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Software invoice approval:
4 characteristics of a good workflow system

Approving invoices involves a process. At some companies, this is still done entirely manually: they print out paper invoices to pass from desk to desk. However, most organizations these days circulate digital invoices via email or network folders. In either case, the margin for error is very high. Invoices easily get lost or stay in one place too long, causing you to miss a payment discount. Plus, no one has good visibility into the approval process. That can be done differently – and by automating invoice approval through a workflow system.

Processing incoming invoices with workflow software: what does it involve?

A workflow system enables a digital approval process in which a document and the associated information are visible at all times. If you use workflow software to approve outstanding invoices, the finance department always retains an overview. You can see exactly where an invoice is at any time. And you can see at the touch of a button which invoices are still waiting for approval. Approvers can approve invoices very easily using workflow software, significantly reducing the turnaround time of the approval process. If you automate the scanning and recognition as well as the approval process, you can speak of fully automated invoice processing. Then you will have optimized the process from A to Z and enjoy the full benefits.

4 characteristics of a good workflow system

Do you want to stop processing incoming invoices manually and therefore think it’s time to start working with good workflow software? Then it is advisable to compare purchase invoice processing solutions. Naturally, you are looking for software that connects seamlessly with your ERP system so that you will soon not have to worry about digital invoice processing. But there are more factors to consider. Which ones are these? We list the four most important features of a good workflow system for you!

1. Intelligence to remember repetitive actions

Certain invoices from a specific supplier must always be presented to the same people for approval. In such cases, it is useful to work with smart workflow software that remembers user actions for next time. Such software offers, for example, the possibility of setting up an approval matrix. In doing so, you record exactly which approvers an invoice from a particular supplier should pass. You can also specify the correct order. You only have to perform these actions once – after that, the relevant invoices automatically go past each responsible employee.

2. Ability to deviate from the standard.

You can think of the approval process as a circle: eventually you come back to the starting point, which means the invoice is approved. But users should be able to make forays within the circle. Suppose project leader A is presented with an invoice and needs to ask project leader B which characteristics are important for invoicing. In such a case, project leader A must be able to exit the circle for a moment to seek advice from this colleague. It can also happen that you receive an invoice for goods delivered and want to check with a colleague whether the items were actually delivered. This way you can be sure that the invoice is correct when you approve it. It must be possible to ask for advice within the software. Then everyone in the process always maintains an overview – even when an approver operates outside the circle.

3. Option to add information to a document.

Sometimes certain information is missing from an invoice. For example, project details or data regarding the general ledger or cost center to which the invoice should be posted. The people who are presented with the invoice for approval (such as the appropriate budget holder or project manager) should be able to add this type of information. A good workflow system provides the ability to easily add comments to a document. It also logs exactly who adds what information to a document at what time. So you can always easily track which steps approvers have taken around an invoice.

4. Understanding the invoice image

When you circulate paper purchase invoices around the organization, everyone sees all the relevant information at a glance. Workflow software should provide the same experience by always showing the picture of the invoice. That way, approvers don’t have to study complicated posting dates, breakdowns or itemizations. They simply see the picture of the invoice, based on which they can immediately determine whether or not to approve. These days, by the way, a good workflow system should make an invoice viewable in multiple ways: via a web portal as well as an app. After all, then approvers can view and approve invoices from anywhere. This is useful in the construction industry, for example, where project managers are often on the road. But in this day and age, where “always and everywhere working” is the motto, such an option is actually indispensable in all industries!

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