Inventory how-to
How to set approval rules for purchase orders
SteadyShelf drafts purchase orders from your forecasts but it does not have configurable approval workflows or role-based sign-off rules.
Short answer: SteadyShelf drafts purchase orders from your forecasts but it does not have configurable approval workflows or role-based sign-off rules. You review and approve each draft PO yourself before it emails the supplier. If you need multi-person approval chains, you handle that outside the app with a simple manual step.
What SteadyShelf actually does
SteadyShelf generates a draft purchase order per supplier when a SKU hits its order-by date. The draft sits waiting for approval. Nothing goes to the supplier until a person clicks approve. There is no setting for "auto-approve under $500" or "require two approvers over $2000". Every PO needs a human to look at it and approve it.
Build your own approval rule as a simple policy
Since the app will not enforce rules for you, write a short internal policy instead. For example: orders under a certain dollar value can be approved by the buyer alone, anything above that threshold needs a second person to check the draft before it is approved in the app. Keep this as a one-page note your team follows, not a system setting.
Use the weekly email as your checkpoint
The weekly reorder email is a natural point to apply your rule. When it lands, whoever owns purchasing reviews the suggested quantities against your policy, flags anything over threshold to a manager, and only then opens the draft POs to approve them. This keeps a manual control in place without needing the app to do it.
Splitting duties between people
If you want one person to review quantities and another to approve spend, do this by handing off outside the app: the reviewer checks the draft PO details and case-pack quantities, then messages or emails the approver to give the go-ahead, and the approver logs in to click approve. SteadyShelf will still show who approved it in its own record, but the back-and-forth discussion happens outside the tool.
Step by step
- List your suppliers and set a dollar threshold for when a second approver is needed
- Write a one-page policy: who approves what, and at what value
- Check the weekly reorder email first and sort draft POs against your threshold
- For low-value POs, approve directly in SteadyShelf
- For high-value POs, send the draft details to the second approver before clicking approve
- Approve in the app only after you have the sign-off you need
- Review the policy every few months as order volumes change
Worked example
Riverside Hardware sets a rule: any PO under $800 can be approved by the shop manager alone, anything above needs the owner's sign-off too. One week SteadyShelf drafts a PO for 40 units of a bestselling wrench set at $18 a unit, total $720, so the manager approves it straight away. Another draft comes in for 200 units of a seasonal item at $15 a unit, total $3,000, so the manager forwards the draft to the owner by email first, gets a thumbs up, then approves it in SteadyShelf.
How SteadyShelf helps
SteadyShelf does not support configurable approval rules, thresholds, or multi-user sign-off chains. It only offers a single approve step before the PO emails the supplier. For tiered or multi-person approvals, run that process manually outside the app using a written policy and your own communication between staff.
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Related guides
- How to set low stock alerts that actually work
- How to set par levels for supplies
- How to set reorder points for seasonal products
- How to send purchase orders to suppliers
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FAQ
Can I require two people to approve one PO in SteadyShelf?
No. SteadyShelf has one approval step per PO. If you need two sign-offs, have the first person review the draft and message the second person before anyone clicks approve in the app.
Can I set a dollar limit that blocks automatic sending?
No automatic sending happens at all. Every draft PO waits for manual approval regardless of value, so a dollar limit is really just part of your own internal policy, not an app setting.
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