Why T&E approvals frustrate everyone & how to fix it

“Compliance and fraud prevention take teamwork,” explains finance expert Artin Rodriguez, highlighting a common challenge in expense management. “Have you ever looked at a high-risk audit report and wished you had more context? That you knew what the manager was thinking when they approved it?” This disconnect between approvers and auditors creates a persistent challenge in expense management, often leading to inefficient approval cycles.

The approval process frequently becomes a frustrating loop of back-and-forth communications. Rodriguez notes, “Sometimes you reject an expense and the employee comes back saying ‘My manager already approved this, why are you rejecting it?’ Then you must track down the manager and tell them to resubmit it for approval.” This scenario stems from scattered information and inconsistent approval standards across organizations. “That’s why we call it teamwork. You need so much tribal knowledge just to answer basic questions about what should be approved.” Even simple approvals can become complex challenges without centralized information and clear guidelines.

When approvals go wrong 

Real examples show why better controls matter. One finance professional shared with us a concerning story: “An employee told me, ‘I put everything on my corporate card. All I do is list twelve attendees on the expense report and it gets approved every time.’ This revelation illustrates how weak approval processes can lead to potential misuse and highlights the need for more robust verification systems.

A smarter way to handle T&E 

AppZen’s Smart Workflow uses AI to help managers see all their high-risk spending. The system offers flexible routing options based on your needs. You decide whether approvals go to managers before or after auditor review. The balance between efficiency and control is crucial for maintaining proper oversight while reducing administrative burden. With AppZen, you control the whole process. This flexibility ensures organizations can maintain their preferred approval hierarchy while improving efficiency.

What Smart Workflows deliver 

AppZen’s approach transforms T&E approvals by streamlining the entire process. The system accelerates approval times while maintaining proper oversight, provides managers with clear visibility into risky expenses, and significantly reduces communication chains between stakeholders. This allows teams to process legitimate expenses quickly while maintaining appropriate scrutiny for higher-risk items.

Making T&E work better for everyone 

Smart organizations are transforming their T&E processes to create a more efficient system for all parties involved. With Smart Workflows, regular approvals happen automatically, while managers receive the context they need for informed decisions. Every action is tracked for audit purposes, and teams can customize rules to match their specific needs, fostering better collaboration across departments.

By implementing Smart Workflows in T&E approvals, finance teams can transform a traditionally frustrating process into a streamlined system that serves both employee needs and business protection requirements. “Auditors don’t lose visibility,” Rodriguez emphasizes. “The goal is making things easier while keeping you in control of the workflow.”

Want to see how Smart Workflows can improve your T&E process? Let’s talk about making approvals work better for your team.