In this article, you will answer questions such as:

• Does QuickBooks have an approval process?
• What is the QuickBooks approval process for Online and Desktop users?

Keep reading to learn about the limitations of the QuickBooks approval process and how you can overcome them.

Does QuickBooks Online have an approval process?

Yes, QuickBooks Online Advanced has an approval process for invoices. However, the same can’t be said for other versions of QuickBooks Online.

You can set an approval workflow up for each vendor in QuickBooks Online Advanced through the “Workflows” feature.

First, you’ll need to create a vendor profile and assign an approver.

Once the approver is assigned, they will receive a notification when an invoice is ready for approval. They can then approve or reject the invoice in the “Tasks” tab.

The way this process happens is through triggered notifications and manual approvals. 

As a result, your automation options are minimal — especially, if you need an approval workflow that goes beyond invoices. 

What is the QuickBooks approval process for Desktop users?

The approval process for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is similar to the Online Advanced version. 

But if you use a different version of QuickBooks than the above two, you will not be able to set up any type of approval.

As a QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise user, you can set up custom bill approvals. You need to create a vendor profile and assign an approver to it.

The approver will be notified when an invoice is ready for approval and can approve or reject it.

As with QuickBooks Online, you can set a dollar limit for bills that require approval in the Enterprise Desktop version. You can also choose a condition based on a vendor or specific customer.

Shortcomings of the QuickBooks approval process

Does QuickBooks have an approval process? Yes, but not without limitations.

For one, custom workflows are only available to QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise users.

Then, even though you can choose conditions to trigger the approval workflow (such as a dollar limit), this isn’t always enough.

QuickBooks’ approval process only allows for one level of approval. So if you require multiple levels or steps, you’ll need to use a different software solution.

Let’s take a look at the main shortcoming of the QuickBooks’ approval process.

It is limited in scope

The QuickBooks approval process only applies to invoices. This means you can’t use it to approve other expenditures, such as time off requests or purchase orders.

If you need to track and approve more than just invoices, you’ll need to look for more comprehensive approval software.

It lacks customization

When it comes to automation, the software you choose should be customizable to your specific business processes.

QuickBooks’ approval process is inflexible and doesn’t allow for much tailoring. It might not be able to meet your specific needs.

It may cause delays

Another limitation of the QuickBooks approval process is that it can cause delays.

If an approver is out of the office, it can take longer for invoices to be approved. This can also cause a delay in the payment of invoices and disrupt cash flow. 

Instead, you may consider using software that allows approvals through a mobile app. This way, even if you’re not in the workplace, approvals can still go through without delays.

How can I overcome QuickBooks’ approval limitations?

While QuickBooks’ approval process has its limitations, there are ways to overcome them. One option is to use approval software to supplement QuickBooks.

Approval software is designed to make your approval process more efficient.

Some features that you might want to look for in approval software include:

• The ability to track and approve all expenditures, not just invoices.
• Flexibility to adapt to your specific business processes.
• Real-time approvals through a mobile app.
• The ability to set up multiple approvers.

With the right approval software in place, you can save time and avoid delays.

Enhance your QuickBooks approval process with Method

Method CRM is a powerful tool that simplifies your approval process. It integrates with QuickBooks and allows you to track and approve all types of expenditures.

With Method, you can create custom workflows that fit your business needs. You can also set up multiple approvers and real-time approvals through the mobile app.

If you need more customization and flexibility than QuickBooks’ approval process allows, you need a CRM like Method.

See how you can automate approvals for invoices or estimates online with electronic signature capture.

Final thoughts: Does QuickBooks have an approval process?

Although QuickBooks does have an approval process, it is limited in scope and customization.

If you need a more comprehensive solution, you can use integrated software like Method CRM to complement those shortcomings.

Get started with a free trial today!

Photo credit: Anna Shvets via Pexels

The post Does QuickBooks have an approval process? appeared first on Method.

But if you want to save time and get paid easily and quickly, QuickBooks’ invoice approval process is maybe too limiting.

Luckily, today you will discover a solution that’s designed to simplify the invoice approval process so you can get paid faster and with less hassle.

Keep reading to learn QuickBooks’ invoice approval workflow’s limitations and which invoice software may be a better alternative for your business.

How to set up an invoice approval workflow in QuickBooks Online Advanced

One of the main advantages of QuickBooks Online Advanced is that it allows you to set up a custom invoice approval workflow.

This implies that you can personalize an approval process to fit your business needs and ensure all invoices are properly approved before they’re sent out.

But in reality, QuickBooks’ workflow customization is limited by preset templates. Its purchase order approval and similar workflows are equally limited.

To set up an invoice approval workflow in QuickBooks Online Advanced, follow these steps.

1. Find the “Invoice approval” template and click “Create”

The first thing you need to do is find the “Invoice approval” template. You can either give it a custom name or go with the default.

After that, you need to click on “Create”. This will take you to the next step, where you will be able to set up your QuickBooks invoice approval process.

2. Choose the conditions that will trigger the workflow

Next, you can set up a single condition or more to trigger the workflow. These can be a specific invoice amount, customer, or invoice location.

For example, you could choose to have the workflow activated when an invoice is:

• For more than $1,000. 
• From a certain customer.
• Sent to a specific location.

3. Create an action to send the approval notification

Now that you have set up the conditions that will trigger the workflow, it’s time to create an action. This is what will happen when the conditions are met.

You can choose to:

• Send a notification to a specific email address.
• Have QuickBooks automatically approve the invoice. 
• Have a manager approve it manually.

4. Assign approvers and set up notification rules

The final step is to assign approvers and set up notification rules. You can either choose to send notifications to all approvers or just the first one on the list.

You can also choose what happens if the invoice is not approved in a certain timeframe.

The people you assigned the approval to will receive a templated email or notification. You are also free to personalize this messaging.

Make sure to click “Save and enable”. Keep in mind that all invoices created by an administrator of the QuickBooks Online Advanced account will be automatically approved.

What’s the QuickBooks invoice approval process for Online and Desktop users?

The appealing Workflow feature detailed above is not available to QuickBooks users on plans other than QuickBooks Online Advanced. 

This means that if you use QuickBooks Online or Desktop, you might consider an alternative solution. 

Hence, the need for invoice approval software QuickBooks integrates with. Luckily, QuickBooks’ limitations can be surpassed with a powerful integration.

Your best bet is a solution that reduces the time spent on administrative tasks and helps you get paid faster. And if the integration is truly robust, it’ll keep your business’ finances in order without any hassle.

Invoice approval software QuickBooks: Why Method CRM is your best bet

If you’re looking for invoice approval software QuickBooks integrates seamlessly with, use Method CRM. It offers a two-way, real-time l integration that automates your workflows to reduce the time spent on manual processes.

With Method, you can create an invoice approval process that’s designed to fit your business’ needs. You can even add digital signatures to your documents like in the above graphic.

QuickBooks Online and Desktop users can now go beyond QuickBooks’ invoice approval workflow. As Method is constantly syncing in the background, all your accounting data will stay up to date.

See how you can automate approvals for invoices or estimates online with electronic signature capture.

Recap: Go beyond QuickBooks invoice approval limitations

If you need invoice approval software, QuickBooks Online and Desktop won’t cut it. Even if you have the Advanced plan, you might get frustrated over the lack of personalization.

Instead, automate your invoice approval process and all areas of your business with Method CRM.

Start your free trial today!

Image credit: Mikhail Nilov via Pexels

The post Invoice approval software QuickBooks: Your best alternative appeared first on Method.

As per our expertise, approval workflows are a great way to ensure estimates, invoices, or purchase orders are approved by the correct people before transactions happen.

In this blog post, you will learn how to enable a QuickBooks invoice approval workflow. You’ll also go over the benefits and limitations of using a QuickBooks approval workflow.

Finally, you’ll learn how you can complement those with an integration like Method.

Let’s get started!

Get started: Workflow types

QuickBooks Online approval workflows are one of the most popular workflows among users of the software.

However, we have found from using this product that the workflows feature is only available to QuickBooks Online Advanced users. 

This leaves QuickBooks Online and Desktop users out of luck when it comes to establishing a QuickBooks approval workflow process. 

And as indicated by our tests, even if you are a QuickBooks Online Advanced user, not every approval workflow is up for automation. 

When it comes to preset QuickBooks approval workflows, you are limited to invoicing and payments. 

It is possible to create some custom workflows in QuickBooks Online Advanced, but these automations are limited to sending reminders to your customers or team.

So, even if you know how to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online Advanced, your automation options are minimal.

Next, let’s review what you can achieve with QuickBooks Online Advanced approvals before jumping into alternative solutions.

Workflows for your team

For this type of workflow, our research indicates that you must be a user of QuickBooks Online Advanced. As such, you will have access to the Workflows feature, which has several approval templates. 

Follow these steps to enable a QuickBooks invoice approval workflow for your team.

1. Find the “Invoice approval” template and click “Create”.

Image credit: QuickBooks

You will be able to give the workflow a custom name or go with the default “Invoice approval” template.

Pro-tip: Editing the workflow name is useful if you wish to create multiple conditional invoice approvals.

2. Choose the conditions that will trigger the workflow.

Next, you can set up a single condition or more to trigger the workflow. These can be a specific invoice amount, customer, or invoice location.

Image credit: QuickBooks

Next, you will need to enter the condition that will trigger the need for approval. If you choose an invoice amount condition, for instance, you’ll have to specify the amount.

Image credit: QuickBooks

3. Create an action to send the approval notification.

Now, you need to choose what happens when the conditions are met.

If you want to send an invoice approval notification, you also need to pick the team member who will approve the invoice and send it to the customer.

You can also choose what happens if an invoice is not approved within a specific time. 

Those who you have marked to be notified will receive the default templated message. You can also manually personalize it.

Make sure to click “Save and enable.” Drawing from our experience, keep in mind that all invoices created by an administrator of your QuickBooks Online Advanced account will be automatically approved.

Your team will still be able to fill out and save invoices. But in order to send to the customer, they will need to submit the invoice for approval.

4. Approve invoices

To approve an invoice, the chosen team member for approval will have to visit the “Tasks” tab. After clicking the task, they will be able to either approve or deny the invoice.

Image credit: QuickBooks

It is also possible to open the invoice and approve it on that screen.

Image credit: QuickBooks

Workflows for your customers

Our team discovered through using this product that customer approval workflows are outside the scope of what you can do with QuickBooks. All you can do is set up triggered notifications for invoice updates.

If you need a customer-facing invoice approval workflow, you’ll be better off with a powerful QuickBooks app instead like Method.

QuickBooks approval workflow: The current state

Now that you know how to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online, let’s look at its main limitations.

Lacks customization and flexibility

QuickBooks’ approval workflows are a good way to manage your invoices. However, our investigation demonstrated that you can’t customize the templated workflow beyond the pre-set actions and conditions.

Another limitation is that it’s not possible to set up customer approvals with QuickBooks. 

If you want an approval workflow that’s better tailored to your business processes or offers customer approvals, you need to look into other options.

Can be time-consuming

Another downside is that after using QuickBooks’ approval workflow, we found it to be quite time-consuming.

This is because you have to set specific conditions for an invoice approval to be assigned. Then, each team member has to approve each invoice before it can be processed.

If you have a large team or a lot of invoices to process, this will take a lot of time.

Instead, you may want to consider an alternative that can fully automate the approval process.

Limited to QuickBooks invoice approval workflow

By far, the biggest QuickBooks approval workflow limitation is that it is limited to invoicing.

Our findings show that if you need to manage different approval processes such as estimate or purchase order approvals, you will need to look into more customizable options.

Luckily, the next section will explain how to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online without the limitations!

Going beyond the QuickBooks invoice approval workflow

If you need more flexibility than QuickBooks’ approval workflows offer, you want to use a CRM solution like Method.

Method is fully customizable, so you can change it to fit your needs. And because it constantly syncs with QuickBooks, your accounting data is automatically updated.

You also have more flexibility with how the approval process works, so you can adapt it to your business process.

So whether you need an approval workflow for invoicing, estimates, or purchase orders, Method can deliver the customized solution you need. 

How to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online for estimates

Through our practical knowledge, if you need to automate your estimate processes, then QuickBooks’ approval workflow is off the table.

See how you can automate approvals for invoices or estimates online with electronic signature capture in Method.

With Method, you will be able to create a personalized estimate approval workflow. You will have total control over the order and which roles each person plays in the approval process.

After setting up an account, talk to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) about implementing the digital signature feature for your estimate approval workflow.

Then, simply work with your CSM to bring the estimate approval workflow to life according to your business specifications.

How to set up a purchase order approval in Quickbooks Online

Just like estimates, you are also able to set up a purchase order approval workflow with Method.

Despite QuickBooks’ approval workflow not allowing for purchase orders, there is a way to automate this process and have the data synced to your account.

Reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) so they can add the electronic signature feature to your Method account. It will look similar to the below product shot:

Then, explain what you need for your purchase order approval process, and your CSM will help you set it up!

Recap: How to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online

If you need more customization or flexibility than what QuickBooks’ approval workflows can offer, you need a CRM like Method. Here is a preview of what’s possible with Method CRM.

Sign up for your free trial today!

Image credit: Mikhail Nilov via Pexels

The post How to enable an approval workflow in QuickBooks Online appeared first on Method.