Flexible expense approval flows allow you to create approval processes that adapt to the context of each expense. Instead of using a single approval path for all submissions, you can configure rules based on factors such as the project or expense details, making approvals more efficient and aligned with your organisation's processes.
Overview
Flexible approval flows let you define who should approve an expense based on its context, rather than applying the same approver to every submission.
Approval routing can be configured using different criteria, such as:
- The project associated with the expense
- The type of expense
- The expense amount
- Other supported expense attributes
The feature also supports:
- Project Managers as approvers, allowing project-related expenses to be reviewed by the person responsible for the project
- Multi-step approval flows, where an expense can require approval from multiple people before it is approved
- AI-assisted setup with One, which generates an approval flow based on a description written in natural language
When and why to use it
Use flexible approval flows when you want to:
- Route expenses to the most relevant approver
- Create different approval processes for different expense types
- Include Project Managers in the approval process
- Configure approval workflows with multiple approval steps
- Reduce the time required to configure expense approvals.
How to use
- Open the approval flow configuration
- Open One
- In your sidebar, go to Settings
- Go to Expenses
- Navigate to Approval flows
- Describe your approval process using natural language. Examples:
- “Project expenses should be approved by the Project Manager”
- “Expenses over €1,000 require approval from the Finance Manager after the employee's manager”
- Review the approval flow generated by One
- Make any necessary adjustments
- Save the configuration
If the Project Manager is not assigned as the approver, confirm that the expense is linked to the correct project and verify that a Project Manager has been assigned to that project.
If the AI-generated flow is not what you expected, try describing the approval process with more specific conditions. Review the generated flow before saving and make any necessary adjustments.
Tips and best practices
- Keep approval flows as simple as possible to reduce approval times
- Review routing conditions carefully to avoid overlapping approval rules
- Use Project Managers as approvers for project-related expenses to ensure approvals are handled by someone familiar with the work
- Test new approval flows before rolling them out across your organisation
FAQ
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Can I create different approval flows for different types of expenses?
Yes. Approval flows can be configured using expense context, allowing different approval processes for different scenarios.
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Can Project Managers approve expenses?
Yes. You can configure project-related expenses so they are routed to the Project Manager responsible for the associated project.
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Can an expense require more than one approval?
Yes. Flexible approval flows support multi-step approval processes.
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Do I have to configure approval flows manually?
No. You can describe your approval process in natural language, and One will generate an approval flow for you, which you can review and edit before saving.