Overview
Use a Purchasing approval workflow to ensure that Purchase Receipts (PR) over a designated dollar amount are reviewed and approved before they can move forward. This article explains the permissions needed and the steps to configure a workflow.
Things to know
You can configure single-branch and multi-branch workflows. When both are active, branch-specific workflows take precedence.
Each workflow may include one or more approval steps with defined dollar thresholds and approvers.
Changes to an active workflow apply to purchase receipts that continue through the workflow after the updated step.
If a PR does not meet any configured threshold, it bypasses approval and moves forward without approver action.
Requirements
Before you start, you’ll need:
System Admin or Branch Admin permissions.
A system with the Purchasing workflow feature enabled.
Approvers with permission to open and act on PRs.
Steps
Follow these steps to create a Purchasing approval workflow:
Select your user profile in the bottom left-corner of Aspire.
Choose Administration.
From the administration top menu, go to Estimating > Workflows.
On the Workflow screen, select New to create a workflow.
From the Workflow Type list, select Purchasing.
On the new Workflow screen, enter values for:
Workflow Name — Provide a descriptive name.
Branch — Choose a single branch or select multiple branches that will use this workflow.
Configure the Approval Email and Denial Email sections. Use email tokens where appropriate.
Note:
Craft messages that clearly communicate outcomes and next steps to PR creators. For example, use tokens to confirm that a receipt is approved and can continue through the purchasing process, or to explain what needs updating before resubmission.
In the Steps section, select the + icon to add an approval step. For each step:
Name — Enter a descriptive step name (for example, Level 1 approval).
Approver — Select the Branch Manager role or a specific user. If you choose the Branch Manager role, Aspire uses the branch manager for the branch tied to the PR; you can also select a specific employee contact (branch admin, controller, etc.) when required.
Threshold value — Enter the minimum PR total that triggers this approval step.
Notification email — Add the subject and message for the approval request email, and include email tokens where appropriate.
When you finish configuring the step, select Save to add it to the workflow.
Note:
The Steps section updates only after you save the entire workflow. Once saved, Aspire keeps you on the same screen and displays the updated Steps section at the bottom of the page.
Repeat step 8 for additional approval steps, ensuring that threshold values increase logically. Threshold values are inclusive, so the final threshold applies to any purchase receipt amount above the value specified in that step.
Select Save to complete the workflow configuration.
For more information on how approval steps work, visit Purchasing Approval Workflow Overview.
Example
Single workflow across multiple branches
Use this approach when all included branches follow the same approval thresholds and approvers.
Workflow name: Multi-Branch Purchasing Approvals
Branches included: Branch A, Branch B, Branch C
Approval steps:
$5,000 → Branch Manager
$20,000 → Regional Operations Manager
Scenarios:
A PR for $8,000 in any branch triggers Step 1 only.
A PR for $25,000 in any branch triggers Step 1 and Step 2.
A PR for $3,000 does not require approval because it is below all thresholds.
This example shows how one workflow can enforce consistent approval rules across branches while still supporting tiered approvals for higher-value purchases.
Next steps
Your workflow is now ready to use. To test it:
Create or modify a PR that meets a configured threshold.
Confirm that approval request emails are sent to the correct approvers.
Verify that approvers can open the PR, choose Approve or Deny, and add comments.
Check the Approval Log to confirm that entries are created for each decision.
For more information on acting as an approver, visit Approving Purchase Receipts using the Purchasing Approval Workflow.