Approval rules

The Approval rules page allows you to define how invoices are automatically routed to specific approval flows based on a combination of parameters.

This functionality supports both:

• Standard approval routing within the same company
• Cross-company approval between entities
  • Cross company approval should be switched on for Settings in Purchase Invoice for it to work. 

This makes it possible to centralize, distribute, or fully automate approval processes across your organization.

What do Approval rules do?

Approval rules determine which approval flow an invoice is sent to, based on predefined matching criteria.

Each rule acts as a filter. When an invoice is received, the system evaluates all active rules and checks whether the invoice matches the defined parameters.

• If a rule matches, the invoice is routed to the specified approval flow
• If no rules match, the invoice follows the default approval setup

This ensures that invoices are always handled by the correct approvers, based on relevant financial and organizational logic.

Standard vs. Cross-company approval

The Tenant company field controls how the rule behaves:

• Same Tenant company as the current company
  → The rule applies a standard approval flow within the same entity
• Different Tenant company than the current company
  → The rule triggers a cross-company approval flow, and the invoice is routed to another company for approval

This allows organizations to:

• Keep approvals local within each company
• Or centralize approvals in a shared service entity (e.g., finance department)

How rules are applied

For a rule to be triggered:

• All selected parameters in the rule must match the invoice
• This includes both G/L criteria and any ERP dimensions used
• If even one parameter does not match, the rule is ignored

When a match is found:

• The invoice is automatically routed to the defined approval flow
• The users assigned to that flow become responsible for approval

This ensures precise and controlled routing of invoices.

Fields explained

The Approval rules setup consists of both standard 2CA fields and ERP-derived parameters.

Standard 2CA fields

G/L account from / to
Defines the financial scope of the rule:

• If only from is filled → applies to a specific account
• If both from and to are filled → applies to all accounts within that interval
• This allows you to target rules toward:
  • Specific cost types (e.g., rent, IT, consulting)
  • Broader account ranges

Tenant company
Determines where the invoice is routed:

• Same company → internal approval flow
• Different company → cross-company approval
• This field is essential for controlling whether approvals are centralized or decentralized

Approval flow
Specifies which approval flow the invoice is sent to.

The approval flow defines:

• Which users must approve
• In what order (if applicable)

ERP-based parameters:

The remaining fields are retrieved from your ERP system and allow for more granular control. These are set up by your own company in the ERP-system, and will typically be:

• Department – typically used for cost centers or internal teams
• Employee – used if approval depends on a specific person
• Job number / Project – links invoices to projects
• Project manager – responsible person for the project
• Other ERP dimensions (depending on setup)

If any of these fields are included in a rule, they must match the invoice exactly for the rule to apply.

Import and export

Approval rules can be easily reused and managed across environments:

• Export rules for documentation or backup
• Import rules to replicate setups across companies

This functionality is available via the buttons in the top-right corner of the page.

Practical use

Approval rules are typically used to:

• Route invoices based on account type (e.g., IT costs → IT approvers)
• Route invoices based on department or project
• Centralize approvals in a shared finance entity
• Ensure invoices are always approved by the correct responsible users

Summary

Approval rules provide a flexible and automated way to control invoice approvals by:

• Combining financial logic (G/L accounts) with organizational structure (ERP dimensions)
• Supporting both internal and cross-company approval flows
• Ensuring invoices are routed accurately and consistently

This reduces manual handling, increases control, and improves the efficiency of the approval process across the entire organization.