Automate Approval Workflows — No IT Required
Route invoices, contracts, purchase orders, and HR documents to the right approvers automatically — with conditional logic, audit trails, and built-in eSign. Built for operations teams who can't wait on IT.

An approval workflow is an automated routing sequence that sends a document or request to designated reviewers in a defined order, notifies them, escalates if they don't respond, and logs every decision. altaFlow automates this end-to-end — invoices, contracts, purchase orders, and HR requests flow through no-code conditional routing rules you define, without email chains, manual handoffs, or IT tickets. Every action is logged with timestamps and user details for compliance.
What Is an Approval Workflow?
An approval workflow is a structured process that routes a document, request, or transaction through one or more designated reviewers before it can be acted on, signed, or filed. Each step has an assigned approver, a defined order or condition, and a record of what was decided and when.
In practice, approval workflows govern invoices that need sign-off before payment, contracts that require legal and executive review before execution, purchase orders above a spend threshold, and HR requests like offer letters or policy exceptions. At smaller organisations, these often run through email and Slack. As headcount and document volume grow, that approach breaks — approvals stall, audit trails disappear, and compliance exposure accumulates.
Approval workflow software replaces the ad-hoc process with governed, automated routing. Rules replace memory. Logs replace assumptions. And the process runs the same way every time, regardless of who is absent.
Why Teams Replace Manual Approval Processes
Most organizations running document-heavy approvals through email and Slack reach a breaking point. The symptoms are predictable:
- Approval cycles stretch from hours to days because documents sit in inboxes with no visibility or SLA enforcement.
- Compliance exposure grows as approval decisions happen in Slack threads or verbal conversations with no retrievable record.
- IT becomes a bottleneck — every time a routing rule changes, someone has to file a ticket and wait.
- Tool sprawl: approval requests live in email, approvals in Slack, signatures in DocuSign, and records in the ERP — each requiring manual reconciliation.
altaFlow consolidates the entire process. One platform handles [LINK: /use-case/document-generation document generation], conditional routing, eSign, and data write-back to CRM/ERP. Customers using altaFlow have reported reducing automation setup from 100+ hours to 20–30 hours,² replacing three separate tools with a single platform,³ and achieving 2x+ return on investment through lower licensing costs and reduced manual labour.⁴
altaFlow Approval Workflow Features
How Approval Workflows Work in altaFlow
altaFlow's no-code workflow builder gives operations teams full control over routing logic without involving IT. Here is how a typical approval workflow is built and run:Connect your data source
Start a workflow from a form submission, a Salesforce record, a NetSuite transaction, or a document trigger. Data pre-fills automatically — no manual entry.
Build the approval chain
Use the drag-and-drop builder to define who approves, in what order, and under what conditions. Add sequential steps (one after another) or parallel approvals (multiple reviewers simultaneously).
Set conditional routing rules
Define logic based on document values, field data, or custom attributes. For example: contracts above $10,000 route to Legal and CFO; contracts below $10,000 route to department manager only.
Configure notifications and escalations
Approvers receive instant notifications with one-click approve or reject. Automated reminders fire on your schedule, and overdue approvals escalate to a backup approver automatically.
Track in real time
Every stakeholder — requester, approver, administrator — sees live status. No chasing. Every action is logged with timestamp, user identity, and decision record.
Route to eSign or file to system of record
Once approved, documents move automatically to eSignature collection or are filed back to Salesforce, NetSuite, or SharePoint — without manual
See a Live Approval Workflow — Request a Demo
Watch altaFlow route a real document through conditional approval logic, escalation rules, and eSign — in under 20 minutes.
Approval Workflow Use Cases
Finance teams use altaFlow to automate. invoice approval workflows from submission to payment authorization. Invoices route based on amount thresholds — smaller invoices go straight to department managers, larger ones escalate to Finance Directors or CFOs. Approval status syncs back to NetSuite or Salesforce automatically, so accounting records stay current without manual updates. Every approval is logged with timestamp and user details for audit readiness.
Operations and procurement teams enforce spending policies through automated PO approval routing. Set spend thresholds, department budget rules, and delegation of authority once — altaFlow enforces them on every submission. High-value POs get escalated approval paths; routine POs move through faster, lighter chains. Approved POs write back to ERP records automatically.
HR Operations teams route offer letters, compensation change requests, policy exceptions, and onboarding documents through defined approval chains involving hiring managers, department heads, and HR leadership. Routing logic accommodates role level, location, and compensation thresholds. Documents reaching final approval move directly to eSign — removing the final manual handoff from the process.
Who Benefits from Approval Workflow Automation?

Finance and Accounting
Finance Operations leads use altaFlow for invoice approvals, expense authorizations, and budget exception routing. Spend thresholds and delegation-of-authority rules are enforced automatically on every submission. Audit trails are available on demand for compliance reviews and SOX reporting — no manual log assembly required.

Legal Teams
Route contracts through legal review, compliance checks, and executive sign-off with defined SLAs. Track redline cycles and capture approval decisions with complete documentation.

HR Operations Teams
HR Operations teams route offer letters, compensation changes, and policy exception requests through defined approval chains with full confidentiality controls. New hire onboarding documents flow from submission to manager approval to eSign without manual handoffs. Routing adjusts automatically based on role level and compensation thresholds.

Sales Operations Teams
Get quotes and proposals approved faster. Discount requests route to the right authority level based on deal size, and approved documents return to Sales ready for customer signature.

IT and Platform Teams
Govern access requests, change management approvals, and vendor onboarding with standardized workflows. Enforce security policies while reducing ticket backlogs for your IT team.

Operations and Business Operations Teams
Operations leads use altaFlow to standardise approval routing across departments — purchase orders, vendor agreements, operational change requests — without building custom scripts or managing email threads. Routing rules live in the platform, not in someone's head. When a rule needs updating, the operations team changes it directly, without filing an IT ticket.
Questions & Answers
Yes. altaFlow offers native integrations with Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, and SharePoint. Approval workflows can launch directly from these systems, and status updates sync back automatically to keep records current.
Every approval action is captured with timestamps, user identity, and IP address. Complete audit trails are stored securely and exportable for compliance reviews, SOX audits, or regulatory inspections.
Absolutely. Configure routing rules based on any field value: dollar amounts, department codes, risk levels, or custom attributes. Documents automatically flow to the appropriate approver without manual intervention.
altaFlow routes invoices, contracts, purchase orders, HR documents, vendor onboarding packets, proposals, and any other document type built with altaFlow's document generation or webform tools. If the document lives in your CRM or ERP, it can be routed.
Yes. altaFlow has certified integrations with Salesforce, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics. Approval workflows can trigger directly from CRM or ERP records, and approval status writes back to source records automatically.
Move Approvals from Days to Hours
See how altaFlow automates your approval workflows with conditional routing and real-time tracking. Book a personalized demo with our team.

*Disclaimers: We believe in transparency. Here's what you should know:
- 30% Less: Based on actual customer deal comparisons against Conga as of 2025–2026. General market positioning reflects approximately 30% savings vs. DocuSign, Conga, and PandaDoc.
- 80% faster setup: Based on a verified G2 user review reporting automation setup reduced from 100+ hours to 20–30 hours. Individual results will vary based on workflow complexity.
- 3 tools in 1: Based on a verified G2 user review reporting that AltaFlow replaced three separate software platforms for document generation, e-signing, and workflow automation. Actual tool consolidation will vary based on your existing tech stack.
- 2x ROI: Based on combined savings from licensing costs, labour reduction through automation, and tool consolidation compared to using multiple standalone solutions. ROI calculation assumes a mid-market deployment and will vary based on organization size, number of workflows, and existing tooling. Results vary.