Approval Workflows

How the Approval Workflow Works

Every submitted invoice goes through an approval workflow before it can be marked as payable. The workflow exists to catch errors, prevent duplicate payments, and ensure every invoice is authorised by the right person before money leaves the business.

Finding Invoices Awaiting Approval

Navigate to Operations → Review Queue and filter by Type: Invoice Approval. You'll see all invoices currently awaiting your review, sorted by due date (most urgent first).

Alternatively, go to Purchasing → Invoices and filter by Status: Awaiting Approval.

The Approval Checklist

For each invoice, work through these steps:

1. Verify the Supplier

Check that the supplier on the invoice matches a known, approved supplier in your system. An invoice from an unknown supplier should be flagged immediately — it may be fraudulent.

2. Check for a Matching Purchase Order

Click Link to PO if the invoice isn't already linked. Search by PO number or supplier name. A linked PO allows the system to validate the invoice amounts against what was actually ordered and received.

3. Verify Amounts

Compare the invoice amounts to the PO and Goods Received Note (GRN):

• Invoice quantity ≤ GRN quantity — you can only pay for goods you've received
• Invoice unit price = PO unit price — any price differences need supplier approval
• Grand total = sum of line items + tax — basic arithmetic check the OCR may have missed

If the invoice amount exceeds the PO amount by more than 5%, FlexotiumPOS flags it as a Price Variance that requires explanation before you can approve.

4. Check the Due Date

Is the invoice overdue? If so, note this in your approval — a payment may need to be expedited to avoid late fees or supplier relationship damage.

5. Check for Duplicates

The system automatically detects potential duplicate invoices (same supplier, same invoice number, or same amount within a short period). If a duplicate warning appears, investigate before approving — paying the same invoice twice is a common error that's difficult to recover.

Approving an Invoice

When all checks pass:

1. Click Approve
2. Optionally add a note (e.g. "Verified against PO-2024-0892, amounts match")
3. Click Confirm Approval

The invoice status changes to Approved and it's added to the accounts payable ledger. Your name and the approval timestamp are recorded in the audit log.

Rejecting an Invoice

If the invoice has errors or fails any check:

1. Click Reject
2. Select a rejection reason from the dropdown:
   • Amounts don't match PO
   • Invoice already processed (duplicate)
   • Missing purchase order
   • Incorrect supplier details
   • Suspected fraudulent invoice
   • Other (requires a typed explanation)
3. Click Confirm Rejection

The invoice moves back to the submitter's queue with your rejection reason attached. For OCR-captured invoices, this returns it to the Needs Review status so corrections can be made and it can be resubmitted.

Resubmission After Rejection

If an invoice was rejected due to a data error that you can correct (e.g. wrong tax rate):

1. Open the rejected invoice
2. Make the correction
3. Click Resubmit for Approval

The corrected invoice re-enters the approval queue. The rejection history and your correction are both visible in the invoice's audit trail.

Escalation to Owner

Some invoice approvals require Owner-level sign-off — typically high-value invoices or those from new suppliers. When you encounter these:

1. Click Escalate to Owner
2. Add a note explaining why you're escalating
3. The invoice appears in the Owner's review queue
4. You receive a notification when the Owner approves or rejects it

Next Steps

The next lesson covers Sales Reports — how to generate daily revenue summaries, VAT reports, and period comparisons.