Set up supplier approval

Set up supplier approval to require that new and edited supplier records be approved before users can post supplier transactions. Set up supplier approval at the top level, not within an entity.

Suppliers automatically created from customer refunds can participate in standard supplier approval workflows. Admins can configure Accounts Payable to skip supplier approvals for suppliers created automatically from customer refunds when approval review is not required. Existing suppliers linked to customers continue to follow the standard approval workflow.

Before you begin

When you enable supplier approval, Sage Intacct automatically approves all existing suppliers, including inactive suppliers.

Review the Suppliers list before enabling supplier approval and make any necessary changes to supplier records.

The initial audit trail update can take time, depending on the number of suppliers. Until processing is complete, users cannot add, edit, delete, or import suppliers. Consider enabling supplier approval during off hours.

Enable supplier approval

Subscription Accounts Payable
Regional availability

All regions

User type Business with admin privileges, with no restrictions
Permissions

Approve suppliers: List

Access to all supplier records

The user who enables Supplier approvals is recorded as the approver in the audit trail. You can remove the permission after all suppliers are updated.
  1. At the top level, go to Accounts Payable > Setup > Configuration.
  2. Under Supplier approval settings, select Enable supplier approval.

    Optionally, If your company processes customer refunds, use Skip supplier approvals for suppliers created from customer refunds to automatically approve suppliers created from customer refunds instead of routing them through the supplier approval workflow.

  3. To allow users to receive notifications, select Email notifications.

    Users can decide if they want to receive the following by updating their Preferences:

    • Notifications of suppliers awaiting approval
    • Notifications when a supplier that they submitted is approved or declined
  4. Select Save.

Sage Intacct updates the audit trail and marks existing suppliers as approved. An email notification is sent when the update finishes.

Optional next steps

  1. Assign the Approve suppliers: List permission to additional approvers.

    Depending on your company's configuration, update either user-based permissions or role-based permissions.

  2. If you enabled email notifications, ask users to configure their notification preferences.

    • Approvers can receive notifications when suppliers are ready for review.

    • Submitters can receive notifications when suppliers they submitted are approved or declined.

    • Users configure notification preferences on the Preferences page.

Results

  • New and updated suppliers now require approval before they can be used for Accounts Payable or Purchasing transactions.

  • Approvers can review suppliers in Accounts Payable > All tab > Approve suppliers .

  • Supplier records now include approval status and history information.