s a new purchase.

  • Fill in the required details, including the tool owner and renewal date.

  • Click “Move to Active” to:

    • Add the newly activated tool or product to the tool stack (for new purchases).

    • Change the status from Up for Renewal to Active (for renewals).

  • Once this final step is completed, the request moves from the “Active Requests” tab to the “Requests History” tab.

  • Any documents added to this tool during the request will be transferred and uploaded to the respective product's document repository.


Please note that the Initiatives feature is designed to be used to manage your internal procurement activities, either for requesting new tools, renewing existing tools, or other internal procurement initiatives.

It is important to note that creating a procurement initiative does not automatically trigger procurement support requests to the Sastrify Procurement Team.

Communicate and collaborate within a request


Communication among all stakeholders and collaborators is centralized in the Communication Hub. 


Here, you can post status updates, tag or mention colleagues (tagged individuals will receive notifications), and stay informed when you are mentioned by checking the Mentions tab. All activity logs are also available in this hub, including document uploads and approvals, with each activity recorded along with a timestamp.



Edit a request


On each request detail page, you can update request information such as the assignee, description, or collaborators. To make changes:

  1. Open the details page of the request you want to edit.

  2. Click the Request Form tab.

  3. Click Edit to modify the details.

  4. Click Save to apply your changes.


Important: Editing is only allowed for ongoing requests. Once the approval process is completed or reaches its final step, editing is disabled.


From the same tab, you also have the option to delete a request.