Accounts Payable

Introducing supplier-based approval for AP supplier invoice routing

Does your organization assign approval responsibilities for AP supplier invoices based on the supplier? If so, you're going to love the new supplier-based approval rule type for AP supplier invoice approval policies.

When you add the supplier-based approval rule type to your AP supplier invoice approval policy, you have the option to assign an AP supplier invoice approver to each supplier, in the supplier record. Then, when an AP supplier invoice is submitted, Sage Intacct routes the AP supplier invoice to the assigned approver's queue for review.

If you have both a vendor-based approval and a Value Approval - Transaction department rule type present in your AP supplier invoice approval policy, departmental approval is overridden for AP supplier invoices from suppliers who have an AP supplier invoice approver assigned.

Details

  • Add the Supplier-based approval rule type to your AP supplier invoice approval policy in Accounts Payable configuration.

  • The AP supplier invoice approver field appears in the supplier record after you add the supplier-based approval rule type and save your configuration.

  • Assign AP supplier invoice approvers by editing supplier records directly or by updating supplier records using CSV import.

  • Any unrestricted business or employee user with Approve AP supplier invoices: List permissions can be selected as an AP supplier invoice approver.

  • You can assign a user group as an AP supplier invoice approver provided all members of the group are unrestricted and have the appropriate permissions. Only one user in the group is required to approve an AP supplier invoice.

When multiple rule types are present in your AP supplier invoice approval policy, they execute as follows:

  • If your AP supplier invoice approval policy includes multiple rules, rules are executed in the order you list them.

  • If an AP supplier invoice is submitted for a supplier that does not have an assigned approver, the AP supplier invoice is automatically approved for that rule and Sage Intacct proceeds to the next approval rule.

  • If you have both a Value Approval - Transaction Department rule set and a Supplier-based Approval rule type present in your AP supplier invoice approval policy, Intacct executes the rules as follows:

    • For AP supplier invoices from suppliers with assigned AP supplier invoice approvers, Supplier-based Approval executes and Value Approval - Transaction Department is bypassed. This allows you to create AP supplier invoices for supplier-based approval that are allocated across multiple departments.

    • For AP supplier invoices from suppliers that do not have assigned AP supplier invoice approvers, Value Approval - Transaction Department executes and Supplier-based Approval is bypassed.

How it works

Step 1. Setup

  1. If you’re already using AP supplier invoice approvals, add the supplier-based approval rule type to your existing AP supplier invoice approval configuration.

    If you are not yet using AP supplier invoice approvals, learn how to enable the option and create your AP supplier invoice approval policy.

  2. Grant Approve AP supplier invoices: List permission to the users who you want to assign as AP supplier invoice approvers.

Step 2. Assign AP supplier invoice approvers

  1. Go to Accounts Payable > All tab > Suppliers.

  2. Select Edit next to the supplier you want to update.

  3. Select the Additional information tab.

  4. In the AP supplier invoice details section, select a user or user group from the AP supplier invoice approver list.

  5. Select Save or Submit.

    If you have supplier approval enabled, this change takes effect after the supplier update is approved.

Step 3. Approve AP supplier invoices

The process for the supplier-based approval rule is similar to that for other AP supplier invoice approval rules.

  1. A user submits an AP supplier invoice.

  2. Sage Intacct begins executing the AP supplier invoice approval rules you defined in your AP supplier invoice approval policy.

  3. When the approval workflow reaches the Supplier-based approval rule, Sage Intacct checks to see whether an AP supplier invoice approver is assigned to the supplier.

    • If an approver is assigned, the AP supplier invoice is added to the approver's queue.

      Approvers that have notifications configured will receive an email notifying them that the bill is awaiting approval.

    • If no approver is assigned, the AP supplier invoice is auto-approved and the next approval rule is executed.

      If there are no more approval rules, the AP supplier invoice state changes to posted.

  4. The approver reviews the AP supplier invoice and either approves or declines it.

    • If the approver declines the AP supplier invoice, the AP supplier invoice state is changed to Declined.

    • If the approver approves the AP supplier invoice, the bill state changes to Posted or Partially approved, depending on whether there are additional rule types after Supplier-based approval.

      Value Approval - Transaction Department rule types are bypassed for AP supplier invoices from suppliers with assigned AP supplier invoice approvers.
  5. After all approval rules are complete, submitters who are configured for AP supplier invoice approval notifications are notified if the AP supplier invoice was approved.

Permissions and other requirements

Subscription

Accounts Payable

Regional availability

All regions

User type

Setup:

  • Business user with admin privileges

Approvals:

  • Business

  • Employee

Permissions

Accounts Payable

  • Approve AP supplier invoices: List

  • Suppliers: List, Edit

CSV import

Add the Supplier-based approval rule to your AP supplier invoice approval policy before you download the Supplier import template to assign AP supplier invoice approvers.

Users and user groups that you specify in the BILLAPPROVERID column must be unrestricted.