Purchase Approval Workflow

Keep spending on track by routing every purchase request to the right approver the moment it lands.

31 hrs
Time saved/month
13
Companies have mapped
Map This Automation

About This Automation

A purchase approval workflow routes spending requests through review, budget verification, and sign off before an order is placed. Handled by email and spreadsheets, it creates delays, lost messages, and unclear approval status.

An automated version captures requests, checks budget, routes approvals, and generates the purchase order without manual chasing. Requesters get faster answers and finance keeps a clean audit trail.

Key features
Capture purchase requests through a structured intake form instead of scattered emails
Check budget availability automatically before routing a request for approval
Route approvals to the right people based on spending thresholds
Send automatic reminders to approvers who have not responded
Generate the purchase order once approval is confirmed
Archive the full approval trail for audit purposes without manual filing

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Purchase Request Submittedtrigger

Employee submits vendor, item, and cost details through a structured intake form.

2. Intake And Budget Check Runs

Logs the request and checks remaining budget.

3. Second Approver Reviews

For requests over the threshold, a second approver gets a message and approves or rejects in one click.

4. Approval Routing Confirms Decision

Aggregates the manager and second-approver responses into a single approved or rejected outcome.

5. Approval Decision Sent To Requester

Requester and finance get an automatic email confirming the outcome and any next steps.

6. PO Creation Generates Purchase Order

Creates the purchase order directly and archives the approval trail.

7. Vendor Notified With Purchase Order

Vendor receives the finalised purchase order and delivery date by email automatically.

4 reasons to map this process

1

It's completely free

No credit card, no commitment. Map your process and walk away with a full build plan.

2

You get a complete build plan

A visual process map, automation spec, delivery timelines, and everything needed to build it, customized to your workflow and tools.

3

You see your real numbers

Custom pricing, ROI projection, and payback timeline based on your actual process, not industry averages.

4

There's no obligation to build

Your build plan stays in your workspace with no expiry. Move forward whenever the timing is right.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

This template is a starting point based on how other businesses handle this type of work. When you map your process, you describe exactly how your team does it and the automation is built around your workflow, not a generic template.

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Estimated Time Saving
31hrs/month
Process pain:7.8/10
Mapped by:13 Companies

Map this to your business to get your exact numbers.

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