Building an Approval Workflow: When Orders Need Manager Sign-Off

Introduction

Not every transaction should proceed automatically. High-value orders, unusual discounts, pricing exceptions, and out-of-policy requests often require manager review and approval before completion. Without a structured approval process, organizations face compliance risks, inconsistent policy application, and potential financial losses.

Traditional approval workflows in Business Central often require custom development, complex workflow configurations, or manual email-based processes that are slow, error-prone, and difficult to track.

QUALIA Rule Engine provides a better approach: rule-based approval workflows that automatically route transactions requiring approval, notify the right people, track responses, and enforce approval requirements—all without custom code.

This comprehensive guide explains how to design and implement approval workflows using business rules, covering single-level approvals, multi-tier authorization, conditional routing, approval tracking, and real-world examples across sales, purchasing, and finance.

Understanding Rule-Based Approval Workflows

What is a Rule-Based Approval Workflow?

A rule-based approval workflow uses business rules to:

Identify transactions requiring approval (based on amount, type, conditions)
Determine appropriate approver (based on hierarchy, specialization, workload)
Notify approvers (email, system message, dashboard)
Track approval status (pending, approved, rejected)
Enforce approval requirements (block processing until approved)

Advantages Over Traditional Approaches

Traditional workflow:

❌ Complex setup requiring technical expertise
❌ Rigid, predefined paths
❌ Difficult to modify once deployed
❌ Limited conditional logic
❌ Often asynchronous (delays)

Rule-based workflow:

✅ Business user configurable
✅ Flexible, condition-driven routing
✅ Easy to modify as policies change
✅ Rich conditional logic support
✅ Real-time enforcement

Core Components of Approval Workflows

1. Threshold Rules: Define when approval is needed

2. Routing Logic: Determine who should approve

3. Notification Mechanism: Alert approvers

4. Status Tracking: Monitor approval state

5. Enforcement Rules: Ensure approval before proceeding

Approval Workflow Pattern: High-Value Orders

Let's build a comprehensive approval workflow for high-value sales orders.

Business Requirements

Policy:

Orders $50,000 - $100,000: Sales Manager approval required
Orders $100,000 - $500,000: Sales VP approval required
Orders over $500,000: CFO approval required
Orders under $50,000: No approval needed (automatic)

Workflow:

Sales rep creates order
If over threshold, order status set to "Pending Approval"
Appropriate approver notified via email
Approver reviews and updates approval field
Order can only be posted if approved

Implementation Strategy

We'll use three rule sets to implement this workflow:

Rule Set 1: Approval Requirement Detection (Before Insert)

Detects orders requiring approval
Sets status to "Pending Approval"
Sends notification emails

Rule Set 2: Approval Enforcement (Before Posting)

Blocks posting of unapproved orders
Ensures approval was obtained

Rule Set 3: Approval Tracking (After Approval)

Optional: Logs approvals for audit
Updates related fields

Rule Set 1: Detect and Route for Approval

Configuration:

Rule Set: SALES-APPROVAL-ROUTING
Trigger Table: 36 (Sales Header)
Trigger Event: After Insert
Enable: Yes

Scenarios:
  1. [36:1] is 'Order'              // Document Type = Order
  2. [36:109]

Placeholders Used in This Rule Set Configuration:

[36:1] - Sales Header (Table 36): Document Type (Field 1) - Type of sales document
[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount

Rule 1: Sales Manager Approval Required

Condition: [36:109] is 50000..99999.99
// Amount between $50,000 and $99,999.99

Action 1: Assign
  Field: [36:120] (Status)
  Value: '1'                        // Pending Approval status
  Description: "Set status to Pending Approval"

Action 2: Email
  To: salesmanager@company.com
  Subject: "Sales Order Approval Required: $[36:109]"
  Body: 
    "Sales order [36:3]

Placeholders Used in This Rule:

[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount
[36:120] - Sales Header (Table 36): Status (Field 120) - Order status (Open, Released, Pending Approval, etc.)
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
[18:2] - Customer (Table 18): Name (Field 2) - Customer name
[18:1] - Customer (Table 18): No. (Field 1) - Customer number
[36:99] - Sales Header (Table 36): Order Date (Field 99) - When order was created
[USERID] - System placeholder: Current user ID

Rule 2: Sales VP Approval Required

Condition: [36:109] is 100000..499999.99
// Amount between $100,000 and $499,999.99

Action 1: Assign
  Field: [36:120] (Status)
  Value: '1'                        // Pending Approval
  
Action 2: Email
  To: salesvp@company.com
  Subject: "High-Value Order Approval Required: $[36:109]"
  Body:
    "HIGH-VALUE sales order [36:3]

Placeholders Used in This Rule:

[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount
[36:120] - Sales Header (Table 36): Status (Field 120) - Order status
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
[18:2] - Customer (Table 18): Name (Field 2) - Customer name
[18:1] - Customer (Table 18): No. (Field 1) - Customer number
[36:99] - Sales Header (Table 36): Order Date (Field 99) - Order creation date
[USERID] - System placeholder: Current user ID

Rule 3: CFO Approval Required

Condition: [36:109] is >=500000
// Amount $500,000 or more

Action 1: Assign
  Field: [36:120] (Status)
  Value: '1'                        // Pending Approval
  
Action 2: Email
  To: cfo@company.com
  CC: salesvp@company.com
  Subject: "CRITICAL: Executive Approval Required for $[36:109]

Placeholders Used in This Rule:

[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount
[36:120] - Sales Header (Table 36): Status (Field 120) - Order status
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
[18:2] - Customer (Table 18): Name (Field 2) - Customer name
[18:1] - Customer (Table 18): No. (Field 1) - Customer number
[36:99] - Sales Header (Table 36): Order Date (Field 99) - Order creation date
[USERID] - System placeholder: Current user ID

Rule Set 2: Enforce Approval Before Posting

Configuration:

Rule Set: SALES-APPROVAL-ENFORCEMENT
Trigger Table: 36 (Sales Header)
Trigger Event: Before Posting (if supported) or Before Modify with status check
Enable: Yes

Scenarios:
  1. [36:1] is 'Order'
  2. [36:109] is >=50000            // Orders requiring approval

Condition: [36:CustomApprovalField] is <>'Approved'
// Assuming custom approval status field exists
// Adjust based on your BC customization

Action: Error
Message: "Order [36:3] for $[36:109] requires approval before posting.

Current status: Pending Approval
Required approver: [Based on amount tier]

Note: Exact implementation depends on whether BC allows custom approval fields or if you're using standard approval workflow fields.

Rule Set 3: Approval Audit Logging (Optional)

Configuration:

Rule Set: SALES-APPROVAL-AUDIT
Trigger Table: 36 (Sales Header)
Trigger Event: After Modify
Enable: Yes

Scenarios:
  1. [36:1] is 'Order'
  2. [36:CustomApprovalField] is 'Approved'    // Just approved

Condition: [Previous approval status] was 'Pending'
// Detects transition from Pending to Approved

Action: Email
  To: auditteam@company.com
  Subject: "Order Approval Recorded: [36:3]

Multi-Tier Approval Workflow

For more complex scenarios, you might need sequential approvals (multiple people must approve).

Example: Purchase Orders

Policy:

All purchase orders require department manager approval
Purchase orders over $25,000 also require finance manager approval
Purchase orders over $100,000 also require CFO approval

Implementation: Tiered Approval Fields

Approach: Use multiple approval fields for each tier

Rule Set: Purchase Order Approval Routing

Rule 1: Department Manager (All Orders)

Trigger: After Insert
Condition: [38:109]

Rule 2: Finance Manager (>$25K)

Trigger: After Modify
Scenario 1: [38:CustomDeptApproval] is true
Scenario 2: [38:109] is >25000

Action: Email to Finance Manager
Message: "PO [38:3] for $[38:109]

Rule 3: CFO (>$100K)

Trigger: After Modify
Scenario 1: [38:CustomFinanceApproval] is true
Scenario 2: [38:109] is >100000

Action: Email to CFO
Message: "PO [38:3] for $[38:109]

Enforcement Rule

Conditional Approval Routing

Sometimes approval requirements depend on context beyond just amount.

Example: Customer-Specific Routing

Policy:

VIP customers: Orders up to $100K need manager approval
Standard customers: Orders over $50K need manager approval
New customers: All orders need manager approval

Implementation:

Rule Set: SALES-CONDITIONAL-APPROVAL
Trigger Table: 36 (Sales Header)
Trigger Event: After Insert

Linked Tables: Customer (18)

Rule 1: New Customer Approval
Condition: [18:CustomNewCustomerFlag] is true
Action: Route to sales manager (any amount)

Rule 2: Standard Customer Approval
Scenario 1: [18:CustomerType] is 'Standard'
Scenario 2: [36:109] is >50000
Action: Route to sales manager

Rule 3: VIP Customer Approval
Scenario 1: [18:CustomerType] is 'VIP'
Scenario 2: [36:109]

Example: Department-Specific Routing

Policy: Different departments have different approval chains

Rule: Sales Department Orders
Condition: [36:DepartmentCode] is 'SALES'
Action: Email to sales.manager@company.com

Rule: Service Department Orders
Condition: [36:DepartmentCode] is 'SERVICE'
Action: Email to service.manager@company.com

Rule: Enterprise Department Orders
Condition: [36:DepartmentCode]

Approval Status Tracking

Effective approval workflows require visibility into approval status.

Status Field Options

Option 1: Use BC Standard Status Field

Option 2: Custom Approval Status Field

Option 3: Approval Workflow Table

Tracking with Business Rules

Set Status to Pending:

Action: Assign
Field: [36:120] or [36:CustomApprovalStatus]

Verify Approval Before Action:

Condition: [36:CustomApprovalStatus]

Log Approval Decision:

Real-World Approval Scenarios

Scenario 1: Discount Authorization

Policy: Discounts exceeding salesperson's authorization require manager approval

Salesperson Authorization Levels:
- Junior: Up to 10% discount
- Standard: Up to 15% discount
- Senior: Up to 20% discount
- Manager: Any discount

Rule Set: SALES-DISCOUNT-APPROVAL

Rule 1: Detect Unauthorized Discount
Condition: {[36:176] / [36:109]} is >[13:CustomDiscountAuthLimit]
// Discount % > Salesperson's authorized limit

Action 1: Set status to Pending
Action 2: Email to sales manager
  "Order [36:3] has [Discount%]% discount, exceeding 
   [SalespersonName]'s limit of [AuthLimit]

Placeholders Used in This Scenario:

[36:176] - Sales Header (Table 36): Invoice Discount Amount (Field 176) - Total discount amount
[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount
[13:CustomDiscountAuthLimit] - Salesperson (Table 13): Custom field for discount authorization limit
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
{[36:176] / [36:109]} - Calculated expression: Discount percentage

Scenario 2: Pricing Exception Approval

Policy: Selling below cost requires director approval

Rule Set: SALES-COST-EXCEPTION

Linked Tables: Sales Line (37), Item (27)

Condition: [37:22] is <[27:21]
// Unit Price < Unit Cost

Action: Email to sales director
  "Order [36:3] line [37:LineNo] selling item [27:3] 
   at $[37:22], which is below cost of $[27:21].
   
   Loss per unit: $([27:21] - [37:22])
   Quantity: [37:15]
   Total loss: $(([27:21] - [37:22]) * [37:15]

Placeholders Used in This Scenario:

[37:22] - Sales Line (Table 37): Unit Price (Field 22) - Selling price per unit
[27:21] - Item (Table 27): Unit Cost (Field 21) - Cost per unit
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
[37:LineNo] - Sales Line (Table 37): Line No. - Line number in the order
[27:3] - Item (Table 27): Description (Field 3) - Item description
[37:15] - Sales Line (Table 37): Quantity (Field 15) - Quantity ordered
{[27:21] - [37:22]} - Calculated expression: Loss per unit
{([27:21] - [37:22]) * [37:15]} - Calculated expression: Total loss amount

Scenario 3: Budget Approval for Projects

Policy: Project expenses exceeding budget need project manager approval

Rule Set: PROJECT-BUDGET-APPROVAL

Linked Tables: Job (167), Job Planning Line (1003)

Condition: [1003:TotalCost] > [167:Budget]
// Project cost exceeds approved budget

Action: Email to project manager
  "Project [167:3] expenditure has exceeded budget.
   
   Budget: $[167:Budget]
   Actual Cost: $[1003:TotalCost]
   Variance: $([1003:TotalCost] - [167:Budget])
   Variance %: [([1003:TotalCost] - [167:Budget]) / [167:Budget]

Scenario 4: Payment Terms Exception

Policy: Payment terms differing from customer default need credit manager approval

Rule Set: CREDIT-TERMS-EXCEPTION

Condition: [36:64] is <>[18:27]
// Order payment terms differ from customer default

Action: Email to credit manager
  "Order [36:3] for customer [18:2] has non-standard payment terms.
   
   Customer Default: [18:27]
   Order Terms: [36:64]
   Order Amount: $[36:109]

Placeholders Used in This Scenario:

[36:64] - Sales Header (Table 36): Payment Terms Code (Field 64) - Payment terms for this order
[18:27] - Customer (Table 18): Payment Terms Code (Field 27) - Customer's default payment terms
[36:3] - Sales Header (Table 36): No. (Field 3) - Sales order number
[18:2] - Customer (Table 18): Name (Field 2) - Customer name
[36:109] - Sales Header (Table 36): Amount Including VAT (Field 109) - Total order amount

Building Approval Dashboards

Make approval requests visible to approvers.

Approach 1: Email Notifications

Advantages:

✅ Immediate notification
✅ Works outside BC
✅ Can include direct links

Implementation: Use email actions in rules (as shown above)

Approach 2: Approval Cue (Role Center)

Create filtered view of pending approvals:

Implementation: Standard BC page customization

Approach 3: Dedicated Approval Page

Custom page listing all pending approvals:

Approval Workflow Best Practices

1. Clear Threshold Definition

Poor: "Large orders need approval" Better: "Orders over $50,000 need approval" Best:

2. Timely Notifications

Immediate notification when approval needed:

Email sent as soon as order created
Subject line clearly indicates action needed
Body includes all relevant information
Direct link to order (if possible)

3. Escalation Procedures

Define what happens if approval delayed:

Implementation:

Requires scheduled job or Power Automate integration
Tracks approval request age
Sends reminders/escalations

4. Audit Trail

Log all approval decisions:

Who approved/rejected
When approved/rejected
Original request details
Approval reasoning (comments)

5. User-Friendly Messages

Approval request emails should include:

What needs approval
Why it needs approval
All relevant data
How to approve
How to reject
Who to contact with questions

6. Mobile-Friendly Approval

Enable approval from mobile devices:

Simple approval forms
Email-based approval (reply with APPROVE/REJECT)
Power Apps integration for mobile approval

7. Delegation Support

Handle approver absence:

Delegate approval authority temporarily
Route to backup approver automatically
Configure out-of-office routing

8. Performance Monitoring

Track approval metrics:

Average time to approval
Approval rate (approved vs rejected)
Backlog of pending approvals
Escalation frequency

Integrating with Power Automate

For advanced approval scenarios, integrate QUALIA Rule Engine with Power Automate.

Workflow: Complex Approval Routing

Benefits of Integration

✅ Rich approval UI (Outlook, Teams)
✅ Mobile approval support
✅ Complex routing logic
✅ Multi-approver support
✅ Escalation timers
✅ Approval comments/reasoning

Troubleshooting Approval Workflows

Problem: Approvals Not Routing

Symptoms: Orders require approval but email not sent

Diagnosis:

Check rule set enabled
Check email action configured correctly
Verify recipient email address
Check scenarios (might be filtering out orders)
Review Validation Log

Problem: Orders Posting Without Approval

Symptoms: Unapproved orders being posted

Diagnosis:

Verify enforcement rule set exists and is enabled
Check enforcement rule's trigger event (Before Posting)
Verify approval status field check in condition
Review Validation Log during posting attempt

Problem: Multiple Approval Emails

Symptoms: Approver receives multiple emails for same order

Diagnosis:

Check if multiple rule sets have same approval routing
Verify scenarios prevent re-evaluation on order updates
Check if order is being modified multiple times

Problem: Wrong Approver Notified

Symptoms: Junior manager gets executive approval requests

Diagnosis:

Review condition formulas for amount thresholds
Check email addresses in actions
Verify amount field reference is correct
Review Validation Log to see which rule fired

Conclusion

Approval workflows are critical for maintaining control, ensuring compliance, and managing risk in business processes. QUALIA Rule Engine makes implementing sophisticated approval workflows straightforward:

Key capabilities:

✅ Threshold-based approval routing
✅ Multi-tier approval hierarchies
✅ Conditional routing logic
✅ Real-time notifications
✅ Status tracking
✅ Approval enforcement
✅ Audit logging

Implementation approach:

Define clear approval policies with specific thresholds
Create routing rules to notify appropriate approvers
Implement status tracking to monitor approval state
Build enforcement rules to block action until approved
Set up audit logging for compliance
Create approval dashboards for visibility
Test thoroughly with all approval tiers

Best practices:

Start with simple approval hierarchies, add complexity as needed
Provide clear, complete information in approval requests
Build escalation procedures for delayed approvals
Maintain comprehensive audit trails
Make approval processes mobile-friendly
Monitor approval metrics for bottlenecks
Integrate with Power Automate for advanced scenarios

By implementing approval workflows with business rules, you maintain necessary controls while keeping processes efficient, transparent, and user-friendly—delivering governance without bureaucracy.

Related Reading:

Rule Groups and User Permissions: Controlling Who Gets Which Rules
Email Actions: Automated Notifications and Workflows
Integration with Power Automate: Advanced Workflow Automation
Audit and Compliance: Tracking Rule Execution and Decisions

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Aggregate Calculations Across Related Records: Summing, Counting, and Analyzing Data

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Building an Approval Workflow: When Orders Need Manager Sign-Off

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How to Prevent Infinite Loops in Your Business Rules

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Understanding the Rule Execution Pipeline: From Trigger to Action

QUALIA Rule Engine operates as a sophisticated event-driven system that intercepts data changes in Business Central and evaluates configured business rules in real-time. Understanding the execution pipeline—how a database operation flows through trigger detection, scenario evaluation, condition processing, and action execution—is essential for advanced rule design, performance optimization, and troubleshooting.

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Energy and utilities companies face complex regulatory requirements including FERC compliance, NERC reliability standards, environmental regulations, rate case filings, renewable energy credit tracking, interconnection agreements, demand response programs, and outage management protocols. Asset-intensive operations with critical infrastructure, regulatory cost recovery mechanisms, time-of-use pricing structures, and customer meter-to-cash processes demand automated validation beyond standard ERP capabilities.

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Real estate and property management companies require specialized business rules for lease administration, tenant billing, common area maintenance (CAM) reconciliation, security deposit tracking, maintenance workflow management, vacancy management, rent escalation calculations, and portfolio performance analysis. Multi-entity property ownership structures, percentage rent calculations, operating expense recoveries, lease abstraction accuracy, and compliance with lease accounting standards (ASC 842 / IFRS 16) demand automated validation beyond standard ERP capabilities.

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