Document and admin automation
Approval process automation
Many approvals in a small or growing business happen by email or in passing: can I order this, can we give this discount, can I take Friday off. They work until someone is away, an email is buried or nobody can later show who agreed. Approval process automation often does not need new software. Accounting, expense, HR and chat tools often include approval features, and a simple form with an automation can route the rest. The aim is that every approval is requested in a consistent way, reaches the right person and leaves a record.
This page covers automating approvals with existing tools. Building dedicated approval software is covered on the approval workflow software pages.
Illustrative diagram
Where each approval can live
| Approval | Tool that may already support it |
|---|---|
| Supplier bills | Accounting software bill approvals |
| Expenses | Expense app approval routes |
| Holiday and absence | HR or rota system requests |
| Purchases without a system | Request form with automated routing |
| Discounts and refunds | CRM or helpdesk approval step, or a form |
| Content and artwork | Proofing or document tool with sign-off |
Check built-in features first
Before building anything, check whether the system where the work happens already offers approvals. Bill approvals in accounting software, expense approval routes and holiday requests in HR tools keep the decision next to the record it affects, and need configuration rather than development. Switching on a built-in feature is quicker, cheaper and easier for staff than a separate route. Build automations only for approvals that have no natural home.
Higher plans of some tools are needed for approval features; compare that cost with alternatives.
A request form for everything else
For approvals with no system, such as small purchases or one-off exceptions, a short form asks for the same details every time: what, why, how much, and any attachment. An automation then sends it to the right approver based on simple rules, records the decision and tells the requester. The form becomes the one way to ask, replacing scattered emails and messages.
Approving in chat or by email?
Approval buttons in a chat tool
Suits you when
- The team works in chat all day
- Decisions are quick and low value
- Approval actions can be recorded outside the chat
Watch out for
- Chat history is a poor permanent record
- Ensure only the right person can approve
Email with approve and reject links
Suits you when
- Approvers are outside the team
- Decisions need attachments read first
Watch out for
- Replies like 'fine' are hard to record reliably
- Links must identify the approver securely
Keep a record outside the conversation
Wherever the decision is made, store a record of the request, approver, decision and time in a list or log the business controls, not just in a chat thread or someone's mailbox. When people leave or messages are deleted, the record remains. A simple shared table is often enough for small volumes.
When to move to dedicated software
Lightweight automations suit a few approval types with simple rules. When approvals involve many steps, complex limits, auditors who need strong evidence, or volumes where small tools struggle, dedicated approval software is worth considering. Signs include rules that keep multiplying in the automation and staff asking where a request has got to.
Example: purchases and bills in a small firm
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: Staff ask the owner by message before buying anything, and supplier bills are approved by the owner forwarding emails to the bookkeeper.
- Bill approvals are switched on in the accounting software, with the owner as approver above a set value.
- A short purchase request form posts to a team chat channel with approve and reject buttons.
- Each decision is written to a shared log with the request details and time.
What this shows: The owner approved in seconds, and the bookkeeper stopped searching emails for authorisations. This example is illustrative.
Setting up an approval route
Rules
- Who approves which type and value
- Who covers when they are away
- What needs a second approver
Request
- Required details and attachments
- One place to submit
- Requester told the outcome
Record
- Decision log the business controls
- Retention period agreed
- Access limited to those who need it
Where to start
Start with the approval that causes the most chasing or the most risk, often supplier bills or purchases. Switch on built-in features where they exist, add a form for the rest and review after a month whether requests are moving faster.
Questions about approval process automation
Do we need approval software?
Not always; existing tools often have approval features, and forms can route the rest.
Where should supplier bill approvals happen?
Often in your accounting software, next to the bill.
Can approvals happen in chat?
Yes, for quick decisions, with the record kept outside the chat.
Is an email reply a good approval?
It is hard to record reliably; approve and reject links work better.
How do we keep a record?
Store request, approver, decision and time in a log the business controls.
When should we move to dedicated software?
When rules, steps, volumes or audit needs outgrow simple automations.
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