Route PO for Approval
Streamline your purchase order approval process by automatically routing POs to the right approvers based on amount, supplier type, and project requirements. Eliminate manual forwarding and approval bottlenecks.
When
New Purchase Order Created
Then
Intelligent Approval Routing & Tracking
3 hours per day
Time Saved
75% faster PO approval
ROI Impact
A multi-level PO approval automation for plumbing businesses automatically routes purchase orders to appropriate approvers based on order value, material type, and project requirements. When a PO is created, the system evaluates approval rules, sends notifications to designated approvers, tracks responses, and updates procurement systems once approved—reducing approval time from days to hours whil
How This Automation Works
New Purchase Order Created → Intelligent Approval Routing & Tracking
Purchase Order Submission
A technician, project manager, or purchasing staff member creates a purchase order in your procurement system with details including vendor, materials, quantities, unit costs, project or job site, and urgency level. The system captures all order data and initiates the approval process.
Approval Rules Evaluation
The automation evaluates the PO against your predefined approval matrix, checking order total, material categories, vendor status (preferred/new), project type, and any special conditions. Based on these criteria, it determines the appropriate approval path—whether direct approval, single approver, or multi-level chain.
Approver Notification & Review
The system sends notification to the designated approver(s) via email, SMS, or mobile app with complete PO details, vendor information, project context, budget impact, and one-click approve/reject options. Approvers can review vendor history, compare pricing, and check project budgets before deciding.
Approval Tracking & Escalation
The system monitors approval status in real-time, sending reminders if responses are pending, automatically escalating to backup approvers if timeframes are exceeded, and providing dashboard visibility for all stakeholders to see PO status, approval bottlenecks, and pending orders.
System Updates & Vendor Communication
Once approved, the automation updates your accounting system with the committed spend, notifies the vendor with the authorized PO, alerts receiving staff about expected delivery, creates inventory receiving records, and archives the approval trail for audit purposes. If rejected, it notifies the requestor with reasons and suggestions.
How It Works
Managing purchase order approvals in plumbing operations requires careful oversight of material costs, vendor relationships, and project budgets. This automation routes purchase orders through customized approval chains based on predefined rules—such as order value thresholds, material categories, or project specifications. When a PO is created, the system automatically identifies required approvers, sends notifications with complete order details, tracks approval status in real-time, and updates your accounting and procurement systems once approved. This eliminates manual email chains, prevents unauthorized purchases, ensures budget compliance, and accelerates material procurement so your field teams never face delays waiting for supplies. Perfect for plumbing contractors managing multiple job sites, commercial projects, or teams with distributed purchasing authority.
The Trigger
When a purchase order is submitted for materials, equipment, or supplies in your procurement system, the automation immediately captures order details including amount, vendor, material type, and associated project or job site.
The Action
The system evaluates the PO against approval rules (amount thresholds, vendor type, material category), routes it to the appropriate approver or approval chain, sends notifications with complete order context, tracks response time, escalates if needed, and updates all connected systems once the decision is recorded.
Common Use Cases in Plumbing
- Multi-site plumbing contractors routing POs from field supervisors through project managers and owner approval based on order size and project budgets
- Commercial plumbing companies managing large material orders requiring finance department review before vendor authorization
- Service and repair operations processing emergency material purchases with expedited approval for trusted suppliers while maintaining oversight
- Residential plumbing businesses enforcing approval workflows for new vendor purchases or specialty materials above standard thresholds
- Plumbing wholesalers processing internal purchase orders across multiple departments with different approval authorities and budget limits
Results You Can Expect
Eliminate Approval Bottlenecks
Automatic routing and mobile notifications enable approvers to review and authorize purchase orders in minutes instead of days, eliminating delays that hold up material deliveries and slow down job progress. No more chasing down signatures or waiting for people to return to the office.
Enforce Budget Controls
Mandatory approval workflows prevent unauthorized purchases, enforce spending limits by project or department, flag budget overruns before orders are placed, and maintain complete audit trails for all procurement decisions—giving you financial control without micromanagement.
Improve Cash Flow Management
Real-time visibility into pending and approved purchase orders enables accurate cash flow forecasting, helps optimize payment timing with vendors, prevents surprise expenses, and allows better coordination between procurement and accounting teams for improved financial planning.
Reduce Administrative Overhead
Eliminate manual email chains, phone calls, and paper-based approval routing. Reduce data entry by automatically syncing approved POs with accounting and inventory systems. Free your administrative staff to focus on vendor negotiations and strategic procurement instead of tracking down approvals.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Automation
The system evaluates each purchase order against predefined rules—such as order amount thresholds, vendor categories, or material types. Small orders under a certain amount may auto-approve or require only supervisor approval, while larger orders route through multiple approval levels (supervisor, operations manager, owner). The automation sends notifications at each level, tracks approval status, and escalates if approvals are delayed beyond set timeframes.
Set Up Multi-Level Approval Routing in Minutes
Stop doing manual work that software can handle. Fieldproxy makes it easy to set up this automation and dozens more - no coding required. Our AI builder helps you customize everything to match your exact business process.
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