Automating Invoice Approvals

Automating Invoice Approvals – A CFO’s Guide

Invoice approvals are vital but tedious. Automating is simple! Doing so also ensures accuracy, transparency, and faster month-end closes.

Here’s what you need to know.

The Problem: Manual Bottlenecks

Invoices arrive by email, get printed, signed, scanned, and sometimes misplaced. Does your team still use an actual tickler file? 

Errors and delays frustrate vendors and finance alike. 

The Automation Solution

Power Automate reads incoming invoices from Outlook or SharePoint folders, extracts key data with AI Builder, and routes each document to the correct approver based on your customizable spend limits.

Visibility for Finance Leaders

Approvals and comments are logged in Dataverse or Excel, giving CFOs real-time status without chasing updates.

Compliance Built In

Every approval creates an auditable record—meeting SOX or internal policy requirements automatically.

ROI Example

A $25 million company processed 1,200 invoices per month. Automation saved three minutes per invoice—over 600 hours annually!

Implementation Tips, as Easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Map approval hierarchies.

2. Digitize vendor records.

3. Pilot with one department before scaling.

OptimAIz can design an invoice-approval flow tailored to your finance system and compliance needs.