Understanding Invoice Approval Workflow Issues in ProcureDesk
Overview
If an invoice did not route through the expected approval workflow, or did not reach the final approver's queue, there are three common reasons: the approval was overridden, the invoice was submitted without a PO line, or the PO approval workflow for over-invoice scenarios is not enabled. This article explains each scenario and how to resolve it.
Scenario 1: The approval was overridden
When an approval is manually overridden, the invoice bypasses the standard workflow and does not proceed to the next approver or the final approval queue.
To check whether this happened:
Open the invoice.
Click Audit Trail in the top-right corner.
Review the entries for any indication that the approval was overridden.
If the Audit Trail shows an override, the workflow was bypassed at that point. For future invoices, the workflow will route correctly as long as no override is applied. If you need the current invoice re-routed, contact your ProcureDesk administrator.
Scenario 2: The invoice was submitted without a PO line
If your company has the "Po line is mandatory for invoice line" setting enabled, the approval workflow will only trigger when a PO line is selected on the invoice. If the invoice was submitted without a PO line, for example before this setting was enforced, the workflow will not trigger.
To resolve this:
Move the invoice back to Draft status.
Open the invoice and select the correct PO line.
Resubmit the invoice. The approval workflow will now trigger.
Admins can enable this setting at: Admin → General Settings → Company Setting → Invoice tab → "Po line is mandatory for invoice line."
Scenario 3: The PO approval workflow for over-invoice scenarios is not enabled
ProcureDesk can automatically trigger an additional approval when an invoice amount exceeds the PO amount. This applies to service-only invoices and Blanket POs. If this workflow is not triggering as expected, check whether the setting is enabled.
Admins can find this setting at: Admin → General Settings → Company Setting → General tab → "Enable PO Approval Workflow."
When enabled, the PO approval workflow is triggered automatically for over-invoice scenarios. This applies to service-only invoices and Blanket POs only.
FAQ
Why did one invoice on a PO go through the approval workflow but another did not?
This usually happens when one invoice was submitted before a mandatory setting was enabled. For example, if the "Po line is mandatory for invoice line" setting was turned on after an invoice was already created, that earlier invoice may have been submitted without a PO line, causing the workflow to skip. The solution is to move the invoice back to Draft, add the PO line, and resubmit.
2. Why did my invoice trigger an unexpected additional approval?
If your invoice amount is greater than the PO amount, and the "Enable PO Approval Workflow" setting is enabled, the system automatically routes the invoice for an additional approval. This applies to service-only invoices and Blanket POs. If you want to disable this behavior, contact your administrator.
3. Why didn't my invoice reach the final approver's queue?
The most common reason is that the approval was overridden at an earlier stage. Open the invoice and click Audit Trail to review the entries for any indication of an override. Once overridden, the invoice cannot be re-added to the final approver's queue for that specific invoice. Future invoices will route correctly.
4. How do I check whether an approval was overridden?
Open the invoice and click Audit Trail in the top-right corner. Review the entries for any indication that the approval was overridden, including who made the change and when.
5. Can an administrator add an approver back to the queue after an override?
No. Once an approval has been overridden for a specific invoice, the approver cannot be re-added to that invoice's queue. Future invoices will follow the correct workflow.