<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen approvals start causing problems, slow approvers are often the first people to get blamed. Sometimes they are the problem. Quite often, though, the problem is in the process itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Routine purchases need too many approvals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More approvals do not always mean more control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a \u20b912,000 repeat order needs approval from the department head, finance, procurement and senior management, there is probably too much process for a routine purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone who sees dozens of low-risk orders every week may eventually start approving them out of habit. If routine purchases regularly reach senior management, your approval limits are probably too low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The purchase happens before approval<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Someone places an urgent order, the vendor starts supplying, and the PO is raised afterwards so the paperwork can catch up. There is not much left to approve by then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Genuine emergencies happen. The problem starts when \u201curgent\u201d becomes your usual way to buy first and get approval later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Everything ends up with the same senior approver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may have several approval levels on paper, but if every important PO eventually lands with the founder, CFO or purchase head, that person has effectively become the approval process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The queue grows, and routine purchases start waiting too. Your approval limits may be too low, too many purchases may be getting escalated, or managers may not have enough authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. The real approval happens somewhere else<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The PO says \u201cPending,\u201d but somebody has already approved it over WhatsApp, Slack, email or the phone. Now your official record says one thing, and the people involved know another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem usually appears later, when somebody asks who approved the purchase and what they actually approved. If this happens regularly, your formal process is probably too slow, too difficult or too disconnected from how people actually work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/span>Final Takeaway<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce you are clear on what should be checked and who has the authority to approve it, the next challenge is making sure every PO follows those rules consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is where a Purchase Order approval workflow comes in. If you are ready to turn your approval rules into an automated workflow, read our guide on how to design, automate, and improve a Purchase Order approval workflow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n