How do approval workflows function in Zoho Books for expense and purchase approvals?

How do approval workflows function in Zoho Books for expense and purchase approvals?


Info

Zoho Books includes built-in approval workflows to streamline financial oversight. Here’s how it works:

  1. Purchase Orders / Expenses / Bills Modules:
    Enable “Transaction Approval” in module preferences.

  2. Set Approvers by Role or User:
    You can define approval logic based on roles like Finance Manager, Department Head, etc.

  3. Create Multi-Level Approvals (Premium Plans):
    For example:

    • Expenses below ₹10,000 go to the finance associate.

    • ₹10,001–₹50,000 goes to the manager.

    • ₹50,001+ goes to the CFO.

  4. Automated Email Alerts:
    Once submitted, the approver is notified. Upon approval/rejection, the requestor is informed automatically.

  5. Add Comments and Reasons:
    Each approval step allows for remarks or reasons, which are logged for audit purposes.

Use Case Example:
An employee submits a reimbursement of ₹25,000. It automatically goes to the department head for approval, who can approve, reject, or ask for clarification with just one click.

This ensures financial control, transparency, and faster turnaround for payments.