Skipping approval step to auto-approve via approval process vs. workflow

Question

Is there a way to skip an approval step in order to auto-approve and move directly to the final approval actions?

My entry criteria for the approval process is the following: OR(Account_Manager__r.Id = OwnerId, Technical_Manager__r.Id = OwnerId)

The record then gets locked. Next, I want it to execute the field updates in the final approval actions which update the record status and set the approval date. I don't want the people who fit the entry criteria to have to approve their own requests. In that case, it should be auto-approved.

• Update: Even if you put the opposite as the approval step, else "approved" SF still makes you select an approver when clicking 'next'. I selected the account manager (thinking it would never make it that far since using the 'opposite, else approved' in the first part of the approval step)- but it still does. It is pending their approval. What am I missing here?

Answer 1

Yes, I usually put a completely opposite criteria for Step1, and "else Approve", so in your case it would be: AND(Account_Manager__r.Id <> OwnerId, Technical_Manager__r.Id <> OwnerId)

Answer 2

You can instead of setting it as entry criteria, set it as approval step, then in the step criteria you can setup the condition + configure that in case the criteria is not met then the record should be approved