HOW-TO

How to set up supplier invoice approval in S/4HANA

Short answer

In S/4HANA, set up approval workflow: choose who can approve and their limits, then test it with a real supplier invoice before you rely on it.

Last checked

Bill approval means a bill is checked and signed off by the right person before it is paid. A setup says who approves what. What is segregation of duties?

Before you start

  • Configuration expert role
  • Flexible workflow customizing done
  • Scenario: Workflow for Blocked Invoice or Workflow for Parked Invoice as Complete

The S/4HANA way

Where to find it: Manage Workflows for Supplier Invoices (F2873)

  1. Open Manage Workflows for Supplier Invoices and choose the scenario.
  2. Add a workflow. Give it a name and validity period.
  3. In Start Conditions set what must be true (for example company code, account assignment category, blocking reason or invoice amount).
  4. In Step Sequence add steps and recipients: a named user, or a role such as the person responsible for the cost centres. Choose whether one or all recipients must approve.
  5. Activate it. An active workflow can be copied or deactivated but not edited.
  6. Use Define Order to set which workflow is checked first. Keep a fallback workflow last.

Limits in S/4HANA

  • Start conditions allow one company code per workflow.
  • Only one workflow starts, the first whose conditions match.
  • Approval happens in My Inbox (F0862).
  • Often set up by a partner.

Words S/4HANA uses

  • Cost centre. A unit that costs are collected against, such as a team or site.
  • Company code. A legal entity with its own books.

The Pulsify way

  1. Connect S/4HANA to Pulsify. We set up the connection for you where needed.
  2. Open Approvals. Every company starts with a default rule: any Admin or Approver can approve.
  3. Add steps for amounts, suppliers or accounts. Choose a person, a role or a team as approver at each step.
  4. Add a review step if someone should check coding before approval.
  5. Use Try an invoice to test the rule on a real bill.
  6. Add auto-approve rules for small or trusted bills if you want.

Pulsify connects to S/4HANA. We set up the connection for you.

What Pulsify does not do here

  • Pulsify does not reassign an approval to someone else.
  • Pulsify does not send approval reminders.

Common mistakes

  • Trying to edit an active workflow instead of copying or deactivating it.
  • Putting the fallback workflow first in Define Order, so only the first matching workflow ever starts.

More help

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-19. Confidence: confirmed.

Common questions

Where do I set up supplier invoice approval?

Open Manage Workflows for Supplier Invoices (F2873) and choose the scenario, Workflow for Blocked Invoice or Workflow for Parked Invoice as Complete. Add a workflow with a name and validity period, then set Start Conditions.

How do I choose the approvers?

In Step Sequence add steps and recipients. A recipient can be a named user or a role such as the person responsible for the cost centres. Choose whether one or all must approve. Approval happens in My Inbox (F0862).

Can I edit a workflow once it is active?

No. An active workflow can be copied or deactivated but not edited. Only the first workflow whose conditions match starts, so use Define Order and keep a fallback last.

Does Pulsify support multi-step approvals?

Yes. You can set steps by amount, supplier or account. Approvers can be people, roles or teams. A review step is available.

Pulsify setup guides

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