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Workflow Template

Sole Source Procurement Approval Workflow

Captures a sole-source purchase request, routes it through procurement justification review, then to the appropriate approver based on cost tier (procurement manager, CFO, or CEO), and notifies the requester at each terminal outcome.

Without a defined process, sole-source purchase requests get stuck bouncing between procurement, finance and leadership over email, with no one sure who needs to sign off next or why a request is delayed. This workflow captures the request, routes it through procurement justification review, then sends it automatically to the procurement manager, CFO, or CEO based on estimated cost. The requester gets notified at every terminal outcome, and the record's timeline shows exactly what happened and when, so the team spends less time tracking down status and more time on the purchase itself.

Business Outcomes

  • Reduces time spent manually routing sole-source requests to the right approver
  • Helps cut down on email back-and-forth by keeping justification, conditions and comments on the record
  • Supports faster turnaround by automatically directing requests by cost tier
  • Improves visibility into where each request stands via status and timeline
  • Helps requesters stay informed without needing to chase updates

Workflow Steps

Steps

  1. 1
    Create sole-source request recordcreate record

    Registers the submitted sole-source request as a record.

  2. 2
    Set status to Submittedupdate record

    Marks the request status as Submitted.

  3. 3
    Email acknowledgement to requestersend email

    Sends the requester an acknowledgement email with their reference number.

  4. 4
    Set status to Procurement Reviewupdate record

    Marks the request status as Procurement Review.

  5. 5
    Procurement: review sole-source justificationcreate task

    Procurement reviews the justification and records whether the sole-source request is justified, with conditions and comments.

  6. 6
    Save procurement review resultupdate record

    Persists the procurement review result, conditions and comments to the record.

  7. 7
    Route on procurement review result

    Routes the request based on whether procurement found it justified.

    procurement_result: "Not justified"→Set status to Rejected (not justified)
    procurement_result: "Justified"→Set status to Pending Approval
    Default→End
  8. 8
    Set status to Rejected (not justified)update record

    Marks the request status as Rejected because procurement found it not justified.

  9. 9
    Email requester: not justifiedsend email

    Notifies the requester that the sole-source request was rejected with procurement's comments.

  10. 10
    Set status to Pending Approvalupdate record

    Marks the request status as Pending Approval before routing to the correct approver.

  11. 11
    Route to approver by cost tier

    Routes the request to the procurement manager, CFO, or CEO based on the estimated cost.

    cost: "25000"→Procurement Manager approval
    cost: "100000"→CEO approval
    Default→CFO approval
  12. 12
    Procurement Manager approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    Requests the procurement manager's approval for requests under $25,000.

  13. 13
    Route on procurement manager decision

    Routes the request based on the procurement manager's approval decision.

    approval_status: "approved"→Set status to Approved
    approval_status: "rejected"→Set status to Rejected (approval denied)
    Default→End
  14. 14
    CFO approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    Requests the CFO's approval for requests between $25,000 and $100,000.

  15. 15
    Route on CFO decision

    Routes the request based on the CFO's approval decision.

    approval_status: "approved"→Set status to Approved
    approval_status: "rejected"→Set status to Rejected (approval denied)
    Default→End
  16. 16
    CEO approvalrequest approvalrequires approval

    Requests the CEO's approval for requests over $100,000.

  17. 17
    Route on CEO decision

    Routes the request based on the CEO's approval decision.

    approval_status: "approved"→Set status to Approved
    approval_status: "rejected"→Set status to Rejected (approval denied)
    Default→End
  18. 18
    Set status to Rejected (approval denied)update record

    Marks the request status as Rejected because the approver denied the request.

  19. 19
    Email requester: not approvedsend email

    Notifies the requester that the sole-source purchase was not approved.

  20. 20
    Set status to Approvedupdate record

    Marks the request status as Approved.

  21. 21
    Email requester: approvedsend email

    Notifies the requester that the sole-source purchase is approved, including any conditions.

Fields

Show all 12 fields

FormSole-Source Procurement Request

  • Requester Name*· Text
  • Requester Email*· Email
  • Description of Need*· Long text
  • Proposed Supplier*· Text
  • Sole-Source Justification*· Long text
  • Alternatives Considered*· Long text
  • Estimated Cost ($)*· Number
  • Supporting Documents· File upload

TaskProcurement: review sole-source justification

  • Procurement Review Result*· Choice
  • Conditions· Long text
  • Comments· Long text

Other fields

  • Request Status· Choice
  • Requester Name*
  • Requester Email*
  • Description of Need*
  • Proposed Supplier*
  • Sole-Source Justification*
  • Alternatives Considered*

Forms

Sole-Source Procurement Request

8 fields

Data Views

Sole-Source Requests

proposed_supplier, cost, need, request_status

Dashboard Widgets

Requests by Status

Recommended integrations

Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.

  • Send email in the workflow

    AWS SES logoAWS SES
sole source procurementsingle source approvalprocurement exceptionvendor exceptionpurchasing approval

Similar Workflows

Purchase Requisition WorkflowVendor Selection WorkflowPurchase Order Approval Workflow

Similar Categories

Finance & Procurement

FAQs

What happens if procurement decides the sole-source request isn't justified?

The workflow sets the record status to Rejected and sends the requester an email explaining the request was rejected, including procurement's comments. This happens before the request ever reaches an approver, so unjustified requests don't take up a manager's, CFO's or CEO's time.

How does the workflow decide who approves the purchase?

After procurement confirms the request is justified, the workflow checks the estimated cost entered on the form. Requests under $25,000 go to the procurement manager, requests over $100,000 go to the CEO, and everything in between routes to the CFO.

Can this handle a request where the approver rejects it instead of approving?

Yes. Whichever approver reviews the request — procurement manager, CFO or CEO — their decision routes the record to either Approved or Rejected. If rejected, the requester is emailed to let them know the purchase wasn't approved.

What if we want to change the cost thresholds for each approver?

The routing step that assigns approvers by cost tier can be edited directly in the workflow editor, or you can describe the change you want in plain English and have it applied. Earlier versions of the workflow are kept, so you can compare changes over time.

Who is actually involved in reviewing and approving a request?

A procurement team member reviews the sole-source justification first and records their finding, any conditions, and comments. Depending on the estimated cost, the request then goes to a procurement manager, CFO or CEO for the approval task.

What does the requester see throughout the process?

The requester submits the request through a public form and receives an acknowledgement email with their reference number right away. They're then emailed again at each terminal outcome — rejected for lack of justification, rejected by the approver, or approved with any conditions — so they're never left wondering what happened.

What information gets saved on the record versus staying on a task?

Because the workflow waits on the procurement review step, the Procurement Review Result, Conditions and Comments entered there are saved directly on the record. The approval decisions made by the procurement manager, CFO or CEO also drive the routing and status, keeping a full picture of what happened available on the record's timeline.

What if we have supporting documents to attach to a request?

The request form includes a field for Supporting Documents, so requesters can submit relevant files alongside their justification and alternatives considered. This information stays attached to the record from the moment it's created.

Can this workflow be customised beyond the cost tiers and approvers?

Yes. Any step — the request form fields, the justification review, the notification emails, or the approval routing — can be adjusted by describing the change in plain English or editing it directly in the workflow editor. This makes it straightforward to adapt the process as your procurement policy changes.

How is progress tracked across multiple sole-source requests at once?

Each request becomes its own record with a reference number, a status such as Submitted, Procurement Review, Pending Approval, Approved or Rejected, and a timeline of everything that's happened. Table views and dashboards let the team see all requests grouped by status at a glance.

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Sole Source Procurement Approval Workflow | assess.one