Procurement request and approval workflow

Purpose

1. Automate procurement request initiation, routing, and approval, automating documentation, compliance, and spend tracking for mining operations.

2. Automator for reducing manual approvals, automating purchase order creation, and accelerating procurement cycles.

3. Automatedly monitor spend policy adherence, integrate supplier verification, and log audit trails for financial and cost control compliance.

4. Automating notifications to stakeholders, supporting real-time status tracking, and archiving all approval data for future audits.

5. Enable seamless automatable handoffs, reducing bottlenecks and preventing duplicate or rogue purchases through automation rules.

Trigger Conditions

1. Automate when a procurement request is submitted via form, email, or ERP system.

2. Automation triggers upon expense threshold, commodity type, or budget code selection.

3. Automate requests that match predefined urgency or risk parameters.

4. Scheduled, event-based, or dynamic rule-based automation for workflow routing.

Platform Variants

1. Microsoft Power Automate

• Feature/Setting: Automated flows—trigger on SharePoint form submission, route to Teams for approval, update Dynamics 365.
  

2. SAP Ariba

• Feature/Setting: API for purchase requisition creation and approval workflow; configure requisitionApproval and purchaseOrderCreate.
  

3. Oracle Procurement Cloud

• Feature/Setting: REST API for automated request submission and approval; configure POST /prcRequisitions and workflow triggers.
  

4. Coupa

• Feature/Setting: API-triggered procurement request creation—COUPA API: /api/requisitions; configure workflow rules for multi-stage approvals.
  

5. ServiceNow

• Feature/Setting: Flow Designer—procurement request submission automates task creation and approval chain; configure Approval Workflow API.
  

6. Kissflow

• Feature/Setting: Automated procurement workflow—with form triggers, escalated approvals, and email updates—API/form event webhook.
  

7. Jira Service Management

• Feature/Setting: Automate service desk request creation, link requests to approval workflow—automation engine: When: "Issue Created".
  

8. Slack

• Feature/Setting: Workflow Builder—automate procurement form submission with custom approval steps; Slack API: chat.postMessage for notifications.
  

9. Monday.com

• Feature/Setting: Automation recipes—when a form is submitted, automate notification and approval status update; webhook integration.
  

10. DocuSign

• Feature/Setting: Envelope creation for automated procurement document approval—eSignature API; eventNotifications for status updates.
  

11. SAP ERP

• Feature/Setting: IDoc/API for automated procurement document exchange; configure BANF creation IDoc and approval trigger.
  

12. QuickBooks Online

• Feature/Setting: Automated purchase order creation via QuickBooks API POST /purchaseorder; trigger approval request email.
  

13. NetSuite

• Feature/Setting: SuiteFlow—automated procurement workflow initiation based on request fields and automated approval routings.
  

14. Zoho Creator

• Feature/Setting: Workflow automation for procurement forms—server-side scripting to automate approval steps and notifications.
  

15. Smartsheet

• Feature/Setting: Automated workflow—when row added (procurement), send approval request via email, update status automatically.
  

16. Airtable

• Feature/Setting: Automator for record creation—triggers custom scripts for automated approval email and document storage.
  

17. Google Workspace

• Feature/Setting: Google Forms triggers Apps Script automation for procurement routing, creates approval threads in Gmail.
  

18. Asana

• Feature/Setting: Rule automation—when procurement task created, automate assignment and multi-level approval chain.
  

19. Trello

• Feature/Setting: Butler automation—trigger on card creation in procurement list, route for approval and automated notifications.
  

20. Workato

• Feature/Setting: Integrator—automate cross-platform workflow, e.g. from request forms to Slack to SAP; use recipe-based automation.
  

Benefits

1. Automated procurement improves cycle speed and compliance.

2. Reduces manual errors and automates tracking of every request and approval.

3. Automates notifications, preventing bottlenecks and missed approvals.

4. Real-time, automated monitoring ensures spend adherence and cost control.

5. Automation minimizes fraud, enforces policy, and boosts audit readiness.

6. Automates data integration between financial, ERP, and communications tools ensuring seamless workflow orchestration.

7. Frees up staff for value-added tasks by automating repetitive procurement functions.