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Kivo lets you control the order in which approvers sign, or reviewers review, a document: either in parallel, where everyone is invited at the same time, or sequentially, where each participant is invited only after the previous one has finished. This article explains the difference between the two signing orders, where each is configured, and how to choose the right one for your process.
Overview
Signing order applies to both e-signature Approval steps and Review-type workflow steps. In either case, you choose between two options when the step is started:
Parallel – all participants are notified and can act at the same time.
Sequential – participants act one at a time, in a defined order, and the next participant is only notified once the previous one completes their action.
Parallel Signing Order
Parallel is the default order in Kivo. When a step is started, every approver or reviewer is notified and invited to act immediately. They can sign, approve, or review in any order, independent of one another.
Parallel order is the fastest option, since it does not wait on any one individual before notifying the rest of the group. The step completes once all required participants (or the configured threshold) have completed their action.
Sequential Signing Order
Sequential order invites participants one at a time, in a specific sequence. The next person in line is only invited to sign, approve, or review after the previous participant has completed their action. This is useful when your process requires one person to review or approve before the next, such as a department lead signing off before Quality Assurance.
Note: If a step has a threshold configured (for example, 3 users required to pass), that exact number of participants must be invited in order to enable a sequential order. If more participants are added than the configured threshold, the order will default to parallel.
Setting the Signing Order
For E-Signature Approvals
From the document, select Send for Approval and choose your approvers.
Select E-Signature as the approval type.
Choose Sequential or Parallel as the signing order.
If Sequential is selected, click Next and arrange the approvers in the order they should sign.
For Review Steps
Start the Review step on the document and select your reviewers.
Choose the option to review sequentially, if you do not want reviewers invited in parallel.
Drag the participating users to set the order in which they will be invited to review.
Parallel vs. Sequential at a Glance
| Parallel | Sequential |
When participants are notified | All at once | One at a time, in order |
Speed | Fastest | Slower, depends on each participant acting in turn |
Order control | None – any participant can act any time | Defined order, set by dragging participants |
Threshold behaviour | Default when participants exceed the threshold | Only available when participant count matches the threshold exactly |
Choosing the Right Order for Your Organization
Neither order is inherently more compliant than the other. The right choice depends on how your process is designed and what you need to demonstrate.
Consider Parallel if:
Approvers or reviewers are independent and do not need to see each other's input before acting.
Turnaround time is the priority.
Your process does not require a specific hierarchy of sign-off.
Consider Sequential if:
Your SOPs or quality manual require a specific hierarchy, such as a department lead signing before Quality Assurance.
Each approver or reviewer should see the prior participant's input before acting.
You need to enforce a strict, auditable order of sign-off.