Subject: SAP-Concur
Field: SAP
SAP Concur provides businesses with robust tools to manage travel and expense processes efficiently. One of its most valuable capabilities is custom workflow configuration, which allows organizations to define how expense reports are reviewed, approved, and processed. This becomes especially critical when different departments have unique policies, approval hierarchies, or budget structures.
In this article, we’ll explore how to configure custom expense workflows for different departments in SAP Concur, ensuring compliance, visibility, and control across the organization.
Every department—from Finance to Sales to R&D—may have its own policies regarding travel, client entertainment, or procurement. A one-size-fits-all expense workflow can lead to inefficiencies, policy violations, or delayed reimbursements.
Custom workflows ensure that:
- Department-specific policies are enforced
- Approvals follow the correct chain of command
- Budget owners have visibility before spend is finalized
- Risk and compliance controls are department-aligned
Before configuring a custom workflow, it’s important to understand the core components that make up an SAP Concur expense workflow:
- Initiator: The employee who submits the expense report.
- Approver(s): One or more individuals who review and approve the expense.
- Auditor: Optional step for finance or compliance review.
- Processor: Final step where reimbursement and accounting take place.
- Conditions/Rules: Logic that routes reports based on custom criteria.
Start with a business process review for each department:
- Identify unique approval paths
- Document any exceptions or thresholds (e.g., > $1,000 requires senior approval)
- Define department-specific GL accounts or cost centers
- Log into SAP Concur as an administrator.
- Navigate to Administration > Workflow Settings or use Workflow Builder if enabled.
- Choose to Create a New Workflow or Duplicate an Existing One as a template.
Using the workflow editor:
-
Set Workflow Triggers:
- Based on organizational unit, cost center, or user group.
- Example: If "Department = Sales", apply the Sales Expense Workflow.
-
Define Approval Steps:
- Step 1: Direct Manager
- Step 2: Department Head (if threshold exceeded)
- Step 3: Finance or Audit Review
-
Add Conditional Logic:
- Example: “If expense type = Client Entertainment and amount > $500, require Legal Approval.”
-
Assign Reviewers and Approvers:
- Link roles with actual users or groups (via Active Directory or SAP HR integration).
¶ Step 4: Integrate with Cost Centers and GL Accounts
Make sure expense workflow routes are mapped to correct:
- Cost centers
- Internal orders
- General ledger accounts
This ensures that expenses are booked correctly in SAP Financials (e.g., S/4HANA or ECC).
Before going live:
- Use test users or sandbox environments to simulate expense submissions.
- Validate correct routing and approval logic.
- Check for email notifications and system alerts.
¶ Step 6: Deploy and Monitor
Once tested:
- Activate the custom workflows.
- Train departmental users and approvers.
- Monitor approval turnaround times and bottlenecks through SAP Concur analytics.
- Use Naming Conventions: Clearly name workflows by department (e.g., “Marketing Expense Workflow”).
- Limit Manual Overrides: Keep routing logic automated to reduce errors or delays.
- Audit Trails: Ensure all steps are logged for compliance and reporting.
- Continuous Feedback: Periodically review workflows with department leads to refine logic.
Customizing expense workflows by department in SAP Concur empowers organizations to manage expenses more effectively while aligning with internal controls and policies. With careful planning, rule-based routing, and cross-functional collaboration, businesses can ensure their expense processes are both compliant and user-friendly.