Short answer
An online approval system takes a request such as a purchase request, leave or expense claim, routes it to the right approver by your company's rules, and records who approved what and when. For one or two document types with a short chain, an online form or the approval feature in software you already use is enough. When rules depend on amount, department or project, and approved documents must flow into purchasing or accounting, a custom system usually pays off. Under Thailand's Electronic Transactions Act B.E. 2544 (2001), section 9, an electronic signature satisfies a legal signature requirement when the method identifies the signer and their approval and is reliable for the purpose.
Rules to agree before building anything
The hard part is writing down the rules people carry in their heads. The table shows the shape; the amounts are illustrative only.
- Who approves when the approver is away, and when does it escalate?
- Does an edited document need re-approval?
- Who can see which documents?
| Request amount | First approver | Second approver |
|---|---|---|
| Up to THB 10,000 | Department head | None |
| THB 10,001 to 100,000 | Department head | Division manager |
| Over THB 100,000 | Division manager | Managing director |
What does a company purchasing system cover beyond PR approval?
Approving the purchase request is only the first step. Purchasing runs from request to supplier choice, order, goods receipt, and finally the payable and payment. Thailand's e-GP is the Comptroller General's Department system for government buying, not a company's internal purchasing system.
| Step | Document | What the system does |
|---|---|---|
| Request | Purchase request (PR) | Routes approval by amount and department |
| Order | Purchase order (PO) | Created from the approved PR without re-keying |
| Receive | Goods receipt | Checks received against ordered, adds to stock |
| Pay | Supplier invoice and tax invoice | Matches PO, receipt and invoice before payment |
When to build your own
Build when approval rules are specific to your company and approved documents must move on: a purchase request that becomes a purchase order, reduces a project budget and creates a payable in accounting without re-keying. Tax documents follow separate Revenue Department rules. This guide is not legal advice.
Before building an approval system
- Is the approval matrix written down for every department?
- Is delegation agreed for absent approvers?
- Does every approver have their own login?
- Is the approval history tamper-evident?
Frequently asked questions
What does a purchasing system include?
Usually purchase requests with approval, a supplier register, stored quotations for price comparison, purchase orders, goods receipts, a three-way match of order, receipt and invoice before payment, and purchase reports. With stock, receiving adds to inventory and low stock triggers a reorder alert.
Does an online approval count as a signature in Thailand?
Under the Electronic Transactions Act B.E. 2544, section 9, an electronic signature can satisfy a legal signature requirement if the method identifies the signer and their approval and is reliable for the purpose. Individual logins plus a record of who approved which version help prove both. Ask a lawyer about important documents.
What is the difference between a PR and a PO?
A purchase request is internal, asking approval to buy. A purchase order goes to the supplier after the request is approved. A good system turns the approved request into the order without re-keying.