How-to
Setting up an approval matrix
Configure custom approval policies. Match by amount, supplier, category; chain stages; control priority. The matrix routes bills, POs and payment runs through the right approvers.
Setting up an approval matrix
Open Settings → Approval Policies (or click "Manage policies" on the Approvals inbox) to manage the matrix.
Add a new policy
Click New policy and fill in:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name | Shown on the bill's approval banner and audit trail |
| Description | Optional explanation, surfaces in the policies list |
| Applies to | bill / po / payment_run / expense |
| Min amount | Match bills above this value (£). Leave blank for "any" |
| Max amount | Match bills up to this value. Leave blank for "no upper bound" |
| Specific supplier | Restrict to one supplier. Leave blank for "any supplier" |
| Priority | Higher number wins when multiple policies match |
Stage rules
Each stage defines who can approve at that step:
- Stage name — shown on the bill's approval trail
- Rule — "One approver enough" (any) or "All approvers must sign off" (all)
- Approver roles — pick from owner / accountant / manager. Anyone with one of the picked roles can approve
- Exclude the raiser — segregation of duties: the user who raised the bill can't also approve it. Strongly recommended for amount-based policies.
Policy precedence
When multiple policies could match a bill, the most-specific active policy wins:
- Higher priority wins first (set explicitly per policy)
- Then supplier-specific beats category-specific beats amount-band
- Then most recently created wins as a final tie-break
Example: you can have a "£1,000+" default policy AND a "specific supplier — must be approved by Sarah" supplier-pinned policy. When a £2,500 bill comes in from that supplier, the supplier-pinned policy wins.
Disabling vs deleting
Disabled policies don't match new bills but stay visible for audit. There's no hard-delete — disable instead.
See also: Bill approval workflow basics.