The Approval That Outlived the Reason for It

A purchase request once needed three approvals.

Nobody could remember why.

The company had grown, the team had changed, and the original reason for the extra approval was long gone. But the workflow was still there.

A simple purchase could sit for days waiting for someone who no longer needed to be involved.

This is how old processes quietly become bottlenecks.

Instead of improving the business, the workflow starts slowing it down.

A Real-World Example

A purchase request under $1,000 was still going through manager, finance, and senior management approval.

That meant the same people were reviewing small purchases throughout the week.

The approval rules were reviewed and the workflow was redesigned around the company’s current process.

Routine purchases followed a shorter approval path, while higher-value requests still required additional checks.

In Odoo, approvals were routed based on factors such as purchase amount, department, and responsibility instead of using the same approval chain for every request.

The result was a simpler process without removing the controls the business actually needed.

When Approvals Become the Problem

Approvals exist for a reason.

They can help control spending, reduce risk, and make sure the right people review important decisions.

But not every request needs the same level of review.

A $500 office purchase and a $50,000 equipment purchase may require completely different approval processes.

When both follow the same workflow, employees spend time waiting for approvals that may add little value.

Review the Workflow, Not Just the Software

When an approval takes too long, adding more automation isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes the workflow itself needs to be questioned.

Ask:

• Does every request need the same approvals?
• Is the right person reviewing it?
• Should approval depend on the amount?
• Are different departments following different rules?
• Does every approval step still have a business reason?

Odoo can support flexible approval workflows, but the configuration should reflect how the business actually operates today.

Final Thought

An approval process should protect the business without slowing down routine work.

The right approval workflow adds control where it matters and removes friction where it doesn’t.