Invoice approval routing

Purpose

1. Automate end-to-end vendor invoice approval workflows, automating document intake, validation, routing to appropriate stakeholders, approval escalation, and communication in property management operations.

2. Ensure invoices from vendors/contractors are automatically tracked, exceptions flagged, approvals logged, and payments released upon multi-layer authorization.

Trigger Conditions

1. Automated detection of new invoice submissions via email, SFTP, portal uploads, or API.

2. Automated matching of invoices with POs or work orders in accounting/ERP systems.

3. Automated identification of anomalies (duplicate, missing data) or exceptions triggering alternate paths.

4. Automated receipt of invoice-related events (status changes, updates, rejections).

Platform Variants

1. Microsoft Power Automate

• Feature: Automated Workflows
  
• Setting: Configure invoice file pickup via Outlook connector and approval flow using Teams integration.
  

2. Zapier

• Feature: “New Email Attachment” Zap
  
• Setting: Automate invoice extraction from Gmail/Outlook, pass data to Approvals in Slack or Asana.
  

3. DocuSign

• Feature: eSignature API
  
• Setting: Automate routing of invoices and capturing digital approvals with validation steps.
  

4. Coupa

• Feature: Invoicing API
  
• Setting: Automate invoice ingestion and three-way match, set approval chain in Workflow Configurator.
  

5. Xero

• Feature: Accounting API
  
• Setting: Automate pushing bills to “Awaiting Approval”, trigger custom approval automations.
  

6. QuickBooks Online

• Feature: Automated Invoice Workflows
  
• Setting: Integrate with approval system; trigger rules via QuickBooks API and webhooks.
  

7. Slack

• Feature: Workflow Builder
  
• Setting: Automate approval notifications and collect approval/rejection via Slack modals.
  

8. Salesforce

• Feature: Flow Builder
  
• Setting: Automate routing based on vendor/account, assign tasks and log approvals.
  

9. Google Workspace

• Feature: Apps Script
  
• Setting: Automate email parsing and Drive/Sheets document routing for approval chains.
  

10. SAP Concur

• Feature: Invoice Capture
  
• Setting: Automate intake, policy validation, and approval workflow via SAP APIs.
  

11. Oracle NetSuite

• Feature: SuiteFlow
  
• Setting: Automate multi-level approval with SuiteScript triggers for invoices.
  

12. ServiceNow

• Feature: Flow Designer
  
• Setting: Automate submission, validation, and dynamic approval routing with notifications.
  

13. Monday.com

• Feature: Automations
  
• Setting: Automate assigning review columns, approval/rejection status change triggers.
  

14. Box

• Feature: Workflows
  
• Setting: Automate file intake/approval requests using Box Relay and assign reviewers.
  

15. AWS Lambda

• Feature: Serverless Triggers
  
• Setting: Automate parsing PDF invoices and update approval status in backend systems.
  

16. Airtable

• Feature: Automations
  
• Setting: Automated record creation, status update, and Slack/email notification for approvals.
  

17. Jira

• Feature: Automation Rules
  
• Setting: Automate ticket creation for invoice approval and assign to proper managers.
  

18. PandaDoc

• Feature: Document Workflow
  
• Setting: Automate approval requests and capture digital signatures on vendor invoices.
  

19. HubSpot

• Feature: Workflows
  
• Setting: Automated emails and task creation for invoice approvals with conditional logic.
  

20. Trello

• Feature: Butler Automation
  
• Setting: Automate card movement for each approval step and notify stakeholders.
  

21. Smartsheet

• Feature: Automated Workflows
  
• Setting: Automate approval tracking via status columns with alerts for pending/overdue items.
  

22. Asana

• Feature: Rules Automation
  
• Setting: Automate creation and updating of approval tasks, notifications for status change.
  

23. FreshBooks

• Feature: Approval Workflow
  
• Setting: Automate flagging of new bills for approval, trigger reminders automatically.
  

Benefits

1. Automates all approval routing, minimizing errors and manual intervention in property management.

2. Automated routing speeds up payment cycles, reducing late penalties and improving vendor relations.

3. Automated audit trails for compliance, with automated notifications for bottlenecks.

4. Automation supports scalability, reduces processing costs, and enhances visibility into invoice statuses.

5. Automated anomaly detection mitigates fraud and ensures financial accuracy, raising trust in automated processes.