Expense Approvals

Expense approvals ensure proper authorization of business expenses through configurable workflows. This guide covers the approval process for expense reports.

Overview

Expense approvals enable you to:

• Review expense reports
• Approve or reject expenses
• Add approver comments
• Delegate approval authority
• Track approval status
• Configure approval workflows

Accessing Approvals

Navigate to Expenses → Approvals or My Tasks → Expense Approvals.

Understanding Approvals

Approval Roles

Role	Responsibility
Manager	Direct report expenses
Finance	Policy compliance
Project Manager	Project expenses
Department Head	Department budgets
Executive	High-value approvals

Approval Status

Status	Description
Pending	Awaiting action
Approved	Accepted
Rejected	Denied
Returned	Needs revision
Escalated	Moved to next level

Approval Actions

Action	Result
Approve	Accept and route forward
Reject	Deny with reason
Return	Send back for changes
Delegate	Pass to another
Hold	Pause for review

Approval Process

Standard Flow

Report Submitted → Manager Review →
Finance Review → Final Approval →
Queued for Reimbursement

Approval Levels

Level 1: Direct Manager
    ↓ (Approved)
Level 2: Finance (if >$500)
    ↓ (Approved)
Level 3: Director (if >$2,000)
    ↓ (Approved)
Final Approval Complete

How-To Guides

How to Review Expense Reports

Accessing Queue

1. Go to Expenses → Approvals
2. View pending items
3. Sort by priority/date
4. Select report to review

Review Checklist

For each report:

• [ ] Business purpose valid
• [ ] Expenses appropriate
• [ ] Receipts complete
• [ ] Categories correct
• [ ] Within policy limits
• [ ] Documentation adequate

Detailed Review

1. Report Header

   • Purpose makes sense
   • Dates reasonable
   • Submitter correct

2. Line Items

   • Each expense justified
   • Amounts reasonable
   • Categories appropriate
   • Descriptions clear

3. Documentation

   • Receipts legible
   • Details match claims
   • Required docs present

4. Policy Check

   • Within limits
   • Compliant categories
   • Exceptions noted

How to Approve Expense Reports

Single Approval

1. Open expense report
2. Review all details
3. Check documentation
4. Add comments (optional)
5. Click Approve
6. Report advances

Bulk Approval

Approve multiple reports:

1. Select reports (checkbox)
2. Click Bulk Approve
3. Add common comment
4. Confirm action
5. All selected approved

Partial Approval

Approve some items:

1. Open report
2. Review each line
3. Approve valid items
4. Reject/return others
5. Add explanation
6. Submit decision

How to Reject Expense Reports

Full Rejection

1. Open report
2. Click Reject
3. Select reason:
   • Policy violation
   • Insufficient documentation
   • Not business-related
   • Duplicate expense
   • Other
4. Add detailed explanation
5. Submit rejection

Line Item Rejection

Reject specific expenses:

1. Open report
2. Select line item
3. Click Reject Line
4. Enter reason
5. Submitter can revise

Rejection Best Practices

• Be specific about issues
• Reference policy if applicable
• Explain how to correct
• Offer guidance
• Professional tone

How to Return Reports for Revision

When to Return

Return when:

• Missing information
• Unclear documentation
• Need clarification
• Minor corrections needed

Return Process

1. Open report
2. Click Return
3. Select reason:
   • Missing receipt
   • Need description
   • Category correction
   • Other information
4. Specify what's needed
5. Submit return

Return vs Reject

Return	Reject
Fixable issues	Fundamental problems
More info needed	Not approvable
Report stays open	Report closed
Can be resubmitted	Must create new

How to Delegate Approval Authority

Setting Up Delegation

1. Go to My Profile → Delegations
2. Click New Delegation
3. Configure:
   • Delegate to (user)
   • Start/end dates
   • Scope (all or partial)
   • Amount limit
4. Submit delegation

Using Delegation

Delegate receives:

• Notification of delegation
• Items in approval queue
• Authority to approve
• Audit trail maintained

Delegation Limits

Configure restrictions:

• Maximum approval amount
• Specific categories only
• Certain departments
• Time-limited

How to Handle Exception Requests

Reviewing Exceptions

When expense exceeds policy:

1. System flags exception
2. Review justification
3. Evaluate circumstances
4. Approve or deny exception

Exception Criteria

Consider:

• Business necessity
• Reasonableness
• Alternatives available
• Frequency of exceptions
• Budget impact

Approving Exceptions

1. Open exception request
2. Review justification
3. Add approval notes
4. Approve exception
5. Document decision

How to Track Approval Status

Approval Dashboard

View:

• Pending approvals
• Recent decisions
• Delegated items
• Approaching deadlines

Report Status

Track individual reports:

• Current approval level
• Pending approver
• Time at each level
• Comments/notes

Notifications

Receive alerts:

• New items pending
• Approaching deadline
• Escalation notices
• Delegation changes

How to Configure Approval Workflows

Workflow Elements

Element	Description
Trigger	What starts workflow
Levels	Approval stages
Approvers	Who reviews
Conditions	When rules apply
Actions	Results of decisions

Creating Workflow

1. Go to Settings → Expenses → Workflows
2. Click New Workflow
3. Define:
   • Name and description
   • Trigger conditions
   • Approval levels
   • Approver assignment
4. Configure routing rules
5. Set escalation
6. Activate workflow

Workflow Example

Workflow: Standard Expense Approval

Trigger: Expense report submitted

Level 1: Direct Manager
- Condition: All reports
- Timeout: 3 days
- Escalation: Manager's manager

Level 2: Finance
- Condition: Amount > $500
- Timeout: 2 days
- Escalation: Finance Director

Level 3: Executive
- Condition: Amount > $5,000
- Timeout: 3 days
- Escalation: CFO

Advanced Features

Mobile Approval

Approve on the go:

• Mobile app access
• Push notifications
• Quick approve/reject
• Document viewing

Approval Analytics

Track metrics:

• Approval times
• Rejection rates
• Bottleneck identification
• Workload distribution

Automatic Routing

Smart assignment:

• Manager hierarchy
• Budget ownership
• Project responsibility
• Department rules

Pre-Approval Workflows

Before expense:

• Trip authorization
• Large purchase approval
• Client entertainment
• Conference attendance

Best Practices

⏰ Timeliness

• Review promptly
• Meet SLA targets
• Don't delay reimbursement
• Set aside review time

👁 Thoroughness

• Check all items
• Review documentation
• Verify policy compliance
• Ask questions

💬 Communication

• Clear feedback
• Helpful comments
• Professional tone
• Constructive guidance

📋 Consistency

• Apply rules fairly
• Document decisions
• Follow policy
• Escalate when needed

Configuration

Approval Settings

Navigate to Settings → Expenses → Approvals:

• Workflow Rules - Routing configuration
• Thresholds - Amount-based routing
• Timeouts - SLA settings
• Escalation - Auto-escalation rules

Notification Settings

• New Items - Alert on pending
• Reminders - Overdue alerts
• Decisions - Status updates
• Delegation - Authority changes

Delegation Settings

• Allow Delegation - Enable/disable
• Maximum Period - Time limits
• Scope Options - What can delegate
• Approval Required - Manager approval

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Item not in queue

• Check delegation status
• Verify you're the approver
• Review workflow routing
• Check filters applied

Cannot approve

• Verify approval authority
• Check delegation active
• Review amount limits
• Contact administrator

Report stuck pending

• Check current approver
• Review escalation rules
• Contact pending approver
• Escalate if needed

Delegation not working

• Verify delegation active
• Check date range
• Review scope settings
• Confirm delegate accepted

Next Steps

Learn about Expense Reimbursements to understand how approved expenses are paid.