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 S/4HANA
- Start a flexible workflow on account assignment category (cost centre or WBS element) and invoice amount, so plant maintenance bills go to the person responsible for that cost centre.
- Each step can use the persons responsible for the cost centres or WBS elements on the invoice, so the plant owner approves their own spend.
- Only one workflow starts, the first whose conditions match, and a start condition allows one company code. Set one workflow per plant company code and use Define Order with a fallback last.
What S/4HANA does on its own
Flexible workflow for supplier invoices (blocked invoice and parked as complete) with start conditions and steps, plus release strategies for POs.
- Needs configuration, often by a partner.
Only one workflow starts for an invoice. It is the first one whose conditions match.
What you need and the setup steps: Invoice approvals for S/4HANA.
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 S/4HANA
- How to set up supplier invoice approval in S/4HANA
- How to approve supplier invoice records in bulk in S/4HANA
- How to route supplier invoice records by amount, supplier or WBS element in S/4HANA
What Pulsify adds
Pulsify adds approval steps by supplier, amount, account or WBS element, with approve, reject or send back from a phone. Pulsify connects to S/4HANA. We set up the connection for you. More about invoice approvals in Pulsify or Pulsify for manufacturers.
More help
- Invoice approvals in SYSPRO for manufacturers
- Invoice approvals in Business Central for manufacturers
- Invoice approvals in Dynamics 365 Finance for manufacturers
- Multi-entity accounts payable in S/4HANA for manufacturers
- Duplicate invoice checks in S/4HANA for manufacturers
- PO matching in S/4HANA for manufacturers
- Supplier price checks in S/4HANA for manufacturers
- All S/4HANA how-to guides
Sources
Last checked 2026-10-19.
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0e602d466b99490187fcbb30d1dc897c/9bd9a6b4124446a5b31ddfecbff07508.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0e602d466b99490187fcbb30d1dc897c/81da6d475c614991aade9bfcdb864846.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0e602d466b99490187fcbb30d1dc897c/f25bbe08e3374885a96b485b30251bf0.html
- help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0e602d466b99490187fcbb30d1dc897c/eaea55938df044a8a0beeb97ed6ac8cd.html
- www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/gst-excise-and-indirect-taxes/gst/tax-invoices
Common questions
Can S/4HANA route a plant's invoices to the cost centre owner?
Yes. Set start conditions such as account assignment category and amount, then give a step the persons responsible for the cost centres or WBS elements. Only the first matching workflow starts, so order them and keep a fallback last.
How should a manufacturer set approval limits?
Set limits by cost centre and by dollar value. A plant manager approves repairs up to a limit, purchasing approves materials and the finance lead approves above that. Name a backup for each.
Does S/4HANA have built in approval of supplier invoices?
Yes. Flexible workflow for supplier invoices covers the blocked invoice and parked as complete scenarios. A configuration expert sets start conditions and steps in Manage Workflows for Supplier Invoices. The help says it is often set up by a partner.
Pulsify setup guides
Want this done for you?
Book a call to see how Pulsify handles invoice approvals in S/4HANA for manufacturers.