NetSuite Advanced Approvals: Driving Efficiency & Remote Work
Many employees are now working remotely.
However, companies running NetSuite may not be aware of the many capabilities NetSuite software brings to enhance and improve business processes now being executed in a remote model.
What are NetSuite Advanced Approvals?
NetSuite Advanced Approvals provides a configurable framework that defines approval rules alongside a consistent approval process for the many transaction types, including:
- Purchase Requisitions
- Purchase Orders
- Vendor Bills
- Expense Reports
- Sales Orders
- Journal Entries
The Advanced Approvals SuiteSolution is one feature that, when appropriately configured, brings multiple improvements to remote work environments.
How to use NetSuite Advanced Approvals for Remote Work Efficiency:
- Delegate approval responsibility to other employees
- Email approvals without logging into NetSuite and for non-NetSuite users
- Decrease the approval threshold
- Parallel approvals
- Route transactions for approval on behalf of another employee
1. Delegate approval responsibility to other employees
Company furloughs or employee separations can cause approval routing or hierarchies to change quickly.
NetSuite users can define back-up approvers when the original approver is out-of-office and specify delegation start and end dates.
Manual intervention is eliminated as transactions are automatically routed to the delegate for approval during the defined delegation period. Check out the demo video below for a more in-depth look.
2. Email approvals without logging into NetSuite and for non-NetSuite users
Many approvals take place informally, after speaking face to face with supervisors in the office. Remote work requires a more systematic approach.
Setting up the automatic email approvals in NetSuite, allows approvers to approve or reject transactions all in one place, within their email.
As long as an employee record exists in NetSuite for the approver, no login to NetSuite or user license is required for the approvers. Check out the demo video below for an inside look.
3. Decrease the approval threshold
Cash flow is always king, but companies need to be hyper-focused on their cash flow now more than ever.
NetSuite can help companies gain more control of cash flow by decreasing the transaction approval dollar threshold allowing users better control when assessing, scrutinizing, and determining expense and bill payments.
Without making threshold adjustments, approval routing rules let payments pass through without much oversight.
This adjustment will equip your workforce to make more informed decisions and control of cash flow.
4. Parallel approvals
Without face-to-face communication, some companies are having difficulty with existing approval routing processes running in a remote work environment.
Also, as mentioned above, additional review of transactions is likely desired.
NetSuite Advanced Approvals allows users to define approval rules where multiple approvals from various departments or business units are required before transactions impact the general ledger or cash flow.
5. Route transactions for approval on behalf of another employee
While working remotely, established processes might need to be altered on short notice.
Using Advanced Approvals, NetSuite users can create transactions in the place of another employee but still maintain the same approval routing, allowing companies to remain agile and efficient while pivoting to a remote working model.
Final Thoughts on NetSuite Advanced Approvals
For more details on the Advanced Approvals SuiteSolution in NetSuite, get in touch!
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By John Howard
John Howard is a Senior Consultant in Bridgepoint’s NetSuite Consulting practice. As a Certified Public Accountant and Certified ERP Consultant, he has contributed to numerous projects to increase the efficiency of companies’ operations in addition to satisfying accounting and finance standards.