Workflow Template

Invoice Approval Workflow

Captures supplier invoice submissions, has a finance reviewer verify against the purchase order, routes approval by amount (manager for under $5,000, finance lead for $5,000 and above), and on approval marks the invoice ready for payment and notifies the submitter. Rejected invoices are returned to the submitter with the reason for correction and resubmission.

Every finance team knows the drill: an invoice lands in someone's inbox, gets forwarded three times, and disappears into a black hole until a supplier calls asking where their payment is. This workflow automatically captures each invoice, checks it against the purchase order, and routes it to the right approver based on amount — a manager under $5,000, finance lead above that — so nothing sits waiting on the wrong desk. If something doesn't add up, the invoice bounces straight back to the submitter with the reason, and once approved, it's marked ready for payment and everyone who needs to know finds out automatically.

Business Outcomes

Reduce invoice approval turnaround from days to hours
Eliminate manual PO-matching errors before payment
Ensure every invoice over $5,000 gets finance lead sign-off automatically
Cut back-and-forth emails on rejected or mismatched invoices
Create a full audit trail of who approved or rejected each invoice and why

Workflow Steps

Steps

1
Create Invoice Recordcreate record
Registers the submitted invoice as a record.
2
Set Status to Submittedupdate record
Marks the invoice as submitted.
3
Review Invoice Against POcreate task
Finance reviewer checks the invoice against the purchase order for accuracy.
4
Set Status to Under Reviewupdate record
Persists the PO match result and marks the invoice as under review handled.
5
Route on PO Match Result
Discrepancies are sent back to the submitter; matched invoices proceed to approval.
po_match_result: "Matches PO"→Set Status to Awaiting Approval
po_match_result: "Discrepancy Found"→Notify Submitter of Discrepancy
Default→Notify Submitter of Discrepancy
6
Notify Submitter of Discrepancysend email
Informs the submitter that a discrepancy was found against the PO and the invoice must be corrected.
7
Return for Correctionrestart from step
Closes this iteration and restarts the review once the submitter has corrected and resubmitted supporting details.
8
Set Status to Awaiting Approvalupdate record
Marks the invoice as awaiting approval.
9
Route Approval by Amount
Invoices under $5,000 go to a manager; $5,000 and above go to the finance lead.
invoice_amount: "5000"→Assign to Manager
invoice_amount: "5000"→Assign to Finance Lead
Default→Assign to Manager
10
Assign to Managerassign user
Assigns the invoice to a manager for sign-off since it is under $5,000.
11
Manager Approvalrequest approval
Manager reviews and approves or rejects the invoice.
12
Route Manager Approval Outcome
Routes based on the manager's approval decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Mark Invoice Ready for Payment
approval_status: "rejected"→Record Manager Rejection Reason
Default→End
13
Assign to Finance Leadassign user
Assigns the invoice to the finance lead for sign-off since it is $5,000 or above.
14
Finance Lead Approvalrequest approval
Finance lead reviews and approves or rejects the invoice.
15
Route Finance Lead Approval Outcome
Routes based on the finance lead's approval decision.
approval_status: "approved"→Mark Invoice Ready for Payment
approval_status: "rejected"→Record Finance Lead Rejection Reason
Default→End
16
Record Manager Rejection Reasonupdate record
Persists the rejection status so the submitter can be notified with the reason.
17
Notify Submitter of Manager Rejectionsend email
Emails the submitter that the invoice was rejected and must be corrected and resubmitted.
18
Return for Correction and Resubmissionrestart from step
Closes this iteration and restarts the review process for the submitter to correct and resubmit.
19
Record Finance Lead Rejection Reasonupdate record
Persists the rejection status so the submitter can be notified with the reason.
20
Notify Submitter of Finance Lead Rejectionsend email
Emails the submitter that the invoice was rejected and must be corrected and resubmitted.
21
Return for Correction and Resubmissionrestart from step
Closes this iteration and restarts the review process for the submitter to correct and resubmit.
22
Mark Invoice Ready for Paymentupdate record
Updates the invoice status to ready for payment following approval.
23
Notify Submitter of Approvalsend email
Emails the submitter to confirm the invoice was approved and is ready for payment.

Fields

Submitter Email*
Supplier Name*
Invoice Number*
Purchase Order Reference*
Invoice Amount (excl. tax)*
Tax Amount*
+6 more fields

Forms

Supplier Invoice Submission

8 fields

Data Views

Invoices Awaiting Approval

supplier_invoice_ref, supplier_name, invoice_number, invoice_amount +3 more

All Supplier Invoices

supplier_invoice_ref, supplier_name, invoice_number, po_reference +4 more

Dashboard Widgets

Invoice Pipeline OverviewInvoices by StatusInvoice Approval Funnel

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

Send email in the workflow
AWS SES

invoice approvalaccounts payableinvoice processingAP workflowsupplier invoicepayment approval

Similar Workflows

purchase order approval expense claim purchase requisition

Similar Categories

governance compliance

FAQs

Do I need to set up a new system to run this workflow?

No — the workflow runs entirely inside assess.one, so there's nothing to install. You just publish the template and your team starts submitting and approving invoices straight away.

Can my team change the $5,000 approval threshold?

Yes, the routing logic is fully editable inside assess.one. You can adjust the dollar threshold, add more approval tiers, or change who gets assigned at each level without any technical help.

Is this suitable for a small finance team with just one or two approvers?

Definitely. You can simplify the routing to a single approver or keep the two-tier manager and finance lead structure — it scales to however your team is structured. The template adapts to your existing approval hierarchy rather than forcing a rigid process on you.

Who needs access to the workflow?

Typically you'll want the invoice submitter, a finance reviewer to check against the PO, and your designated approvers (manager and finance lead) added as users in assess.one. Access and permissions for each role are set up directly in the platform, so you control exactly who can view or act on each step.

What happens if an invoice doesn't match the purchase order?

The workflow routes it to a discrepancy notification step, alerting the submitter with details on what didn't match. The invoice is then returned for correction and resubmission rather than moving forward, so mismatched invoices never accidentally get paid.

How does the workflow handle rejections at the approval stage?

If a manager or finance lead rejects an invoice, the system records the rejection reason and automatically notifies the submitter. The invoice is then routed back for correction and resubmission, keeping a clear record of why it was rejected and what needs fixing.

How long does implementation take?

It takes minutes — you publish the template and it's live immediately. There's no lengthy setup project; your team can start submitting and approving invoices the same day.

Can we add notifications for other stakeholders, like Slack alerts for the finance lead?

Yes, notifications and integrations like email or Slack are all configured within assess.one. You can add alerts at any step, such as notifying the finance lead the moment a high-value invoice needs their approval.

Does this workflow help with audit or compliance requirements?

Yes, every status change, approval decision, and rejection reason is automatically recorded as the invoice moves through the workflow. This gives you a clear, timestamped audit trail for internal reviews or external audits without any extra manual tracking.

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