In any organization that’s growing, tight control over who is approving what, and when, is of the essence for ensuring accuracy, compliance, and accountability. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central makes it easily possible with native Approval Workflows to automate and standardize approvals for purchases, sales, journals, and so much more. This article discusses what Approval Workflows in Business Central are, why they are important, and how they help in smoothing out business processes.

What are Approval workflows in Business Central? 

Business Central approval workflows define the process by which documents or transactions are routed through your organization for approval before they can be posted or processed.  They ensure, amongst others, that certain actions are not performed until reviewed or approved by designated users: whether this is approval of a purchase invoice, release of sales orders, or posting of a general journal entry. 

Workflows enable you to: 
  • Establish approval chains based on user roles or amount limits. 
  • Automate document routing for approval. 
  • Send notifications by e-mail or through the Business Central notification system. 
  • Fully auditable: know who approved what and when. 
Approval Workflows: Why They Matter 

Approvals via email, calls, or spreadsheets are subject to a lot of errors and delays. Workflows within Business Central will eliminate these by embedding the approval right into the ERP system. 

Here’s why they’re so critical: 

  • Internal controls are strong. 
  • Avoid unauthorized postings or accounting irregularities. 
  • Automate enforcement of company policies. 
  • Faster Decision Making 
  • Approvers are immediately notified. 
  • Approvals can be done directly within Business Central or via e-mail, even from a mobile device. 
Full Visibility and Traceability 
  • Audit trails capture every step of approval. 
  • Managers can view pending requests and bottlenecks in real time. 
Risk and Compliance Management 
  • Reduces the risk of fraud and supports adherence to internal audit requirements. 
  • Aligns with either the SOX or ISO standards of financial controls. 

Types of Approvals You Can Automate 

Business Central supports the following workflows across several business areas: 

  • Purchase Documents: Requisition, Purchase Order, Purchase Invoice 
  • Sales documents: include quotes, orders, and invoices. 
  • General Journals: Cash receipts, payroll, expense allocations 
  • Customer and Vendor Card Changes: Prevents unauthorized edits 
  • Product Changes: Approvals for New Product Creation or Updates in Costs 

You can start working with either standard templates or you can create your own, custom workflows using the Workflow Templates feature. 

Approval Workflows: How they Work 

A simple Approval Workflows in Business Central looks like: 

User Submits a Document : The user creates a document, for example, Purchase Order and starts a request for approval. 

Workflow Triggers : Business Central checks conditions like document type, amount, or even the role of the user and assigns that to an approver. 

Approver Reviews and Approves/Rejects 

Approver is notified by BC or via email. 

System Action Executes 

Once approved, Business Central posts, or releases, the document automatically. 

You can also establish rules of delegation so that approvals won’t get stuck when a manager is away from the office. 

Getting Your Workflows Set Up: Tips 

Start Simple: Start with one or two key workflows-say, purchase-order approvals-and when those are stabilized, expand to other areas. 

Use Quantity Tolerances: Establish approval limits per level of responsibility, including up to $5,000 by department heads and above $5,000 by the CFO. 

Enable Notifications and Reminders: Keep the process moving-ensure that users receive automated notifications about pending approvals.  

Test Before Deployment: Sandbox environments can be used to make sure conditions and chains of approval behave as expected.  

Leverage Power Automate: In advanced cases, use the integration with Power Automate in expanding workflows across Microsoft 365, including Teams notifications or multi-step conditional approvals.  

Business Impact of Automated Approvals  

Businesses that deploy approval workflows in Business Central usually: 

  • Witness faster document turnaround times. 
  • Improved compliance and fewer audit findings Improved collaboration between departments. 
  • Reduced risk of unauthorized postings or fraudulent transactions. 

By bringing approvals into Business Central, you create a controlled, transparent, and auditable business environment-without the inefficiency of manual processes. 

Final Thoughts  

Automation of approval workflows in Business Central is much more than just automating signoffs; it creates structure, accountability, and confidence in every business transaction. Be it purchasing, sales, or finance operations, with a well-designed workflow setup, no document moves without the right approval, and all approvals are traceable and efficient. Take the time to set up workflows thoughtfully, and once they are configured, they will save hours of manual effort and protect your organization’s financial integrity.