Workflow Template
Bad Debt Write-Off Approval Workflow
Enables the credit control team to request approval to write off uncollectable debt. Captures customer, invoice, and collection history details, routes approval by amount (finance manager for smaller amounts, finance director for larger), and on approval posts the write-off and updates the customer account status; on rejection returns the request to the requester with the reason to continue collection.
Credit control teams lose time chasing bad debt write-off sign-offs through email and spreadsheets, with no clear record of who approved what or why. This workflow captures customer, invoice, and collection history, routes approval to a finance manager or finance director based on the amount, and updates the customer account on approval or sends the request back with a reason on rejection. Credit control raises the request; finance manager and finance director handle approvals based on value thresholds.
Business Outcomes
- Helps cut approval turnaround time for write-off requests
- Supports clearer audit trail for finance and compliance reviews
- Reduces manual follow-up between credit control and finance
- Makes it easier to enforce approval limits by write-off amount
- Improves visibility into rejected requests still in collection
Workflow Steps
Steps
- 1Create Write-Off Request Recordcreate record
Registers the write-off request submitted by the credit control team.
- 2Set Status to Submittedupdate record
Marks the request as submitted before finance review begins.
- 3Finance Reviews Recoverabilitycreate task
Finance reviews the debt details and collection history to assess recoverability before routing for approval.
- 4Set Status to Under Finance Reviewupdate record
Persists finance's recoverability notes and marks the request as under review.
- 5Route Approval by Value
Routes smaller write-off amounts to the finance manager and larger amounts to the finance director.
outstanding_amount: "10000"→Set Status to Pending Director ApprovalDefault→Set Status to Pending Manager Approval - 6Set Status to Pending Manager Approvalupdate record
Marks the request as awaiting finance manager approval.
- 7Finance Manager Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval
Finance manager reviews and approves or rejects the write-off request.
- 8Route Manager Approval Outcome
Branches based on the finance manager's approval decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Post Write-Off and Update Customer Account Statusapproval_status: "rejected"→Set Status to Rejected (Manager)Default→End - 9Set Status to Pending Director Approvalupdate record
Marks the request as awaiting finance director approval for larger amounts.
- 10Finance Director Approvalrequest approvalrequires approval
Finance director reviews and approves or rejects the larger write-off request.
- 11Route Director Approval Outcome
Branches based on the finance director's approval decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Post Write-Off and Update Customer Account Statusapproval_status: "rejected"→Set Status to Rejected (Director)Default→End - 12Post Write-Off and Update Customer Account Statusupdate record
Posts the approved write-off and updates the customer's account status to reflect the write-off.
- 13Notify Requester of Approvalsend email
Informs the requester that the write-off was approved and posted.
- 14Set Status to Rejected (Manager)update record
Marks the request as rejected by the finance manager and records the reason.
- 15Set Status to Rejected (Director)update record
Marks the request as rejected by the finance director and records the reason.
- 16Notify Requester of Rejectionsend email
Informs the requester that the write-off was rejected and the debt should continue through collections.
Fields
- Requester Email*
- Requester Name*
- Customer Name*
- Customer Account ID*
- Outstanding Amount*
- Invoice References*
- +7 more fields
Forms
Bad Debt Write-Off Request
10 fields
Data Views
All Write-Off Requests
customer_name, outstanding_amount, debt_age_days, writeoff_status +1 more
Dashboard Widgets
Recommended integrations
Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.
Send email in the workflow
AWS SES
Similar Categories
FAQs
How do I set up the Bad Debt Write-Off Approval Workflow?
Publish the template inside assess.one and it's live immediately. You can then adjust the approval amount thresholds, assign the finance manager and finance director roles, and set up notification preferences directly in the platform. No separate implementation project is needed.
How long does it take to get this running?
Publishing the template takes minutes. Once it's live, your credit control team can submit their first write-off request straight away, and finance can start reviewing it the same day.
Can I change the approval amount thresholds?
Yes. The routing logic that sends requests to a finance manager or finance director based on value is fully editable inside assess.one. You can update thresholds as your policy changes without any developer involvement.
Who needs access to this workflow?
Typically credit control staff who raise requests, a finance manager for smaller write-offs, and a finance director for larger ones. You control who holds each role and can add or remove people at any time inside assess.one.
What happens if the finance manager rejects a request?
The status updates to Rejected (Manager), the requester is notified with the reason, and the request goes back to credit control to continue collection efforts. No write-off is posted and the customer account status stays unchanged.
What happens after final approval?
Once the finance director or finance manager approves the request within their threshold, the workflow posts the write-off and updates the customer account status automatically. The requester is notified so collection activity can stop.
Can I add extra approval steps or reviewers?
Yes. You can insert additional review stages, add more approvers, or adjust notification rules directly in assess.one to match your finance sign-off policy.
Does this workflow support audit and compliance needs?
The workflow captures customer, invoice, and collection history alongside each approval decision and reason for rejection. This creates a clear record for finance audits without extra manual tracking.
Do I need IT or a developer to connect this to email or Slack?
No. Notifications and integrations like email or Slack are configured inside assess.one directly, without third-party development work.
Ready to use this workflow?
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