Automating Approval Cycle Yields Benefits

Automating an approval cycle in PowerShift is a simple process that could save you time and money. It replaces the time-consuming sign-off process in which a paper document is circulated through several different departments. It ensures review cycles are followed based on criteria you determine, enabling you to exercise more control over the purchasing, sales, invoicing and manufacturing functions.

 The approval process for purchased items might include signoffs from the buyer, purchasing manager, or others (e.g., a safety board if the item is considered a hazardous material). While purchase orders can be entered, they are not routed (printed, faxed, emailed, etc.) until they are approved.

Bills of material can be set up to require approval before work on manufacturing orders can proceed. Shop paper will not be printed and material cannot be issued against manufacturing orders for items with bills that have not been approved.

Sales orders may require approval by customer service reps (to verify pricing, commissions, etc.), accounting, or other departments. Sales order lines that are not approved can be obligated but cannot be added to a shipment. Shipments can go through an approval check before they can be confirmed, and can be set up to require another approval prior to invoicing.

 You can set up an approval cycle to be triggered when an order exceeds a specified dollar amount (e.g. buyer is allowed to approve up to $5000; the purchasing manager must approve anything over that) — or a number of other criteria including:

• Individual item

• Product class, ABC class or price class

• Item is a non-stock item

• Item is hazardous material

• Purchase cost is higher than standard cost

• Vendor item is not QA approved

• Vendor item is not compliant

• Vendor type or individual vendor

• Customer type or individual customer

When an order that requires approval is entered, the order is put into the approvers’ queue (up to 5 users can be set up for each criterion).  “Approving” the order requires a simple click of the mouse. 

Approval cycles can be set up to require consecutive approvals (i.e., first level of approval must be completed before the next). Alternates can be specified so that if the designated approver is unavailable, the alternate can perform the signoff. A management override is also provided, allowing critical orders to be expedited as needed. Anyone in the approval process can deny an order, removing it from the approval cycle altogether.

 Implementing approval cycles can result in a smoother operating enterprise, mitigating potential risks, with work continuing seamlessly and without interruption.