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: Invoice approvals for SAP B1.
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.
| Line | Amount | What the check finds |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- How to approve A/P invoice records in bulk in SAP B1
- How to route A/P invoice records by amount, vendor or project in SAP B1
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 about invoice approvals in Pulsify or Pulsify for manufacturers.
More help
- Invoice approvals in S/4HANA for manufacturers
- Invoice approvals in SYSPRO for manufacturers
- Invoice approvals in Business Central for manufacturers
- Multi-entity accounts payable in SAP B1 for manufacturers
- Duplicate invoice checks in SAP B1 for manufacturers
- PO matching in SAP B1 for manufacturers
- Supplier price checks in SAP B1 for manufacturers
- All SAP B1 how-to guides
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-19.
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506da03d8696c30e10000000a114a6b.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4415e9551a49e263e10000000a44538d.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/4506b8d47d720487e10000000a155369.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44a8188f176b424d8ba0d2ced6955e41.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fd93db93202463e10000000a1553f7.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/3a10e6660d084fa9acd5360b37de3ef9.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_BUSINESS_ONE/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/44fc22711d3c6c30e10000000a114a6b.html
- www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/gst-excise-and-indirect-taxes/gst/tax-invoices
Also confirmed by
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.
Pulsify setup guides
Want this done for you?
Book a call to see how Pulsify handles invoice approvals in SAP B1 for manufacturers.