Dynamic approval workflows
in Procurement
AI-powered procurement approval routing that adapts to your team’s unique workflows.
How Stampli supports dynamic approval workflows
Stampli’s dynamic approval workflows use AI to automatically suggest approvers for purchase requests based on historical patterns, ensuring requests are routed to the right reviewers without manual effort. Users can override or adjust these suggestions as needed, balancing efficiency with flexibility. This adaptability helps organizations respond to changing circumstances while ensuring purchase requests receive proper review and sign-off without rigid rules.
The old way: Improvisation and disorganization
Procurement teams struggle with rigid approval workflows that create bottlenecks when exceptions or urgent purchases arise. Manual routing of purchase requests increases errors, delays, and compliance risks. Without a structured yet adaptable system, procurement teams are forced to rely on workarounds like emails or spreadsheets, delaying critical decisions and increasing compliance risks.
Stampli’s approach
Only Stampli offers AI-powered dynamic approval workflows built on nearly a decade of real-world learning. Unlike add-on AI solutions, our intelligence is deeply embedded in the procurement process—dynamically adapting as your business needs evolve. This provides unparalleled flexibility with approver selection outside of rigid hierarchies, reduces dependency on specific users by retaining institutional knowledge, and streamlines purchase request approvals by transforming undocumented processes into standardized workflows. The result is faster decisions, increased transparency, and workflows that adapt to your unique organizational needs.
Key features
AI-driven approver recommendations
Billy the Bot learns from past selections and historical data—such as requestor, location, vendor, and request type—to suggest approvers in future scenarios.
Fallback routing
Automatically assigns a fallback approver when no primary approver is available, ensuring workflows remain uninterrupted.
User Properties
AI leverages imported attributes like department, level, and location to refine approver suggestions, aligning workflows with company policies and streamlining decision-making.
Flexible approver selection
Users can bypass departmental or organizational hierarchies and select any approver.
Line-level approvals
Allow reviewers to approve or reject individual line items within a single request, enabling more granular control.
Reviewer actions
Approvers can approve, reject, mark a request as “not mine,” ask questions, and add comments
Approver notifications
Approvers are automatically notified via customizable emails when new requests are awaiting review.
Audit trail & communication tracking
All interactions between requesters and approvers are logged for transparency and compliance.
Mobile app
Approvers can review and sign off on any approvable.
FAQ
How does Stampli's AI determine which approvers to suggest for our purchase requests?
Billy the Bot analyzes historical approval patterns in your organization based on multiple factors including requestor, department, location, vendor, purchase type, and dollar amount. The system learns from every approval decision made, continuously improving its recommendations over time. Unlike rigid rule-based systems, Stampli’s AI adapts to how your team actually works, recognizing both formal and informal approval patterns that develop naturally in your procurement process.
How do we handle exceptions when our standard approvers are unavailable?
Stampli’s fallback routing capability automatically identifies and assigns alternate approvers when primary approvers are unavailable, ensuring purchase requests don’t get stuck in approval limbo. The system intelligently suggests appropriate substitutes based on past patterns and organizational hierarchies. Additionally, users can manually override any suggestion when unique situations arise, such as urgent purchases requiring expedited approval. This balanced approach ensures business continuity without sacrificing proper oversight.
Can we set different approval thresholds based on department, purchase type, or dollar amount?
Yes, Stampli Procurement allows you to configure different approval requirements based on multiple variables. You can establish different approval chains for capital expenditures versus operational expenses, set dollar thresholds that trigger additional approval levels, and create department-specific workflows. The system’s AI will learn these patterns and automatically suggest the appropriate approvers based on your configured rules. This multi-dimensional approach ensures proper oversight while maintaining process efficiency.
How does Stampli's dynamic workflow capability integrate with our existing procurement processes?
Stampli Procurement is designed to adapt to your existing processes rather than forcing you to change. During implementation, we’ll analyze your current approval workflows and configure the system to mirror these processes while introducing efficiency improvements. The AI will then learn from your team’s actual usage patterns, gradually suggesting optimizations that align with your unique business requirements. This allows for a smooth transition that preserves institutional knowledge while delivering immediate productivity gains and ongoing process improvements.