In many organisations, approval runs through the inbox. The timesheet waits for the manager to open the right email, the expense claim is stuck while they are on holiday, and three months later nobody can say who approved which amount. The chain exists, but it is written down nowhere except in people’s habits.

In AlibeeZ, every process follows an approval chain you set, with no development. The panel above shows an example on an expense claim: a submission, a manager, a step added only above a certain amount, then reimbursement.

What the panel shows

The chain reads from top to bottom:

  1. Submitted: the employee declares the expense, from their phone.
  2. Manager: they approve, and if they are away, a delegation takes over.
  3. A branch: if the amount is over €500, the claim goes through management control; otherwise it moves straight to the next step.
  4. Reimbursement: the accounting export goes out with the ledger code already applied.

Under the chain, a line notes that every step is recorded: who, when, and on which version. The branch is the heart of the example: a chain is not a fixed queue, it adapts to what it is approving. The €500 threshold is an illustrative value; you set your own.

Four dimensions to set a chain

An AlibeeZ chain has one or several levels, and each level is triggered along four dimensions:

  • Role: the manager, the project lead, management control, billing.
  • Amount: above a threshold, a step is added.
  • Entity: two subsidiaries can run two different chains for the same process.
  • Project type: a fixed-price project and a time-and-materials engagement do not necessarily have the same approvers.

As long as the chain stays within these dimensions, it is set through configuration, with no development. For expense claims, approval can also depend on the expense category or the cost centre.

A few common chains

  • A timesheet approved by the manager, then by the client-side project lead.
  • An expense claim above a threshold: a second approver is required.
  • A draft invoice: a validation request goes out before issuing, to the person you have designated.
  • An internal request, such as a training request: the manager, then the learning lead above a certain cost.

What happens around the chain

A chain is more than a series of clicks. It notifies, it chases, it remembers, and it keeps running when somebody is away.

Delegation during leave

When the approver is on leave, delegation is automatic. A request does not sit waiting for two weeks because only one person could unblock it.

Chasing when there is no answer

After a few days without an answer, a reminder goes out. The chain does the follow-up, not the office manager or the requester.

A refusal with its reason

A refusal is not silence: it goes back to the requester with the approver’s comment. The employee knows why, and what to fix.

A record of every step

Every step is recorded: who approved, when, and on which version. If a client disputes a timesheet or an audit looks at expenses, the trail is complete.

One engine, and what it feeds

Chains are not tied to one module. Time, expense claims, invoices and internal requests follow the same logic, set in the same place. And whatever is approved once feeds everything else, with no re-keying:

  • an approved timesheet feeds consumed effort, margin, the project invoice and the capacity plan;
  • an approved expense claim goes to accounting with its ledger codes, and can be rebilled to the client when the contract provides for it;
  • an approved training request can create the session in Dendreo, and the training days come back into the capacity plan.

Approvals are also events. With AlibeeZ webhooks, an approved timesheet can trigger a scenario in Zapier or Make, such as adding a row to a spreadsheet. And the other way round, what comes in through the API bypasses nothing: a write through the API goes through the same approval chains as if it had been entered on screen.

What it changes

  • the chain is written into the tool, not into a few people’s habits;
  • an absence no longer blocks an approval, and a forgotten request gets chased;
  • every decision has an author, a date and a version, usable if anything is disputed;
  • what is approved feeds the invoice, accounting and the capacity plan directly.

Going further: chains build on AlibeeZ business rules, and they come into their own with request forms, which turn an internal request into a process. For a close-up of one chain on a specific case, read the article on expense approval.

Frequently asked questions

How many approval levels can be set up?

One or several, triggered by role, amount, entity or project type. A timesheet can, for instance, be approved by the manager and then by the client-side project lead, and a step can be added above a threshold.

What happens when the approver is on leave?

Delegation is automatic during their leave, and a reminder goes out after a few days without an answer. The request does not sit blocked until they return.

Does changing a chain require development?

No, as long as the chain is set by role, amount, entity or project type: that is configuration. If your need goes beyond those dimensions, it is scoped with our teams, and you know before committing whether it is configuration or quoted development.

Does data sent through the API go through the chains?

Yes. A write through the API goes through the same checks as the interface, including your approval chains. The API is not a back door.