Approval workflows
Route the exception. Keep the evidence.
UpTrade applies approval rules to the buying context, sends exceptions to the right authority and preserves the options, rationale and decision in one procurement audit trail.
An approval without context is a weak control
Approvers need more than a value and a requester name. Supplier status, specification fit, alternatives, urgency and policy outcomes determine whether a purchase should proceed.
Evaluate the request
Apply supplier, specification, spend and category controls before selecting an approval route.
Send decision context
Give approvers the requirement, considered options, policy result and requester rationale.
Preserve accountability
Record who decided, when they decided and the reason associated with the outcome.
Implementation
Start with a bounded workflow
Start with approval thresholds and roles for one department or category. The pilot can operate alongside the current order process while workflow ownership and escalation rules are validated.
Governance
Keep authority explicit
A failed or incomplete policy check does not silently become an approval. Exceptions remain visible and require the authority defined by your organisation.
Questions
Straight answers
Can routine purchases avoid manual approval?
They can when your configured policy permits it. The qualifying rule and resulting decision remain recorded.
Can approvals vary by site or category?
Yes. A scoped configuration can apply different authorities and thresholds to the organisational context you provide.