Workflow Stages and Names — Where Is My Application?

Created by Amy Sara Price, Modified on Tue, 9 Jun at 11:04 AM by Amy Sara Price

Trade Shield  |  Knowledge Centre HOW-TO MANUALS

Workflow Stages and Names — Where Is My Application?

? 5 min read    21 stages covered

This article explains every workflow stage name used in the Trade Shield application process — what each stage means, who is responsible, and what needs to happen before the application moves forward. Use this as your reference whenever you want to know where an application is in the process.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the Trade Shield platform at app.fabricworkflows.com
  • Appropriate permissions to view or manage application workflows
  • An understanding of your organisation’s applicant onboarding or limit review process
1

How to Find Your Application’s Current Stage

Navigate to Workflow Overview in the left-hand sidebar. Select the relevant workflow from the list. The Current Stage is displayed in the Workflow Details panel on the right.

The stage name shown here is the internal system name. The table below explains what each name means in plain language.

WORKFLOW OVERVIEW — CURRENT STAGE LOCATION

app.fabricworkflows.com/workflow-overview

YETI CAPITAL

Trade Shield

In Progress
☰ Workflow Details

What stage of the process is this workflow, who is responsible, and how long has it been at this stage.

Workflow

Trade Shield Credit Insurance Application

Current Stage

Waiting for Client to Fill Out Application

Current Step

Application Sent — Awaiting Client Input

Start Date

Jun 9, 2026

ⓘ Tip: The Current Stage field uses the internal system name. Use the reference tables below to understand what that name means and what needs to happen next.

2

New Application Stage Reference

The table below maps each system stage name (as it appears in the platform) to its plain-language label, and explains what is happening at that point in the process.

Responsible Party: ● Applicant / Buyer ● Your Company ● Trade Shield ● System / Automated ● Credit Insurance (If Enabled)
#System Stage NamePlain Language LabelResponsible PartyWhat Is Happening
1Application InitiatedInitiateYour CompanyThe application workflow has been triggered by the initiator at your organisation.
2Bureau Confirming Company DetailsConfirm Subject DetailsTrade ShieldThe applicant’s company could not be found automatically in the system — typically because they are not a sole proprietor or a registered South African CIPC company and therefore needed to be added to the database manually. The bureau is now verifying and confirming the applicant’s company information before the workflow can proceed.
3Initial Risk ScreeningRisk Knockout / Initial Risk CheckYour CompanyThis pre-check runs before the applicant fills out the application. The system checks for risk indicators such as company age or judgement listings. If flagged, the application is routed to your company’s risk team for review — and must be approved internally before the process can continue.
4Waiting for Client to Fill Out ApplicationRequest to Complete InformationApplicant / BuyerThe applicant has been sent the application form and is expected to complete and return it.
5Terms & Conditions DisputedDispute — Terms & ConditionsApplicant / BuyerThe applicant has disagreed with the proposed terms and conditions. Follow up is required.
6Negotiation PhaseLegal Dispute EscalationYour CompanyA negotiation process is in progress regarding the disputed terms. Your company’s legal team may be involved to resolve the matter.
7Final Terms & Conditions Review and SignReview Terms and ConditionsApplicant / BuyerUpdated terms have been issued to the applicant for final review and signature.
8Requesting More DataInitiate Application VerificationApplicant / BuyerAdditional documents or information have been requested from the applicant before verification can proceed. This is typically triggered when bank statements or financial documents were not uploaded, were incomplete, or contained incorrect information. The Trade Shield team sends the application back to the applicant to provide the correct documentation.
9Correction Request — Incomplete SubmissionEnd Application VerificationApplicant / BuyerThe applicant’s previous submission failed validation. They have been asked to resubmit with the correct information.
10Bureau Report RequestResearch ReportSystem / AutomatedFinal bureau checks have been initiated. The system is requesting a full credit research report on the applicant.
11Bureau Report PendingFinalise Research Report ResultsSystem / AutomatedThe system is awaiting confirmation of bureau results, including whether insurance is required.
12Processing Limit RecommendationWaiting for Limit RecommendationSystem / AutomatedThe credit limit recommendation is being generated. No action required — the system is processing.
13Limit RecommendationProcessing RecommendationSystem / AutomatedBackend models are running the credit limit recommendation. The output will be used to inform the approval decision.
14Credit Insurance Approval If EnabledCredit Insurance — Review & ApproveYour CompanyIf your workflow has the Credit Insurance step enabled, the limit recommendation is reviewed against your credit insurance policy. This step is configured at the workflow level and applies to BCV, SICA, and Limit Recommendation (existing buyer) workflows. Your team reviews the recommendation and approves or declines the credit insurance requirement.
15Submit Credit Insurance If EnabledCredit Insurance — SubmitYour CompanyThe credit insurance details are formally submitted. Once this step is complete, the workflow proceeds to the internal approval levels.
16Approval Level 1Final Approval Level 1Your CompanyThe application is with the first internal approver at your organisation for review and sign-off.
17Approval Level 2Final Approval Level 2Your CompanyThe application has passed Level 1 and is now with the second internal approver.
18Approval Level 3Final Approval Level 3Your CompanyThird internal approval in progress.
19Approval Level 4Final Approval Level 4Your CompanyFourth internal approval in progress.
20Approval Level 5Final Approval Level 5Your CompanyThe fifth and final internal approval. Once passed, the application moves to Data Capture.
21Data CaptureData Capture / ERP SetupYour CompanyThe application has been approved. The assigned team creates the applicant in your internal ERP system and enters the account number into Trade Shield to confirm successful setup.

ⓘ Tip: Not all applications will pass through every stage. The Terms & Conditions Disputed and Negotiation Phase stages only appear when the applicant raises a dispute. The Credit Insurance stages (14–15) only appear if your organisation has the Credit Insurance step enabled on your workflow — contact support@tradeshield.ai to enable it.

3

Limit Review Stage Reference

The Limit Review process follows the same core sequence as a New Application, but is initiated for existing applicants where a credit limit change is being assessed. The stage names and meanings are identical — use the New Application reference table above for stage definitions. The sequence diagram below shows the Limit Review flow.

Limit Review Application Sequence

Bureau
Confirming

Verify details

Waiting for
Customer

Client completes

Negotiation
Phase

If T&C disputed

Requesting
More Data

Additional info

Bureau Report
Request

Bureau check

Limit
Recommendation

Processing limit

Credit Insurance
Approval

If enabled

Submit Credit
Insurance

If enabled

Approval
Level 1–5

Internal approvals

Final
Approval

Completed

⚠ Note: The orange stages (Terms & Conditions Disputed, Negotiation Phase) are exception paths. If you see these stages, follow up with the applicant or escalate to the legal team.

ⓘ Credit Insurance: The purple Credit Insurance Approval and Submit Credit Insurance steps appear in the sequence above only if your organisation has the Credit Insurance step enabled at the workflow level. This now applies to BCV, SICA, and Limit Recommendation (existing buyer) workflows. Contact support@tradeshield.ai to enable this feature.

4

Application Journey Overview

Use the visual below to see the end-to-end journey at a glance. Each phase groups related stages together. Stages with an orange border are exception paths that only apply when a dispute arises.

Phase 1 — Initiation & Verification

Application Initiated
Bureau Confirming Company Details
Initial Risk Screening
Waiting for Client to Fill Out Application

Phase 2 — Terms & Conditions (Exception Path)

Terms & Conditions Disputed
Negotiation Phase
Final Terms & Conditions Review and Sign

Phase 3 — Data Collection & Bureau

Requesting More Data
Correction Request — Incomplete Submission
Bureau Report Request
Bureau Report Pending

Phase 4 — Limit Recommendation

Processing Limit Recommendation
Limit Recommendation

Phase 4b — Credit Insurance (If Enabled on Your Workflow)

Credit Insurance Approval
Submit Credit Insurance
— Applies to BCV, SICA & LR (Existing Buyer) workflows when enabled

Phase 5 — Internal Approvals

Approval Level 1
Approval Level 2
Approval Level 3
Approval Level 4
Approval Level 5

Phase 6 — Completion

Data Capture — ERP Setup
✓ Application Complete
5

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why is my application not moving to the next stage?

This usually happens when required information has not been submitted, or when an internal review is still pending.

What to do:

  • Check whether the applicant still needs to submit documents or complete the application form.
  • Verify whether a review step (risk, bureau, or verification) is waiting for internal sign-off.
  • Once the missing action is completed, the workflow will move forward automatically.

Q2: Why is the application stuck on “Risk Knockout / Initial Risk Check”?

The system has flagged a potential risk indicator — such as company age or a judgement listing — which routes the application to the risk team for manual review.

What to do:

  • Confirm that the risk team has received and is aware of the application.
  • Follow up with the risk team if the review appears delayed.
  • Ensure the applicant has supplied any additional information required for the risk assessment.

Q3: Why aren’t the Terms & Conditions progressing past the dispute stage?

The applicant may still be reviewing or negotiating the terms, and no agreement has been finalised yet.

What to do:

  • Follow up with the applicant for feedback or clarification on the disputed points.
  • Escalate to the legal team if the dispute cannot be resolved directly.
  • Once an agreement is reached, the workflow will move forward to the terms review stage.

Q4: The stage name in the platform doesn’t match what I see in this article — why?

The platform displays the internal system name for each stage. This article maps those names to the plain-language labels your team uses every day. If you see a stage name not listed here, contact the Trade Shield support team.

Q5: How many approval levels will my application go through?

The number of approval levels depends on your organisation’s configuration. Some organisations use only Level 1, while others require all five. If you are unsure how many approval levels your workflow includes, check with your internal credit or risk manager.

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