Approval Rules

Approval rules define the conditions and criteria that determine how documents are routed through approval workflows. This guide covers creating and managing approval rules.

Overview

Approval rules enable you to:

• Define approval conditions
• Set threshold-based routing
• Configure automatic approvals
• Create exception rules
• Manage rule priorities
• Test and validate rules

Accessing Rules

Navigate to Settings → Approvals → Rules to manage approval rules.

Understanding Rules

Rule Components

Component	Description
Name	Rule identifier
Condition	When rule applies
Action	What happens
Priority	Evaluation order
Status	Active/inactive

Rule Types

Type	Description	Example
Threshold	Amount-based	> $10,000
Category	Type-based	Capital expenses
Department	Org-based	IT purchases
Vendor	Supplier-based	New vendors
Custom	Field-based	Any criteria

Rule Actions

Action	Description
Route To	Send to specific approver
Add Level	Include additional approval
Skip Level	Bypass approval level
Auto-Approve	Automatic approval
Auto-Reject	Automatic rejection
Notify	Send notification

Creating Rules

Basic Rule Setup

1. Go to Settings → Approvals → Rules
2. Click New Rule
3. Enter details:

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive identifier
Description	Rule purpose
Document Type	What it applies to
Active	Enable/disable

4. Define conditions
5. Set actions
6. Configure priority
7. Save and test

Condition Builder

Build conditions using:

• Field selection
• Operator choice
• Value specification
• Logic combination (AND/OR)

How-To Guides

How to Create Threshold Rules

Amount-Based Routing

Route based on document value:

Rule: High Value Purchase
Condition: Amount > $50,000
Action: Add VP Approval

Setup:

1. Create new rule
2. Name: "High Value Purchase"
3. Condition: Amount > 50,000
4. Action: Add approval level
5. Approver: VP Finance
6. Save rule

Tiered Thresholds

Multiple threshold levels:

Amount	Approver
< $1,000	Auto-approve
$1,000 - $10,000	Manager
$10,000 - $50,000	Director
> $50,000	VP + CFO

Create separate rules for each tier:

1. Rule 1: Amount < 1000 → Auto-approve
2. Rule 2: Amount 1000-10000 → Manager
3. Rule 3: Amount 10000-50000 → Director
4. Rule 4: Amount > 50000 → VP + CFO

How to Set Up Category Rules

Category-Based Routing

Different approval for categories:

Category	Workflow
Operating	Standard approval
Capital	Extended approval
Emergency	Fast-track

Setup:

1. Create rule for each category
2. Condition: Category = [value]
3. Action: Route to workflow
4. Set priority order

Multiple Categories

Handle combined criteria:

IF Category = "Capital" AND Amount > $100,000
THEN Route to Board + CFO
ELSE Route to Standard Capital Workflow

How to Configure Department Rules

Department-Specific Routing

Route by department:

Rule: IT Purchases
Condition: Department = "IT"
Action: Route to IT Director first

Setup:

1. Create department rule
2. Select department field
3. Choose specific department
4. Define routing action
5. Set priority

Cross-Department Approvals

When multiple departments involved:

• Primary department approver
• Secondary department review
• Cost center owner
• Shared services approval

How to Create Exception Rules

Override Standard Flow

Exceptions for special cases:

Exception	Condition	Action
Emergency	Flag = Emergency	Skip to Director
Pre-Approved	Vendor = Preferred	Auto-approve
CEO Request	Requester = CEO	Single approval

Setup:

1. Identify exception scenario
2. Create rule with specific conditions
3. Set higher priority than standard rules
4. Define exception action
5. Document reason

Time-Based Exceptions

Special rules for timing:

• Month-end processing
• Year-end deadlines
• Holiday periods
• Audit periods

How to Manage Rule Priorities

Priority System

Rules evaluated in priority order:

• Lower number = higher priority
• First matching rule wins
• Default rule catches all

Priority 1: Emergency purchases (skip levels)
Priority 2: CEO requests (single approval)
Priority 3: High value > $100K (extra level)
Priority 4: Capital expenses (extended flow)
Priority 10: Default (standard workflow)

Setting Priorities

1. Go to Rules list
2. View current priorities
3. Drag to reorder or edit priority number
4. Save changes
5. Test evaluation order

How to Test Rules

Rule Testing

Before activation:

1. Go to rule editor
2. Click Test Rule
3. Enter sample data
4. View evaluation result
5. Verify correct routing

Test Scenarios

Create test cases:

• Normal document
• Threshold boundary
• Exception conditions
• Edge cases
• Combined conditions

Simulation Mode

Enable simulation:

• Rules evaluate but don't execute
• Results logged for review
• Compare to expected outcome
• Identify issues before production

How to Handle Rule Conflicts

Conflict Detection

System identifies:

• Overlapping conditions
• Contradictory actions
• Missing coverage
• Priority issues

Resolution Strategies

Conflict Type	Resolution
Overlap	Adjust conditions or priority
Contradiction	Remove one rule
Gap	Add covering rule
Circular	Break dependency

Advanced Features

Complex Conditions

Multi-field logic:

(Amount > 10000 AND Category = "Capital")
OR
(Department = "IT" AND VendorType = "New")

Formula-Based Rules

Dynamic calculations:

• Budget percentage
• Variance from standard
• Historical comparison
• Risk scoring

Rule Groups

Organize related rules:

• By document type
• By department
• By process
• By exception type

Rule Versioning

Track changes:

• Version history
• Change log
• Rollback capability
• Comparison view

Best Practices

📋 Design

• Clear naming
• Specific conditions
• Single purpose
• Documentation

🎯 Coverage

• No gaps
• No conflicts
• Default handling
• Edge cases

⚙️ Maintenance

• Regular review
• Update as needed
• Remove obsolete
• Test changes

📊 Monitoring

• Track rule usage
• Identify bottlenecks
• Measure effectiveness
• Optimize over time

Configuration

Rule Settings

Navigate to Settings → Approvals → Rules:

• Default Priority - Starting priority
• Conflict Detection - Enable/disable
• Simulation Mode - Testing option
• Audit Logging - Track evaluations

Condition Settings

• Available Fields - What can be evaluated
• Operators - Comparison options
• Value Types - Data formats
• Custom Fields - Extended criteria

Action Settings

• Available Actions - What rules can do
• Routing Options - Where to send
• Notification Templates - Alert formats
• Escalation Rules - Timeout handling

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Rule not triggering

• Check rule active
• Verify conditions
• Review priority order
• Test with sample

Wrong approver assigned

• Check rule conditions
• Verify action configuration
• Review priority conflicts
• Test rule in isolation

Multiple rules firing

• Review priority order
• Check condition overlap
• Verify exclusive conditions
• Adjust as needed

Rule conflict detected

• Review conflicting rules
• Adjust conditions
• Set clear priorities
• Test both scenarios

Next Steps

Learn about Approval Delegations to set up delegation authority during absences.