The problem
Purchase requests pass between reviewers without a single view of who must act next or which decision was recorded.
Workflow
Before automation
Requests are discussed in email threads and stalled items are hard to spot.
Proposed design
A request record carries a reviewer, decision, and timestamp. A returned request stays with the original owner for revision.
Example sequenceReady
- Request submittedQueued
- Team lead reviewQueued
- Finance reviewQueued
- Decision recordedQueued
Implementation conditions
- Confirm approval rules and thresholds
- Test approve, return and timeout
- Verify the review trail
Possible outcome
Teams can see who owns the next decision and why a request is waiting.
Limitations
Approval authority and exception coverage need owner confirmation. The flow does not initiate payments.