Amenity Categories: Linking Action Items and Setting Up Approval Workflows

This article explains how amenity categories and action items work together in Vantaca, how to change which action item is linked to a category, and how to configure different approval workflows (such as auto-approve vs. manual review) for different types of amenities. 

Each amenity category is linked to exactly one action item. That action item controls the approval workflow for every reservation submitted in that category. 

Contents

• How Amenity Categories and Action Items Work Together
• How to Change the Action Item for a Category
• How to Set Up Different Approval Workflows
• Troubleshooting

How Amenity Categories and Action Items Work Together

Each amenity category in Vantaca is linked to one action item. When a homeowner submits a reservation through the portal for an amenity in that category, the linked action item is created automatically. This action item controls the approval workflow for the reservation.

You can change which action item a category uses at any time, create multiple categories with different action items to support different approval workflows, and configure auto-approval on the action item level for categories that do not require manual review.

Note: All amenities within a single category share the same action item and approval workflow. To use different workflows for different amenities, create separate categories and assign the amenities accordingly.

How to Change the Action Item for a Category

Note: Changing the action item only affects future reservations. Existing reservations continue to use the action item that was assigned when they were created.

1. Navigate to Settings > Amenity Category.
2. Locate the category you want to update and click Edit next to it.
3. In the Action Item dropdown, select the desired action item.
   
   
    
4. Click Update.

How to Set Up Different Approval Workflows

To use different approval workflows for different amenities, for example, auto-approve for tennis courts and manual board approval for the clubhouse, create separate amenity categories with different action items, and then assign amenities to the appropriate category.

Step 1: Create a New Action Item for the Desired Workflow

1. Navigate to Settings > Action Types/Steps.
2. Copy your existing Amenity Reservation action item, or create a new one. For more information, see the "Action Item Configuration: Overview" article.
   
   
    
3. Rename it to reflect the workflow (e.g., Amenity Reservation – Auto Approve).
4. Configure the steps to match the desired approval process.
5. Save the action item.

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Step 2: Create a New Amenity Category

1. Navigate to Settings > Amenity Category.
2. Click New Category.
   
   
    
3. Enter a name that reflects the workflow (e.g., Common Areas – Auto Approve).
4. In the Action Item dropdown, select the action item created in Step 1.
5. Click Update.

Step 3: Assign Amenities to the Correct Category

1. Navigate to Settings > Amenity Category.
2. For each amenity, assign it to the appropriate category based on the desired approval workflow.

Example setup:

Troubleshooting

Q: Can I use different approval workflows for amenities within the same category?

A: No. All amenities within a single category share the same action item and approval workflow. To use different workflows, create separate categories and assign amenities to the appropriate one.

Q: I cannot find where to change the action item for my category. Where is it?

A: Navigate to Settings > Amenity Categories and click Edit next to the category. The Action Item dropdown is on the edit screen.

Q: Will changing the action item affect existing reservations?

A: No. Only future reservations use the newly assigned action item. Existing reservations continue through the workflow they were originally created with.

Q: How do I see which action item is currently assigned to a category?

A: Navigate to Settings > Amenity Categories. The linked action item is displayed for each category in the list.

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