Approval workflow
Structured routing of documents through approvers before posting — built-in in Business Central, F&O, and Power Automate.
An approval workflow is a structured routing of a transactional document — purchase order, sales quote, vendor invoice, journal, expense report — through one or more approvers before it can post or progress. Dynamics 365 implements approval workflows three ways: Business Central's built-in workflow engine (template-driven, with approval limits and hierarchical routing); Finance & SCM's workflow engine (graphical designer with parallel branches, escalations, automated tasks); and Power Automate approvals (cross-system orchestration, the modern choice for workflows that reach outside one system). Common patterns: purchase orders over a threshold require manager approval; customer credit overrides need sales-leader sign-off; vendor invoices over a limit need controller approval. Built-in workflows enforce posting controls; Power Automate excels at cross-system orchestration.