Approve a Budget Entry

Budget documents in PayInvoice Next — including Zero Budget, WBS Budget, Supplementary Budget, Budget Decrease, and Budget Transfer — follow a submit-and-approve workflow. This page explains how the approval process works.

How Budget Approval Works

All budget documents are submittable records. This means they follow a two-stage lifecycle:

1. Draft → User creates and saves the document
2. Submitted → User clicks Submit; if a workflow is configured, the document enters the approval queue

INFO

Budget entries are only generated and the Available Budget only updates after the document reaches the final approved state. A pending budget document does not affect available balances.

Approval Workflow

If your organization uses an approval workflow for budget documents:

1. After you submit the document, it moves to Pending Approval status.

2. The assigned approver receives a notification (email and/or in-app).

3. The approver opens the document, reviews the amounts and supporting documentation.

4. The approver can:

   • Approve — the document is finalized and Budget Entry records are created
   • Reject — the document returns to the creator for revision
   • Add Comments — request clarification before making a decision

5. If your organization uses multi-level approval, the document may pass through several approvers before reaching final approval.

Checking Approval Status

To check where a budget document stands:

1. Open the document (e.g., navigate to Budget > Supplementary Budget and select the record).
2. Look at the Workflow State field at the top of the form.
3. The Workflow Comment section at the bottom shows the complete approval history — who acted, when, and any comments left.

What Happens After Approval

Once the budget document reaches its final approved state:

• Budget Entry records are created automatically
• The Available Budget on the affected WBS codes updates
• The system records the approval timestamp in the Submit Date field
• The document becomes read-only (cannot be edited)

Cancelling an Approved Budget Document

If someone approved a budget document in error:

1. Open the approved document.
2. Click Amend to create a corrected version, or Cancel to reverse it entirely.
3. Cancelling an approved budget document creates reversal Budget Entries that offset the original amounts.

WARNING

Cancelling a budget document may cause the Available Budget on affected WBS codes to go below zero if transactions have already consumed the budget. Review the impact before cancelling.

Related Pages

• Create a Budget Entry — How to create budget documents
• Budget Entry Field Reference — Understanding each field
• Budget Entry FAQ — Common approval issues