How to Automate Vendor and Purchase Order Approvals Using Workflow in GP
Automating approvals in GP makes it easier to handle vendor and purchase order steps by leveraging workflow to send approvals through set business rules. You gain more control and make fewer mistakes with this approach. With Outlook integration, you can approve requests right from your inbox, helping you save time.
When you turn on workflow approval, transactions and master record setup follow a group of business rules. Approvers can choose to approve or reject them. This kind of control helps keep duties separate.
By leveraging workflow, you ensure your business adheres to rules better and maintains security. Your business operates faster and is more secure.
Key Takeaways
Automating approvals in GP makes vendor and purchase order steps faster. It helps save time and lowers mistakes.
Outlook integration lets managers approve requests from their email. This makes work quicker and easier.
A good vendor approval process adds only qualified vendors. This keeps data correct and safe.
Check and improve your workflow often to make it work better. This helps you handle new problems.
Training and support help staff learn new workflow changes. They also help everyone get the most from automation.
Leveraging Workflow for Efficiency
Key Benefits
Using Workflow in GP helps you finish work faster. You can set up automatic approvals for vendors and purchase orders. This means you spend less time on paperwork. You have more time for important work. Workflow automation makes your business run better.
Here is a table showing the biggest ways you save time:
You also get these main benefits:
Faster work helps you capture, process, and approve invoices quickly.
Fewer mistakes mean you do not pay too much or pay twice.
Approving things on time helps you work better with suppliers.
Outlook integration makes things even simpler. You can approve, reject, or send requests to others right from your email. The table below shows how Outlook helps:
Workflow automation also cuts down on mistakes and slow approvals. You can see each step clearly. You can check progress and find slow spots fast. Automatic task assignments help you finish approvals on time.
Common Challenges
When you start using workflow automation, you might face some problems. Some workers worry about changes. They may think they will lose their jobs or that the new system is hard. Connecting workflow tools to old systems can be tough. If you do not know your current steps, automation can make things worse. New software and training can cost a lot at first. Some people may not know how to use the new tools.
You can solve these problems by helping people handle change. Training helps everyone learn why automation is good. Show the benefits right away. New tools should help people do their jobs, not take them away.
Tip: Give clear steps and keep helping your team. This makes everyone feel sure as they use workflow automation.
Vendor Workflow Setup
Approval Process Design
Think about being an accounts payable manager. You get a new vendor request. You want only approved vendors in your system. GP uses a set approval process to keep things safe and neat.
A strong vendor approval process helps you avoid errors. It keeps your records tidy. Here are some good ways to design your process:
Talk openly with vendors. This helps set clear rules and deadlines.
Keep all vendor info together. This makes finding documents easy.
Automate onboarding steps. This saves time and helps you work better with suppliers.
Make simple steps for each part. Include needs, screening, qualification, onboarding, and checking vendors.
If you follow these steps, every vendor meets your standards before joining your system.
Configuration Steps
Setting up vendor workflow in GP is easy if you follow steps. Here is what you do:
Go to Accounts payable > Setup > Accounts payable parameters.
On the General tab, find the Vendor approval FastTab. Turn on Enable vendor approvals.
In Data entity behavior, pick how to handle imported data:
Allow changes without approval
Reject changes
Create change proposals
In the vendor fields list, check Enable for fields needing approval.
Go to Accounts payable > Setup > Accounts payable workflows.
Click New to make a new workflow.
Pick Proposed vendor changes workflow.
Set up the workflow to match your approval steps.
You can choose who approves invoices and the order of approvals. After setup, test by making sample invoices and sending them for approval. Check the workflow often to make sure it works well and fix problems.
Tip: Test your workflow with real cases before using it. This helps you find problems early.
Custom Rules
You can add custom rules to your vendor workflow for better control. GP has advanced features that many people miss. Here are some helpful options:
You can use the visual workflow designer to change steps with drag-and-drop. Set up routing to run steps in order or at the same time. Use dynamic routing to make rules for different cases. The color-coded task list helps you see important tasks fast. The BI dashboard shows patterns and problems. Custom workflow forms let you add workflows to any electronic form.
Note: Keeping vendor info in one place and linking with accounts payable helps keep data safe and correct. You also get better reports and audit trails for compliance.
Using Workflow in GP gives you strong control over vendor approvals. You can automate steps, add custom rules, and use special features to make your process faster and safer.
PO Workflow Automation
Automating purchase order approvals in GP helps your business run better. You can make clear steps for approvals. You can track each action. Only the right people can approve purchases. This helps stop mistakes and fraud. It also keeps your business safe.
Approval Hierarchies
You can set up approvals to match your company’s structure. GP lets you build custom hierarchies for each PO. Here are some ways to do this:
Make a custom hierarchy like your company chart.
Connect your workflow to this custom hierarchy.
Set up who reports to whom with position relationships.
Pick "Configurable hierarchy" in the workflow approval step.
When you send a PO, GP uses your custom hierarchy.
This setup makes sure the right people review each PO. It keeps duties separate, which is important for control. A good PO process gives you a full audit trail. You can see who approved each step and when. This lowers the chance of wrong or fake purchases.
Implementation Steps
You can automate PO approvals in GP by following these steps:
Open Purchase Order Processing Setup. Go to Purchasing, then Setup, and pick Purchase Order Processing.
Go to Requisition Setup. Click Requisitions to open the window.
Set user permissions. Choose if users see only their own, all, or no requisitions.
Set up workflow. Go to Tools, then Setup, then Company, then Workflow, and pick Workflow Maintenance.
Pick workflow type. Choose Purchasing and then Purchase Requisition Approval.
Assign a manager. Enter the manager’s name for approvals.
Make a new workflow. Click New Workflow and set options like notifications and delegation.
Add workflow steps. Click New Step to pick who approves each step and set time limits.
Save the workflow. Click Save to finish.
When you automate PO approvals, you follow these steps:
Enter invoices into GP.
The right person reviews and approves the invoice.
Approved invoices move to payment batch prep.
Use two approvals for invoice and payment release.
Send payments to vendors.
Use approval for adding or changing vendor info.
You can make approvals easier with Outlook. Approvers get emails and can approve or reject POs from Outlook. To use this, you need some technical things. The table below shows what you need for Outlook and Modern Authentication:
Using Workflow like this keeps your approval process fast and safe.
Exception Handling
Sometimes, things do not go as planned. You might see price or quantity problems or late deliveries. GP gives you tools to handle these issues so your process does not stop.
Go to Tools, click Setup, and pick Company.
Click Workflow Maintenance. Pick New Workflow in purchasing to make a workflow for exceptions.
You can set up alerts to tell workers when they need to act. These alerts can go by email or show up in GP under workflow tasks.
When you get a workflow alert, you can click the link to the PO. If you have access, you can approve or reject the PO.
To handle exceptions well, you should:
Build a way to find and fix issues like price or quantity problems.
Make clear steps for common problems, including who to contact and how to record what happened.
Keep talking between procurement, receiving, accounts payable, and vendors about PO status and any issues.
By fixing exceptions fast, you keep your process moving and avoid delays. You also make sure every PO follows your company’s rules.
Monitoring and Optimization
Smart Lists & Alerts
You can use Smart Lists and alerts in GP to keep track of your workflow. These tools help you spot problems early and act fast. To set up a Smart List alert, follow these steps:
Open GP and go to the drop-down menu.
Select Reminders.
Click on 'Change Reminder Preferences'.
Choose 'New'.
Find your SmartList favorite.
Set your alert parameters and click 'OK'.
For example, you can set a reminder if a balance sheet account goes over $4,000. This alert helps you take action before issues grow.
Tip: Use reminders to watch for overdue approvals or missing documents. This keeps your workflow on track.
Performance Review
You should review your workflow performance often. Look at these key metrics to see how well your system works:
Time savings
Efficiency improvements
Error rate reduction
Cost savings
ROI (Return on Investment)
Employee productivity
Customer satisfaction levels
You can use tools like SQL Profiler, GP Power Tools, and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to monitor workflow performance. These tools help you find bottlenecks and fix them quickly.
Best Practices
To get the most from GP workflows, follow these best practices:
Use built-in workflow features to automate approvals and boost efficiency.
Plan your workflows before you set them up. Think about all the steps and options you need.
Watch the 'Top 6 Tips for Staying on Dynamics GP' video series to learn more about organizing and optimizing workflows.
Remember, you can reach digital transformation goals without moving to the cloud right away.
Note: Regularly review your workflow setup. Look for ways to improve security and use new features. This helps you keep your system strong and up to date.
When you use automation for approvals in GP, you notice big changes. Many companies say their warehouse work gets faster. They also make better choices in ERP and have easier daily tasks.
It is easy to set up workflow. Tools like Mekorma and DocStar help you save time. They cut down on clicks and make invoice approvals automatic. Start improving your workflow now to get more control and work better.
FAQ
How do you start using workflow approvals in GP?
You open the Workflow Maintenance window in GP. You pick the type of workflow you want. You set up steps and assign approvers. Save your changes. Test the workflow with a sample transaction.
Can you approve requests from your phone or email?
Yes, you can. GP lets you approve or reject requests directly from your email, including on your phone. You do not need to log in to GP for every approval.
What happens if an approver is out of the office?
You can set up backup approvers in GP. If the main approver is away, the backup gets the request. This keeps your workflow moving without delays.
How do you track the status of approvals?
You use Smart Lists or workflow history in GP. These tools show you each step, who approved it, and when. You can spot delays and act fast.
Is it hard to change approval rules later?
No, you can update workflow rules anytime. Open the Workflow Maintenance window. Edit steps or approvers as needed. Save your changes. The new rules apply right away.