Overview of Spend Authorizations

A spend authorization is a request by an employee for approval of estimated expenses for a future activity.

A spend authorization request proceeds through the following process, which the employee initiates:

• Employee submits a spend authorization request

• Manager approves the spend authorization request

• Employee submits an expense report

Employee Submits a Spend Authorization Request

The process for a spend authorization begins when an employee requests authorization for future expenses. The employee completes the Request Authorization page by clicking the Authorizations infotile on the Oracle Expenses work area. Expenses tracks all requests by an employee for authorization of future expenses.

Manager Approves the Spend Authorization Request

The employee submits the spend authorization request to his manager for approval. If the manager rejects the request or requests more information, Expenses returns the request to the employee who takes appropriate action.

Employee Submits an Expense Report

After incurring business expenses, the employee creates and submits an expense report to his manager for approval. When an approved spend authorization request exists, the employer may require the employee to attach it to the expense report at either the expense report header or at the lines.

Attaching the spend authorization to the expense report allows managers and expense auditors to compare approved estimated expenses against incurred expenses. If budgetary control is enabled, the employee may be alerted when he makes expense report entries that are contrary to a previous authorization. Such violations are visible to the manager and the expense auditor.