A large purchase order is waiting for a signature: the director is travelling, the file sits on a desk, and when he is back nobody remembers who approved what. The Workflows module of Almawarid routes every document through the right hands, in the right order, and keeps proof of every approval.
Signature books, WhatsApp and verbal agreements
In a growing company, approvals happen in a signature book, on WhatsApp or by word of mouth. The team leader says yes on the phone, the manager signs a sheet that gets lost, and a major purchase goes out without the director ever seeing it. Nobody knows where a file stands, or who is holding it up.
Absences make it worse: one manager on leave and requests pile up; or someone signs in their place with no trace. The day you have to justify a spend to a partner, an auditor or group management, you can find neither the chain of approvals nor the reasons for refusals.
A rule written once, applied to every document
You describe the rule once: for this document type, above this amount and for this unit of the organisation chart, here are the steps. Each step says who signs, the requester's direct manager, the head of a unit, named people or the account owner, and how many: one signature is enough, or all are required. A step can be skipped below an amount threshold, carry an indicative deadline, and, when nobody can sign it, either block the file or be skipped.
When a document is submitted, the step's signatories are fixed and notified by email, and the file lands in their “To approve” inbox, late items first. Every approval is set in stone: it can no longer be changed, and it carries the date, the signatory and, under delegation, the person on whose behalf it was signed. A refusal requires a reason. Delegations are set in the organisation chart, from one date to another: they move the signature, never the rights. The approval sheet prints the whole chain of approvals, skipped steps included.
How it works, in five screens
- Approval flows: you create a flow in three parts: when it applies (document type, minimum amount, unit), who signs and in which order, then a preview to check before saving.
- Submit for approval: from the document itself, the requester starts the flow; the amount and label are copied as they stood that day.
- To approve: each signatory sees the files waiting for them, late steps first; they approve, or decline with a reason, and follow their own files under “My requests”.
- Delegations: in the organisation chart, an absent manager hands their signature to a colleague, from the first to the last day of the absence.
- Approval sheet: the printable record of the file: flow, requester, amount, and for each step who decided, when, and on whose behalf.
What you gain
- No more spending without approval. The right flow applies by itself, based on document type, amount and the requester's unit.
- Files that stop waiting. Each signatory is notified, their inbox puts late items first, and the sidebar shows how many files await them.
- Proof you can stand behind. An approval cannot be rewritten, and the sheet also shows skipped steps and reasons for refusal.
- Absences without bottlenecks. A dated delegation lets the stand-in sign on behalf of the holder, without gaining extra rights.
- Real effects. An approved purchase order moves to “Confirmed”, an approved supply request is ready to be served, an approved production plan creates its batches to launch.
Who is it for?
The module is for companies where several people commit spending or production. Today four documents can go through a flow: the quote, the purchase order, a site's supply request (with the Construction sites module) and the production plan (with the Batch production module).
- SMEs and groups organised in departments and units
- Construction companies (site supply requests)
- Manufacturers and producers (production plans)
- Purchasing departments and finance teams
- Trading companies that have their quotes approved
Frequently asked questions
Can an invoice go through approval?
No, by design: an invoice, a credit note or a delivery note are tax documents already issued. The flow sits earlier, on the quote or the purchase order.
What happens when a step's deadline passes?
The file is flagged as late and moves to the top of the “To approve” inbox. The deadline is indicative: it never approves or declines anything automatically.
How are signatories notified?
By email when a step opens for them, and by the counter in the sidebar. The requester gets an email when the file is approved, declined, cancelled or blocked. There are no WhatsApp notifications.
What if nobody can sign a step?
You decide step by step: a mandatory step blocks the file and the reason is shown; an optional step is skipped, and the skip stays visible on the approval sheet.
Can a flow be changed later?
Yes. A step that has already been used is deactivated rather than deleted: it no longer applies to new files, and approvals already given stay readable.
Do we need an organisation chart?
For the “requester's manager” and “head of unit” modes, yes, since it says who reports to whom. The “named people” and “account owner” modes work without it.
See the Workflows module on your own business
Bring your current rule to the demo, even scribbled on paper: who signs a purchase, above which amount, and who stands in for whom during leave. We turn it into a flow in front of you.
- The demo. An advisor shows you the Workflows module on your own business, online and on your screen, and answers your questions. Request a demo.
- The trial version. It is switched on with an advisor during the demo, on your own account: your real products, your real customers, and 14 days to work in it. Create your account to request it.
- The customisation workshops. During the trial, we adapt the screens, documents and settings with you to the way you work. These workshops are free.
The Workflows module is switched on on request: ask for it during the demo, the advisor gives you its price, and you only pay if you decide to continue. The base plans are on the pricing page (in French).
Ask for the demo on WhatsAppRequest a demo