> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.macleather.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Approval Workflow

> Understanding the PO approval process in Mac Leather Dashboard

# Approval Workflow

Purchase orders require approval before they can proceed. This guide explains how approval limits work, how to submit POs for approval, and how approvers process requests.

***

## How Approval Works

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
    A[Draft] -->|Submit| B[Pending Approval]
    B -->|Approve| C[Approved]
    B -->|Reject| D[Rejected]
    D -->|Edit & Resubmit| B
```

1. Creator submits PO for approval
2. System routes to appropriate approver based on amount
3. Approver reviews and approves or rejects
4. If rejected, creator can edit and resubmit

***

## Approval Limits

Approvers are assigned authorization limits. A PO can only be approved by someone with a limit equal to or higher than the PO total.

### Example Limits

| Approver Role | Limit (PKR)     | Can Approve     |
| ------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| Supervisor    | Up to 50,000    | POs ≤ 50,000    |
| Manager       | Up to 200,000   | POs ≤ 200,000   |
| Director      | Up to 1,000,000 | POs ≤ 1,000,000 |
| Owner         | Unlimited       | Any amount      |

<Info>
  Approval limits are set by system administrators. Contact your admin if you need to check or update approval limits.
</Info>

### Checking Who Can Approve

**Location:** PO Detail → Approval section

The system shows:

* Required approval level for this PO amount
* Who can approve this PO

***

## For Creators: Submitting for Approval

### Prerequisites

Before submitting:

* [ ] Supplier selected
* [ ] Category selected
* [ ] At least one item added
* [ ] All item quantities and rates entered

### Submit a PO

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the PO">
    Procurement → Click on PO row
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify PO is in Draft">
    Check status badge shows Draft
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review details">
    Verify supplier, items, amounts are correct
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Submit">
    Button in header area
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm submission">
    PO sent for approval
  </Step>
</Steps>

**What happens:**

* Status changes to **Pending Approval**
* PO becomes locked (no editing)
* Routed to approver based on total amount
* Approver notified (if notifications enabled)

### After Submitting

| If Result Is | Status Changes To | What You Can Do                    |
| ------------ | ----------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Approved     | Approved          | View, download, proceed with order |
| Rejected     | Rejected          | Edit, fix issues, resubmit         |

***

## For Approvers: Processing Requests

### Finding POs to Approve

**Option 1: Procurement List**

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Procurement">
    Sidebar → Procurement
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter by Pending Approval">
    Status filter → Select Pending Approval
  </Step>

  <Step title="View your queue">
    Shows all pending POs you can approve
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Option 2: Dashboard Notifications**

If enabled, pending approvals appear on your dashboard.

### Reviewing a PO

Before approving, check:

| Section   | What to Verify                  |
| --------- | ------------------------------- |
| Supplier  | Correct supplier selected       |
| Items     | Quantities and rates reasonable |
| Total     | Amount within budget            |
| Category  | Correct material type           |
| Documents | Supporting documents attached   |
| Notes     | Any special instructions        |

### Approving a PO

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the PO">
    Click on PO row in list
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review all details">
    Check items, amounts, supplier
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Approve">
    Green button in header or Approval section
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add comments (optional)">
    Any notes for the record
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    PO approved
  </Step>
</Steps>

**What happens:**

* Status changes to **Approved**
* Timestamp and approver recorded
* Creator notified (if notifications enabled)
* If linked to sample, material status may update

### Rejecting a PO

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the PO">
    Click on PO row
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and identify issues">
    Note what needs to be fixed
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Reject">
    Red button in header or Approval section
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add rejection reason">
    Explain what needs to change
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    PO rejected
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Always add a rejection reason. This helps the creator understand what to fix before resubmitting.
</Warning>

**What happens:**

* Status changes to **Rejected**
* Rejection reason recorded
* Creator notified
* PO unlocked for editing

***

## Handling Rejections

If your PO is rejected:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check rejection reason">
    PO Detail → Approval section or Activity tab
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Edit">
    Now available (PO is unlocked)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fix the issues">
    Update items, amounts, etc.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save changes">
    Updates saved
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Submit">
    Resubmit for approval
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Common Rejection Reasons

| Reason                | How to Fix                            |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Wrong supplier        | Edit → Select correct supplier        |
| Incorrect quantity    | Edit items → Update quantities        |
| Rate too high         | Negotiate with supplier → Update rate |
| Missing documentation | Documents tab → Upload required docs  |
| Wrong category        | Edit → Select correct category        |
| Needs more detail     | Edit notes → Add clarification        |

***

## Approval History

Every approval action is logged and visible in the PO.

**Location:** PO Detail → Approval section or Activity tab

### History Shows

| Field    | Description                     |
| -------- | ------------------------------- |
| Action   | Submitted / Approved / Rejected |
| By       | User who took action            |
| Date     | When action occurred            |
| Comments | Any notes added                 |

### Example History

| Action    | By     | Date       | Comments                   |
| --------- | ------ | ---------- | -------------------------- |
| Created   | Amir   | 2026-01-10 | —                          |
| Submitted | Amir   | 2026-01-10 | —                          |
| Rejected  | Hassan | 2026-01-11 | Rate too high, renegotiate |
| Edited    | Amir   | 2026-01-12 | —                          |
| Submitted | Amir   | 2026-01-12 | Rate reduced per supplier  |
| Approved  | Hassan | 2026-01-12 | Approved                   |

***

## Approval Notifications

If notifications are enabled:

| Event        | Who Gets Notified               |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- |
| PO Submitted | Approvers with sufficient limit |
| PO Approved  | Creator                         |
| PO Rejected  | Creator                         |

<Info>
  Notification settings are configured by administrators. Contact admin to enable or disable notifications.
</Info>

***

## Status Reference

| Status           | Meaning               | Who Can Act               |
| ---------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------- |
| Draft            | Being prepared        | Creator: edit, submit     |
| Pending Approval | Waiting for approver  | Approver: approve, reject |
| Approved         | Approved, can proceed | View only                 |
| Rejected         | Needs revision        | Creator: edit, resubmit   |

***

## Common Scenarios

| Situation                      | Action                                  |
| ------------------------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| PO stuck in Pending            | Contact approver or admin               |
| Approver on leave              | Admin can reassign or adjust limits     |
| PO over my approval limit      | Higher-level approver needed            |
| Need to change approved PO     | Contact admin (approved POs are locked) |
| Accidentally approved wrong PO | Contact admin immediately               |
| Need expedited approval        | Contact approver directly               |

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Submit button not showing">
    **Cause:** PO not in Draft status or missing required fields.

    **Solution:**

    1. Check status is Draft
    2. Verify supplier is selected
    3. Ensure at least one item is added
    4. Check all item fields are complete
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Approve button not showing">
    **Cause:** You don't have approval permissions, PO not pending, or amount exceeds your limit.

    **Solution:**

    1. Check PO status is Pending Approval
    2. Verify PO amount is within your approval limit
    3. Contact admin if you should have approval rights
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="PO pending for too long">
    **Cause:** Approver hasn't reviewed or is unavailable.

    **Solution:**

    1. Check who needs to approve (Approval section)
    2. Contact them directly
    3. If unavailable, contact admin for reassignment
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't edit after rejection">
    **Cause:** System delay or browser cache.

    **Solution:**

    1. Refresh the page
    2. Verify status shows Rejected
    3. Edit button should now appear
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rejection reason not visible">
    **Cause:** Approver didn't add reason or viewing wrong section.

    **Solution:** Check Activity tab for full history including comments.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Amount over all approvers' limits">
    **Cause:** PO total exceeds highest approval limit.

    **Solution:** Contact Owner/Director or admin. May need limit increase or PO split.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related Guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating Purchase Orders" icon="plus" href="/procurement/purchase-orders">
    How to create POs
  </Card>

  <Card title="PO Detail Page" icon="rectangle-list" href="/procurement/po-detail">
    Full page reference
  </Card>

  <Card title="Procurement Overview" icon="file-invoice" href="/procurement/overview">
    Module introduction
  </Card>
</CardGroup>