Approval control

An approval is tied to a specific purchasing document and its revision. The Approver needs to see the requested amount, department, cost center and category before deciding. The approval rule records the applicable amount band and tier, along with the named reviewer and effective dates. This makes the route understandable when a request crosses a spending threshold.

The decision retains the approved amount and its scope. A later order or amendment can be compared with that authority rather than relying on a general statement that a purchase was approved. The approval inbox brings pending decisions together with their due dates and assigned owners.

• Effective rules. The Procurement Manager and Controller review the routing policy before use. Amount bands, departmental scope and named reviewers determine who must consider a request. Effective dates and rule versions preserve which policy applied at the time.
• Individual decisions. Each approval step records its tier, status and assigned Approver. Comments and action details explain a rejection or an approval. The decision also retains the source revision so a revised request can be distinguished from the content already reviewed.
• Controlled delegation. A delegation identifies the principal reviewer, eligible delegate, date window and approval limit. Its approved scope matters when a person is covering leave. Assignment history and the acting identity keep the resulting decision attributable.

Map department heads, budget owners and senior signers to people who hold the Approver role. Confirm the amount bands and category rules with finance. Decide how a committee decision is represented and who is permitted to record it. A job title alone should not establish a person’s authority over every purchasing request.

Agree how to handle a requester who would otherwise become their own reviewer. Name an independent eligible reviewer and rehearse that route. Set target response days and the person who follows overdue steps. Review delegation dates before a planned absence so urgent purchasing does not depend on an informal forwarding chain.

A facilities request includes equipment and installation charged to the same cost center. The Approver reviews the complete amount at the applicable tier. Check that the pending step names an eligible person and shows the correct source revision. Record the decision and inspect the retained approved scope.

Next, increase the installation amount before the order is issued. Compare the changed scope with the earlier authority and route the new decision as required. The earlier approval should remain understandable as a decision on its original content.

Finally, rehearse the same case while the principal reviewer is away. Use an approved delegation within its effective window and limit. Confirm that the recorded actor and the principal they represented can both be identified after the decision. A delegate outside the permitted window needs a new valid route.

• Approval inbox — Pending decisions with assigned reviewers, tiers, due dates and the revision under review.
• Orders awaiting approval — Purchase orders awaiting an independent decision on supplier, funding and amount.

Follow request approval and controlled order changes.