How Can I Optimize Approval Workflows in Procurify?
Efficient management of approval workflows is essential to streamline operations and prevent redundancies. Below, we cover actionable steps to automate approvals and avoid duplicate approvals in Procurify.
Automating Approvals
To ensure that orders are automatically approved without having to go through multiple steps, consider the following:
Automatic Self-Approval: If you are the only approver and you're submitting the request, Procurify will automatically self-approve the request. Reach out to a Procurify rep to disable this feature.
Adjusting Approval Routing Groups: Verify and manage approval routing to eliminate redundant workflows. Follow these steps:
Navigate to Settings > Manage Approval Routing.
Filter options by "Department Name" or "Account Code".
Identify all triggered routing groups.
Remove or edit any unnecessary approval routing groups.
Setting Up Approval Levels and Thresholds: Assign thresholds to approvers to define their approval limits. For example, set a Level 1 approver's threshold to $150 for requests under $150 and a Level 2 approver's threshold to $0 for higher-value requests.
Enabling Approval Pools: Allow multiple approvers to act on the same request by enabling Approval Pools in the approval level settings. Add approvers to the pool and ensure a Superuser enables this feature if required.
Proactive adjustment of these settings minimizes unnecessary steps and speeds up the process.
Preventing Duplicate Approvals
Duplicate approvals often occur when orders are re-routed due to changes in key fields. Here are some preventive measures:
Avoid Changes to Routing-Critical Fields: Once an approval process has begun, refrain from making changes to fields like Account Code, Department, Requisitioner, or Location. Such edits trigger the routing process to restart, leading to possible duplicate approvals.
Finalize Before Submission: Confirm and finalize all routing-impacting fields before submitting for approval to reduce disruptions.
Adjusting Thresholds for Specific Approvers: Review and configure thresholds to ensure proper routing. For instance, set the first approver's threshold to $9,999.99 for requests under $10,000 and the next approver's threshold to $0 for higher-value requests.
By avoiding unnecessary edits during the approval process, you ensure a smoother and more predictable workflow.
Common Issues and Solutions
Issue: Unnecessary approvals prolonging the process. Solution: Remove or edit redundant routing groups under the Manage Approval Routing settings.
Issue: Duplicate approvals caused by changes to routing-critical fields. Solution: Finalize workflows and avoid modifying key fields during active approvals.
Issue: Orders not progressing to higher approval levels. Solution: Verify threshold settings and ensure the order amount meets escalation criteria. For example, if Level 3's threshold is $10 and the order is $5, it will not escalate.
Tips for Efficiency in Approval Routing
Regularly review routing rules to identify inefficiencies.
Use the filter and search features in the Manage Approval Routing section to quickly identify problem areas.
Communicate with your team to ensure all fields are reviewed before submission.
Use Approval Pools to allow multiple approvers to act on the same request, increasing flexibility.
Regularly review and update approval thresholds to align with organizational needs.