Approver Assignment
The approval module uses a priority-based resolution chain to determine who approves each document and line. This page covers the resolution logic, automatic and manual submission, the Approval Administrator role, delegation and substitution, and automatic reassignment when users are removed.
Approver resolution priority
When a document or line enters the approval workflow, the system resolves the approver in the following order. The first match wins.
| Priority | Source | Scope | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (highest) | Vendor Posting Setup | Vendor + Item + Cost Centre | Most specific assignment. Configured per combination of vendor, item category, and cost centre dimension. |
| 2 | Additional Vendor Posting Setup | Conditional rules | Additional rules that apply when the primary Vendor Posting Setup does not produce a match. Supports conditional logic. |
| 3 (lowest) | Default Approver / Default Approval User Group | Global fallback | The fallback approver configured in Purchases & Payables Setup. Used when no specific or conditional rule matches. |
How the resolution works
- The system looks up the vendor, item, and cost centre for the document (or line).
- It checks Vendor Posting Setup for an exact match on the combination.
- If no match is found, it evaluates Additional Vendor Posting Setup rules.
- If still no match, it falls back to the Default Approver (Standard mode) or Default Approval User Group (Group mode) from Purchases & Payables Setup.
The same resolution logic applies to both the first approver and the second (four-eyes) approver, using the corresponding fields in each setup level.
Automatic vs manual submission
Two settings in Purchases & Payables Setup control when documents enter the approval workflow.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| (Default — both off) | Documents are sent to approval automatically after import. No manual intervention required. |
| Don’t send Automatically to Approvals | Documents land in the AP workspace after import. The AP processor reviews and manually submits each document to approval. |
| Require Approval for everything | All purchase documents must go through the approval workflow, regardless of amount, vendor, or other conditions that might normally bypass approval. |
When to use manual submission
Manual submission is useful when:
- AP staff need to review and correct coding before approval.
- Documents require manual data entry or adjustments after import.
- The organization wants an explicit checkpoint between receipt and approval.
Approval Administrator
The Approval Administrator is a privileged role for users who need to manage the overall approval process.
Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Approve on behalf | Can approve any document or line, regardless of the assigned approver. |
| Reset approval status | Can reset approval status on both headers and lines, returning them to Open. |
| Override rejection guard | Not blocked by the “only current approver can reject” restriction. |
| Manage approval entries | Full access to view, reassign, and cancel approval entries. |
Configuration
To grant a user the Approval Administrator role:
- Open User Setup in Business Central.
- Locate the user record.
- Set the Approval Administrator flag to Yes.
Restrict this role to a small number of trusted users, typically AP managers or system administrators.
Delegation and substitution
The approval module integrates with Business Central’s built-in delegation mechanism through the User Setup page.
Key fields
| Field | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Substitute | User Setup | The user who receives approval requests when the primary approver is unavailable. |
| Manager | User Setup | Used for escalation. Approval requests can be escalated to the manager. |
| Allow Substitute to Approve | User Setup | When enabled, the substitute can approve on behalf of the primary approver. When disabled, the substitute can only view the requests. |
| Approve Lines without Confirmation | User Setup | Suppresses the confirmation dialog when approving lines. Useful for high-volume approvers who process many line approvals per day. |
How delegation works
- An approval request is created for the primary approver.
- If the primary approver is unavailable (for example, marked as absent or the substitute is configured), the request is also visible to the substitute.
- If Allow Substitute to Approve is enabled, the substitute can approve or reject the request with the same authority as the primary approver.
- The approval entry records both the original assignee and the acting user for audit purposes.
Auto-reassignment on user deletion
When a user who is configured as an approver in Vendor Posting Setup is deleted from the system, the module detects the orphaned assignment and prompts for a replacement.
Reassignment priority
The system suggests a replacement in the following order:
| Priority | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Substitute | The deleted user’s configured substitute, if one exists. |
| 2 | Approver ID | The approver ID field from the user’s setup, if configured. |
| 3 | Any Administrator | Any user flagged as an Approval Administrator. |
If no automatic suggestion is available, the administrator is prompted to manually select a replacement user. All Vendor Posting Setup entries referencing the deleted user are updated to the selected replacement.
Related pages
- Approval Workflows Overview — module overview and modes
- Four-Eyes Approval — header-level approval and threshold
- Line-Level Approval — per-line approval routing
- Approval Setup Reference — complete settings table