Approval Chain Audit: Self-Assessment

At a glance

Written down, followed, kept up, provable

01Most teams have a policy. Fewer could say it’s followed every time. People leave, limits drift and approvals happen in email.
02Score 12 questions across four areas. Is it written down, is it followed, does it keep up, and can you prove it?
03Your score tells you where to start. From relying on memory, to solid in places, to in good shape.

Contents

1. The 12 questions
2. What your score means

1. The 12 questions

Score 0 for no, 1 for partly and 2 for yes, then add up your score out of 24.

A. Is it written down?

Is your delegation of authority documented, with clear limits?
Has it been reviewed in the last 12 months?
Are limits set by role, not by named person?
Does it cover every type of spend: purchase orders, supplier invoices, expenses, card spend and contracts?

B. Is it followed?

Do approvals happen before the money is committed, not after the invoice arrives?
Do approvals happen in a system, rather than by email or chat?
Would you spot a purchase split to stay under someone’s limit?

C. Does it keep up?

When people leave or change role, are their approval rights updated within a week?
When an approver is away, is delegation controlled and time-limited?
Are new entities, cost centres and budget holders added before they start spending?

D. Can you prove it?

Can you show who approved any transaction, and when, within a few minutes?
Were approval issues from your last audit fully closed?

2. What your score means

Score	What it means	Where to start
0 to 10	Relying on memory. It works because people remember how it should, until someone is off, leaves or is under pressure at month-end.	Section A: write it down and set limits by role.
11 to 18	Solid in places. The policy is there, but it isn’t always followed or kept up to date.	Wherever you scored 0 or 1 in sections B and C.
19 to 24	In good shape. Documented, followed and provable.	Check it scales: more entities, approvers and volume, without more admin.

Want a wider view of control from request to payment? Try the Purchase-to-Payment Control Score.

With the FinOps platform, delegation of authority is built into the workflow, with out-of-office cover, escalation, and every approval logged against the transaction.