Approval flow
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      Approval flow creation

      This article guides you through the creation of a procurement approval workflow using the Spendbase wizard.

      Step 1: Setting the Workflow Name

      How to do it:

      • GO to Procurement -> Workflows -> Create workflow
      • Populate the next fields:
        • Name: Enter a unique and descriptive name for the workflow. This will help identify the procurement process it is associated with (e.g., "Software Purchase Approval" or "Vendor Contract Renewal").
        • Description: Optionally, provide a short description to give context to the workflow. This is useful if multiple workflows exist with similar steps but serve different departments or purposes.

      Step 2: Designing the Intake Form

      You can customize the request form that users will fill out when submitting a procurement request. This form is linked to the workflow and can have the following customizable fields:

      How to do it:

      • Once you're done with name of workflows
      • click Next and set up an intake form: 
        • Request Type: A single-select dropdown where users choose what kind of procurement request they are making (e.g., Software, Hardware, Services).
        • Vendor: A search field where users can select from existing vendors in the system or add a new vendor if none exist.
        • Expected Price: A numeric field where users input the estimated cost. This field can include a default currency sign based on your organization’s settings.
        • Billing Cycle: A single-choice field for users to specify the billing cycle (e.g., Monthly, Annually, One-time).
        • Department: A searchable dropdown where users select the department making the request. Custom entries can be added if needed.
        • Due Date: A date picker where the requester selects the expected date by which the procurement should be fulfilled.

      Step 3: Building the Flow Tree

      The flow tree defines the approval steps, approvers, and the structure of the workflow. There are three types of approval flows you can create

        • Sequential: Each approver reviews the request in a set order, one after the other. A request moves to the next step only after the current step is completed.
        • Parallel: Multiple approvers can review the request at the same time. All approvers in a step must take action before the request can proceed to the next step.
        • Mixed: A combination of sequential and parallel steps. For example, you might require initial approvals to be sequential and later steps to be parallel.
      How to add actions:

      • once you're done with intake form setup

      • click Next and add actions (approvers/conditions)

      • click + icon
      • select Approver/Condition
      • assign a team member as approver

      Adding Conditions: You can also set conditions that dictate when a step is required (e.g., based on request type or price). For instance, if the expected price is over a certain threshold, the request might need approval from higher-level approvers.