Teaching your employees how to use Factorial’s Expenses module correctly is key for smooth processes and fast reimbursements. Here are the most useful points to communicate to your teams, depending on their role in the company.
For Employees (submitting expenses)
What they should know:
- Always attach a receipt (photo or PDF) right when you create the expense, not later.
- Pick the right category (e.g. Meals, Transport, Accommodation) - this ensures finance can reconcile quickly.
- Add a clear description with the business purpose (who, what, why) - avoid just writing “Lunch.”
- Submit expenses promptly after the payment, ideally within the same week.
- Respect policy limits (for example: 25 EUR/day for meals, 50 EUR/night for hotel).
- Check the status in Factorial instead of chasing finance - you can see if it is pending, approved, or needs changes.
Key advice to tell employees:
“Think of your expense submission as telling a short story: what was the expense for, how much was it, and can we clearly see proof (receipt)? If finance can answer these 3 questions instantly, your reimbursement will be faster.”
For Managers / Approvers
What they should know:
- Review approvals quickly - delays block reimbursements and create frustration.
- Verify receipts are legible and that the category matches the type of expense.
- Check for business purpose clarity - if it’s not clear, request changes.
- Respect the company’s SLA (e.g. approve or request changes within 48 hours).
- Avoid over-approving - if unsure, ask the employee for clarification instead of passing it through.
Key advice to tell managers:
“Your role is not just to approve, but to make sure expenses are compliant and fair. Approving carefully now saves finance from fixing problems later.”
For Finance / Admins
What they should know:
- Keep categories simple, so employees don’t get confused (avoid too many subcategories).
- Set required fields for sensitive categories (like client dinners or travel) to ensure compliance.
- Use saved views and exports to speed up reconciliation.
- Communicate policy updates clearly inside Factorial and in Slack/Teams - don’t rely on word of mouth.
- Audit regularly - spot check high-value or frequent categories to catch mistakes early.
Key advice to tell finance:
“Your setup determines how easy it is for employees to do the right thing. Simpler policies and clear categories mean fewer mistakes and faster closing at the end of the month.”
For Admins / HR / IT
What they should know:
- Assign the right approval flows, so every employee knows who reviews their expenses.
- Ensure access is correct (managers can approve, employees can submit, finance can export).
- Keep descriptions of approval flows clear, so users understand the logic (e.g. ‘Sales team flow - Manager + Finance’).
- Enable SSO and integrations to reduce login or sync issues.
Key advice to tell admins/HR/IT:
“Your role is to make sure everyone has the right access and knows where their expense goes once submitted. Clarity avoids confusion and unnecessary support requests.”
Common golden rules (for everyone)
- Receipts are mandatory - no receipt, no reimbursement.
- Submit fast - the sooner, the easier to remember and justify.
- Be clear - describe what the expense was for.
- Respect approval order - don’t bypass your approver, Factorial will route automatically.
- Check status in-app - avoid manual chasing, all updates are visible inside Factorial.