Requesting Customer Approval

Customer approval is a digital sign-off process in AccuArk that requires your customer to formally approve an invoice before work can proceed to certain statuses in your workflow. This feature is especially valuable for businesses that need documented agreement on scope, pricing, or terms before committing resources to a job. This guide explains how to request approval, how the approval dialog works, what data is captured, and how to handle rejections.

Permission Required

To request customer approval on an invoice, the logged-in user must have the INV_CUSTOMER_APPROVAL permission assigned to their role. Without this permission, the Request Approval button will not appear on the invoice toolbar. If you cannot see the button and believe you should have access, contact your administrator to verify your role permissions.

How to Request Approval

To initiate a customer approval request:

1. Open the invoice that requires customer sign-off.
2. Click the Request Approval button on the invoice toolbar (tsbRequestApproval).
3. The the Customer Approval dialog dialog opens, presenting the approval form to your customer.

The button is accessible from the invoice toolbar whenever the invoice has not yet been approved. You would typically turn your screen toward the customer or hand them the device so they can review and complete the approval form themselves.

The Customer Approval Dialog

The the Customer Approval dialog dialog is designed to be clear and straightforward for customers who may not be familiar with your software. It contains the following elements:

Invoice Summary

At the top of the dialog, the invoice number and invoice total are displayed prominently. This allows the customer to verify they are approving the correct invoice and that the total matches their expectations. If the customer notices a discrepancy, they can cancel the dialog and request corrections before signing.

Signature Name Field (Required)

The customer must type their full name into the signature name field. This serves as a digital signature and is required before the Approve button becomes active. The name is stored as part of the approval record and appears in the invoice's approval history. This field cannot be left blank — the system enforces that a name must be entered before approval can proceed.

Agreement Checkbox

Below the signature field, an agreement checkbox requires the customer to explicitly confirm that they agree to the invoice terms. The customer must check this box before the Approve button becomes active. This two-step requirement (name plus checkbox) ensures the customer has consciously acknowledged and accepted the terms rather than accidentally clicking a button.

Notes and Comments Field (Optional)

An optional free-text field allows the customer to add any notes, comments, or conditions to their approval. For example, a customer might write "Approved pending delivery by March 15" or "Please use the side entrance for installation." These notes are stored with the approval record and visible to staff when reviewing the invoice.

Action Buttons

The dialog presents three buttons:

• Approve — Records the approval with a timestamp and the customer's typed name. This button is only enabled when both the signature name is filled in and the agreement checkbox is checked. Clicking Approve saves the approval record and closes the dialog.
• Reject — Records a rejection. When the customer clicks Reject, they can optionally provide a reason for the rejection in the notes field. The rejection is saved with a timestamp and any notes provided. This is useful when the customer disagrees with pricing, scope, or terms and wants their objection formally documented.
• Cancel — Closes the dialog without making any changes to the approval status. Use this if the customer is not ready to decide or if the invoice needs modifications before approval is requested.

Data Captured on Approval

When the customer approves or rejects, several fields on the invoice are updated:

• Customer Approval Status — Set to "approved" or "rejected" depending on the action taken.
• CustomerApprovedAt — The date and time when the approval or rejection was recorded.
• CustomerApprovalName — The name the customer typed in the signature field.
• CustomerApprovalNotes — Any notes or comments the customer entered, including rejection reasons.

These fields are stored directly on the invoice record and are available for reporting, auditing, and display within the invoice form.

Button State Changes

The Request Approval button on the invoice toolbar changes its appearance and label to reflect the current approval status:

• Before any request: The button displays "Request Approval" in its default state.
• After request (pending): The button label changes to "Approval Pending," indicating that a request has been made but the customer has not yet responded. This state is set when the dialog is opened and the customer has not yet clicked Approve or Reject.
• After approval: The button displays a checkmark icon with the label "Approved," confirming that the customer has signed off. The button remains clickable so staff can view the approval details.
• After rejection: The button displays "Rejected (Re-request)," indicating that the customer declined and a new approval attempt is needed.

These visual states provide immediate feedback to any staff member who opens the invoice, making it clear where the invoice stands in the approval process without needing to open the approval dialog.

Handling Rejections

When a customer rejects an invoice, the typical workflow is:

1. Review the rejection reason in the CustomerApprovalNotes field.
2. Make the necessary changes to the invoice (adjust pricing, modify scope, update terms, etc.).
3. Click the "Rejected (Re-request)" button to open the approval dialog again.
4. Present the updated invoice to the customer for a new approval attempt.

The re-request process overwrites the previous approval data with the new approval or rejection. AccuArk does not maintain a history of multiple approval attempts on the same invoice — only the most recent approval or rejection is stored. If you need to track multiple attempts, make a note in the invoice notes field before re-requesting.

Best Practices

• Request approval early in the workflow. Collect the customer's sign-off before committing resources, ordering materials, or scheduling teams. This prevents wasted effort if the customer later objects to the scope or price.
• Let the customer read the invoice. Give the customer time to review all line items and the total before they sign. Rushing the approval process undermines its purpose as a documented agreement.
• Use the notes field. Encourage customers to add any conditions or special instructions at approval time. Having these documented alongside the approval protects both parties if a dispute arises later.
• Address rejections promptly. A rejected invoice represents a customer who is not satisfied with something. Respond quickly, make adjustments, and re-request approval to keep the job moving forward.

What to Read Next

• The Customer Approval Gate — Learn how approval-gated statuses prevent invoices from advancing until the customer has signed off.
• Confirming Delivery or Service Completion — Understand the delivery confirmation process that often follows customer approval in the workflow.
• Auto-Advance After Delivery Confirmation — See how delivery confirmation can automatically move an invoice to the next status.