
If the invoice is missing this information, then reply to the sender to inform them that they need to provide more information. If the invoice lists a bank account to remit payment, then move it to the next item on the list. This is how you map a logical if-then approval workflow. Structure the checklist to confirm basic information (such as information needed for payment) and gradually increase complexity. You can frame every condition from step two as an action item on a checklist. Make a list of anyone in charge of approving invoices and specify what types of invoices they’re responsible for. In larger organizations with numerous departments and hundreds, if not thousands, of employees, department heads or other managers will probably be the decision-makers for invoices specific to their units. For example, the president of a small organization may have a hand in every project and therefore approve or deny all invoices. Most organizations have specific decision-makers responsible for validating invoices. Does the invoice amount align with established prices?. Does the invoice include all information needed for processing, such as where to remit payment?. Were there issues with the product or work that justifies a reorder or discount?. Did the invoicing agency deliver the product or render the service?. Here are some basic questions someone reviewing the invoice might ask: The conditions will differ depending on the organization and type of products or services a vendor is supplying. To process an invoice, your team must determine whether it’s valid. Create an invoice submission form that automatically adds submissions to a queue for review. Designate an email address to receive invoices - and invoices only, nothing else. This makes it easier to track and process them in batches.
The ideal invoice approval workflow will begin with all invoices going into a queue. Invoice approval workflows vary in every organization, but they all have certain steps in common.
DEFINE INVOICE APPROVAL HOW TO
How to design an invoice approval workflow After everything checks out, someone approves the invoice, and the appropriate person processes the payment.
Someone then reviews the invoice to ensure its accuracy, including looking at the billed services, the information needed for processing, and the amount requested.
The workflow generally begins when a vendor submits an invoice. Depending on the size of your organization, one specialist may perform this process, or the work may require an entire accounting department. Think of it as a checklist to determine whether an invoice is valid. What is an invoice approval workflow?Īn invoice approval workflow is a process companies follow to clear an invoice for payment. To set up an invoice approval workflow, all you need is an understanding of what it is, how it works, and which tools make it as efficient as possible. Consider them organized and consistent processes to validate and pay invoices - regardless of who submits them, who’s responsible for validating them, or how many invoices your company receives on a daily basis. That’s why invoice approval workflows are so important. And paying invoices on time is foundational for these relationships. In many ways, the valuable products and services businesses provide - to customers and each other - are what keep industries going. The business world is an interconnected network of organizations.