Capital Expenditure Approval Workflow

What does this workflow record for each capital expenditure request?

Each request becomes a record with a reference number, a status, and a timeline showing every step it moved through. The finance budget decision and comments are saved to the record because the workflow waits for that task, and the record status updates as it passes through Submitted, Finance Review, Approved, or Rejected. The procurement task's Purchase Order Number and Supplier fields stay with that task rather than on the record, since the workflow does not wait for it.

Who is involved in reviewing and approving a capital expenditure request?

A member of the finance team is assigned the budget review task, confirming whether budget is available and adding comments. Depending on the cost estimate, the approval task is then assigned to the finance manager for requests under $25,000, the CFO for requests between $25,000 and $100,000, or the CEO for requests over $100,000. Each of these individuals is a workspace member who receives their task directly within the platform.

How do we change who approves requests at each cost tier?

The cost thresholds and routing steps can be adjusted by describing the change in plain English or by editing the relevant routing step directly in the workflow editor. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so a workspace can review or revert changes if needed. This makes it straightforward to update approval tiers as budget policy or organisational structure changes.

What happens if finance determines the budget is not available?

If the Finance Budget Review task records that budget is not available, the workflow sets the record status to Rejected and sends the requester an email explaining the rejection, including finance's comments. This routing happens automatically once the finance task is completed, keeping the requester informed without manual follow-up.

What happens if the assigned approver declines the request?

Whether the decision comes from the finance manager, CFO, or CEO, a rejected outcome sets the record status to Rejected (Approval Declined) and triggers an email notifying the requester that their request was not approved. The record's timeline reflects which approver made the decision and at what stage the request was declined.

What happens after a capital expenditure request is approved?

Once an approver confirms the request, the workflow sets the record status to Approved and sends the requester a confirmation email. It also creates a procurement task, due in 5 days, for purchasing the asset; this task captures the Purchase Order Number and Supplier and appears in the record's task list.

Can the request form be customised for different departments or asset types?

Yes, the fields on the public request form, such as Department, Asset or Project, and Business Case Document, can be adjusted by describing the desired change or editing the form directly in the workflow editor. This allows a workspace to tailor the information collected without needing a separate development project.

How can finance and leadership track the status of capital expenditure requests?

Table views and dashboards display records grouped by status, such as Finance Review, Approved, or Rejected, giving finance and leadership a real-time view of where each request stands. Workspace activity is also logged, supporting internal tracking of who acted on each request and when.