Quartzy supports two types of approvals:
- Purchase Order (PO) Approvals — for reviewing and approving full purchases
- Request Approvals — for reviewing individual line items based on things like item type or budget
We recommend starting with PO Approvals for spend management. You can layer on Request Approvals if your lab has specialized routing needs.
Note: PO Approvals are currently only available for organizations not integrated with QuickBooks Online or NetSuite. We're actively working to support these integrations — click here to join the waitlist.
When to Use Each Approval Type
| Feature / Use Case | PO Approvals | Request Approvals |
| Best for... | Managing total lab spend | Routing based on item or budget rules |
| Auto-approve low-value purchases | ✅ Yes — based on total PO value | ✅ Yes — based on individual item value |
| Route based on dollar value | ✅ Yes, recommended | ⚠️ Less effective — applies per item only |
| Route based on item type | 🚫 Not supported | ✅ Yes |
| Route based on budget code | 🚫 Not supported | ✅ Yes |
| Re-approve if cost increases | ✅ Yes | 🚫 No |
| Notification frequency | ✅ Instant | 📅 Hourly / Daily / Weekly |
| Centralized approval tracking | ✅ Yes (via PO List View) | ✅ Yes (via Requests module) |
| Approve purchases as a whole | ✅ Yes | 🚫 No |
Our Recommendation
Start with PO Approvals. They’re simpler to manage, align with how finance and purchasing teams operate, and give you full control over lab spend.
Use Request Approvals only if you need item-level checks that can't be handled at the PO level, such as:
- When certain types of items (like hazardous chemicals) should be reviewed before ordering
- When different budgets or grants require approval by their owners
- When someone needs to confirm a specific item is correct or appropriate before it gets added to a PO
Request Approvals are useful when a specific person needs to sign off on what's being ordered. If you care about how much is being spent, PO Approvals are the better fit.
Tip: PO Approvals are ideal for startups and enterprise labs managing centralized purchasing workflows. Universities may prefer Request Approvals since requisitions and PO generation often happen outside of Quartzy, through a separate procurement system.
Tips
- Set auto-approval thresholds to avoid manual review of low-cost items.
- Keep it simple at first. It's easier to layer on complexity than to untangle a web of unnecessary rules later.
- Use the PO List View and Requests tab to stay on top of what's waiting for approval.
- Double-check your notification settings to make sure the right folks are getting the right emails.
Need Help?
If you'd like hands-on support setting up your approval workflows or want help troubleshooting something specific, we're here for you. Reach out to support@quartzy.com and we'll make sure you’re set up for success.
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