# Invoice approvals in SAP B1 for manufacturers

SAP B1 has invoice approvals built in. Month end piles up because most invoices land in the last week. If approvals run through one person, the books close late.

## Why it matters for manufacturers

- Different spend needs different approvers. A maintenance bill goes to the plant manager and a raw material bill goes to purchasing.
- Auditors want to see who approved what and when, with limits that match the role.

## For manufacturers in SAP B1

- Open Approval Templates and pick Purchase Order as well as A/P Invoice under Documents, so spend is approved before it is committed. Check that Purchase Order is offered in your version.
- Stages in one template have equal standing and no order. For a plant manager then finance sequence, build two templates on Total Document using In Range ratios.
- On the Terms tab use a user query that returns True or False to send tooling, maintenance or subcontract suppliers to the right approver.

## What SAP B1 does on its own

Approval templates with stages and terms, and bulk approve or reject through Global Update in the Approval Decision Report.

Stages in one template have equal standing. There is no priority order.

What you need and the setup steps: https://www.pulsify.tech/invoice-approvals-for-sap-business-one/

## Example

Example Hydraulics Pty Ltd sends a repair bill of $6,400 ex GST for a press on the Plant 2 line. The plant manager's limit is $5,000.

- Press seal kit and labour: $4,700.00 (Under the $5,000 limit on its own)
- Call out and travel: $1,700.00 (Brings the bill to $6,400, past the $5,000 limit)
- GST: $640.00 (10% of $6,400)

The bill is routed to the operations manager because it is over the plant manager's limit. The approval record shows who signed, when and under which limit.

## Common mistakes

- One approver for every bill, so approvals pile up in the last week of the month.
- Limits that never change, so every raw material order goes to the director.

## Step-by-step guides for SAP B1

- How to set up A/P invoice approval in SAP B1: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/set-up-bill-approval-in-sap-business-one/
- How to approve A/P invoice records in bulk in SAP B1: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/approve-bills-in-bulk-in-sap-business-one/
- How to route A/P invoice records by amount, vendor or project in SAP B1: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/route-bills-by-amount-supplier-or-job-in-sap-business-one/

## What Pulsify adds

Pulsify adds approval steps by vendor, amount, account or project, with approve, reject or send back from a phone. Pulsify connects to SAP B1. We set up the connection for you. More: https://www.pulsify.tech/approval-workflows/

## Common questions

### How do I send large manufacturing bills to a second approver?

Build two approval templates on Total Document using In Range ratios, one for the plant manager range and one for finance. All stages in one template have equal standing and no order.

### What do auditors ask for on approvals?

They want to see who approved, the date, the limit that applied and any change to the bill after approval. Keep that record with the invoice.

### Can approval depend on the vendor?

Yes, through a user query on the Terms tab. The query returns True or False for the document.

## Sources

- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506da03d8696c30e10000000a114a6b.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4415e9551a49e263e10000000a44538d.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506b8d47d720487e10000000a155369.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44a8188f176b424d8ba0d2ced6955e41.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fd93db93202463e10000000a1553f7.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/3a10e6660d084fa9acd5360b37de3ef9.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fc22711d3c6c30e10000000a114a6b.html
- https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/gst-excise-and-indirect-taxes/gst/tax-invoices

### Also confirmed by

- Seidor SAP partner support guide, undated: https://seidorb1support.helpdocsite.com/admin/configuring-and-using-approvals-in-sap-business-one

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/invoice-approvals-in-sap-business-one-for-manufacturers/ (last checked 2026-10-19)