Pre-defined approval workflows
in Procurement
Automatically route purchase requests and procurement activities to the right approvers for consistent, compliant review and sign-off.
How Stampli supports pre-defined approval workflows
Stampli’s predefined workflows for review and sign-off cater to organizations with strictly defined processes. They automatically route purchase requests and outcomes to the right decision-makers for thorough review and sign-off. This ensures every procurement request follows your established approval paths while eliminating bottlenecks and maintaining compliance.
The old way: Always re-checking the process
Stampli’s approach
Our predefined workflows automatically direct any approvable to the correct decision-makers based on your business rules, eliminating manual routing while ensuring compliance with internal policies. Conditional approval logic adjusts workflows based on request type, amount, department, or other criteria, creating appropriate oversight for each transaction.
With complete visibility into approval status and a comprehensive audit trail, bottlenecks are quickly identified and resolved. Stampli’s procurement approval workflows adapt to your business rather than forcing your team to change established processes, providing both control and flexibility.
Key features
Workflow builder
Configure the overall routing sequence for each transaction—from initial submission to final sign-off—by defining which fields (e.g., department, amount, or location) drive the multi-step process within a single, intuitive interface.
Multi-criteria approver assignment
Assign approvers based on various request attributes (vendor, location, department) and user properties (level, title) to ensure the right stakeholders review each procurement request.
Flexible field types
Support drop-down lists, yes/no toggles, numeric entries, and table fields to handle diverse data inputs across different types of procurement requests.
Approval controls
Define spending thresholds and condition-based rules that automatically determine when additional reviewers must be involved, ensuring proper oversight of higher-value purchases.
Fixed or flexible configurations
Choose a fully locked workflow with predefined approvers for each scenario, or enable partial flexibility by allowing certain roles to add or remove approvers at specific stages without rebuilding the entire approval flow.
Initial approver default
Automatically set the requester’s direct manager—via uploaded org hierarchy—as the first approver, with an option to override if needed for special procurement scenarios.
Multi-level review and sign-off
Define as many approver levels as needed for thorough oversight, ensuring each purchase request is escalated properly through your organization’s approval chain.
Fallback routing
Automatically route the request to a designated fallback user when no primary approver meets the criteria, preventing approval delays during absences or transitions.
Line-level approvals
Allow reviewers to approve or reject individual line items within a single purchase request, enabling more granular control over procurement spend.
User properties
Upload or import custom attributes (e.g., department, level, location) from your ERP or spreadsheets to drive workflow logic for procurement approval routing.
Reviewer actions
Approvers can approve, reject, mark a request as “not mine,” ask questions, and add comments to keep procurement processes moving forward.
Approver notifications
Approvers are automatically notified via customizable emails when new purchase requests are awaiting review, ensuring timely responses.
Audit trail & communication tracking
All interactions between requesters and approvers are logged for transparency and compliance throughout the procurement process.
Mobile app
Approvers can review and sign off on purchase requests from anywhere, eliminating delays when key decision-makers are away from their desks.
FAQ
How easy is it to set up pre-defined approval workflows in Stampli Procurement?
Setting up pre-defined approval workflows in Stampli Procurement is straightforward, even for complex organizational structures. Our intuitive workflow builder allows you to configure approval sequences visually, defining routing rules based on various attributes like department, cost center, or spending threshold. You can start with simple workflows and gradually add complexity as your team becomes familiar with the system. Stampli’s implementation team works with you to understand your existing approval processes and configure workflows that match your business requirements, typically completing initial setup within a few weeks depending on your organization’s complexity.
Can Stampli's approval workflows handle our company's complex multi-department approval needs?
Yes, Stampli’s predefined workflows are specifically designed to handle complex, multi-department approval scenarios. You can require simultaneous or sequential sign-offs from multiple departments (such as Finance, Legal, or IT) based on the nature and complexity of purchase requests. The system supports as many approval levels as needed, with conditional logic that can trigger different approval paths based on countless variables including request type, amount, vendor, department, or custom fields. This flexibility allows you to implement even the most sophisticated governance models where different stakeholders need visibility and approval authority at various stages of the procurement process.
How does Stampli handle approval workflows when key approvers are out of office?
Stampli prevents approval bottlenecks during absences through several mechanisms. Our fallback routing automatically redirects purchase requests to designated backup approvers when primary approvers are unavailable. The system also supports out-of-office settings, where approvers can designate temporary substitutes for specific date ranges. For urgent situations, authorized users can reassign pending approvals or make adjustments to workflow rules without disrupting the entire process. Additionally, configurable escalation rules can automatically route requests to alternative approvers if they remain pending for too long, ensuring your procurement process continues moving even when key personnel are unavailable.
Can different departments or business units have their own unique approval workflows?
Absolutely. Stampli allows you to create distinct approval workflows for different departments, business units, or entities within your organization. Each workflow can have its own set of routing rules, approval thresholds, and authorized approvers based on the specific needs and compliance requirements of that unit. This enables corporate-level governance while respecting the operational differences between departments or regions. For example, your IT department can have a different approval process for software purchases than your Facilities team uses for maintenance contracts, even though both flow through the same Stampli Procurement platform.
How detailed is the audit trail for approval workflows?
Stampli maintains a comprehensive, timestamped audit trail of all actions within the approval workflow. The system logs who took what action, when they took it, and any comments they provided. This includes initial submissions, approvals, rejections, questions, reassignments, and any modifications to the request itself. All communications between requesters and approvers are captured within the system, eliminating scattered email threads. The audit trail cannot be modified or deleted, ensuring data integrity for compliance and audit purposes. Reports and dashboards provide visibility into approval patterns, bottlenecks, and process efficiency, helping you continuously improve your procurement governance.
How does Stampli's approval workflow compare to our ERP's built-in approval capabilities?
While many ERPs offer basic approval functionality, Stampli’s purpose-built procurement workflows provide significantly more flexibility and user-friendliness. Unlike most ERPs that limit you to rigid, linear approval chains, Stampli supports complex conditional logic and multi-dimensional routing rules. Our mobile-friendly interface makes it easy for approvers to review requests from anywhere, without needing ERP access or training. Stampli also excels at facilitating communication between requesters and approvers within the workflow, rather than forcing users to resort to external email. Most importantly, Stampli’s workflow builder allows non-technical users to adjust approval paths as your organization evolves, without requiring expensive ERP customizations or IT involvement for every change.