Odoo Approvals: Automate Business Request Workflows

Every organization has requests that need authorization before proceeding — purchase requests, expense approvals, access requests, policy exceptions, budget allocations. When these flow through email or chat, they get lost, delayed, and lack accountability. The Odoo Approvals module creates structured request workflows with defined approval chains, automatic routing, and complete audit trails.

Setting Up Approval Types

Common Approval Categories

Create approval types for each request category in your organization:

• Purchase Requests — employees request items or services with budget justification
• Expense Approvals — expense reports requiring manager and finance sign-off
• Travel Requests — business travel requiring pre-approval with itinerary and budget
• Budget Requests — requests for additional budget allocation
• Access Requests — system access, building access, or equipment checkout
• Policy Exceptions — requests to deviate from standard policies with justification
• Document Approvals — contracts, proposals, or publications requiring sign-off

Configuring Each Type

For each approval type, define: a description template (what information the requester must provide), required fields vs. optional fields, minimum number of approvers, specific approvers or approval by role (manager, department head, finance), automatic notifications at each step, and deadline/SLA for response.

Approval Chains

Single-Level Approval

The simplest setup: requester submits, one approver reviews. Suitable for low-risk requests like office supply orders or minor expense reports.

Multi-Level Approval

Complex requests route through multiple approvers in sequence:

1. Direct manager reviews and approves
2. Department head validates budget impact
3. Finance confirms funding availability
4. Final sign-off from the VP or director

Each level receives the request only after the previous level approves. If any level rejects, the requester is notified with the reason.

Conditional Routing

Route requests to different approvers based on criteria: purchase requests under $500 go to manager only, $500-$5,000 add finance approval, over $5,000 add VP approval. This prevents bottlenecks for small requests while maintaining oversight for large ones.

The Request Lifecycle

Submission

Employees create requests through a simple form: select the approval type, fill in required information (description, amount, justification, attachments), and submit. The system automatically routes to the first approver.

Review

Approvers receive email and in-app notifications. The review interface shows: the complete request details, any supporting documents, the requester history (previous requests, approval rates), and approve/reject/request-changes buttons.

Tracking

Both requesters and approvers see real-time status: pending, approved at level 1 of 3, rejected with reason, or completed. A full timeline shows every action taken on the request.

Integration with Other Modules

Purchase: Approved purchase requests automatically create RFQs or purchase orders in the Purchase module, eliminating re-entry.

Expense: Expense approvals feed into the Expense module for reimbursement processing and accounting entries.

HR: Time-off requests and other HR-related approvals integrate with the Time Off and HR modules.

Accounting: Budget-impacting approvals check against available budgets and flag over-budget requests.

Reporting and Analytics

• Approval cycle time — average time from submission to final decision, by type
• Bottleneck identification — which approvers take the longest to respond
• Approval rates — percentage of requests approved vs. rejected, by type and department
• Volume trends — request volumes over time, useful for capacity planning

Best Practices

1. Keep approval chains short — every additional level adds delay without proportional risk reduction
2. Set response SLAs and escalate automatically when deadlines pass
3. Use conditional routing to keep simple requests fast
4. Require justification for rejections to create accountability
5. Review and simplify approval chains quarterly — remove unnecessary levels
6. Provide mobile access so approvers can respond without being at their desk

Our Odoo implementation service designs approval workflows matched to your organizational structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can approvers delegate their authority?

Yes. Approvers can set up delegation rules for periods when they are unavailable, directing requests to a substitute approver. This prevents delays during vacations or business travel.

Does it support parallel approvals?

Yes. Configure approval types where multiple approvers must all approve (AND logic) or where any one approver is sufficient (OR logic). Parallel approval reduces cycle time for multi-stakeholder decisions.

Can we create custom approval forms?

Absolutely. Each approval type has a customizable form with fields specific to that request type — text fields, dropdowns, number fields, date fields, and file attachments.

How are rejected requests handled?

Rejected requests return to the requester with the rejection reason. The requester can modify and resubmit, or abandon the request. The full history is preserved.