Keep Approvals and Tasks On Track
Reminder workflows send follow-up emails when something is overdue—an approval past its due date, an invoice past its payment terms, or a task not yet completed. Escalation workflows route to a higher approver when the first doesn't respond.
Step 1: Define the Due Date
Set a due date on the record—either a built-in field or a custom field. Workflows can use "Days Before Due" or "Days After Due" as triggers. For approvals, NetSuite has built-in due date support.
Step 2: Create a Scheduled or Recurring Check
Reminders often use a combination: a workflow on the record that sets a "reminder sent" flag, plus a scheduled script or saved search that finds overdue records and triggers the workflow. Alternatively, use workflow "Send Reminder" on approval actions.
Step 3: Configure Escalation
For approvals, configure escalation in the Initiate Approval action: if not approved by due date, reassign to a different approver or send to manager. Use multiple workflow states to represent escalation levels.
Best Practices
- Send a reminder before the due date, not only after
- Don't over-remind; once per day is usually enough
- Escalate only when necessary to avoid alert fatigue
YRK Consulting helps implement reminder and escalation workflows.