Auto Approval Rules

Auto approval rules are smart filters that automatically decide whether to approve or reject price changes based on conditions you set. Instead of manually reviewing every price change, you can create rules that handle common scenarios automatically.

For example, you might want to:

• Automatically approve small price increases (under 5%)
• Reject large price changes from new suppliers
• Approve all changes for low-value items

When a supplier submits a price change:

1. New Price Submitted: A supplier uploads new pricing for their products
2. Rules Check: The system checks your active approval rules
3. Conditions Evaluated: Each rule's conditions are compared against the price change
4. Automatic Decision: If a rule matches, the price is automatically approved or rejected
5. First Match Wins: The first rule that matches is applied; other rules are ignored

Every rule needs:

• Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "Auto-approve small increases")
• Description: What the rule does and why you created it
• Status: Whether the rule is active or inactive
• Action: What happens when the rule matches (approve or reject)

You can create rules based on different criteria:

Control which product categories the rule applies to:

• All categories: Rule applies to every product category
• Specific categories: Rule only applies to selected categories (e.g., Office Supplies, Electronics)
• Exclude categories: Rule applies to all categories except selected ones

Control which suppliers the rule applies to:

• All suppliers: Rule applies to every supplier
• Specific suppliers: Rule only applies to selected suppliers
• Exclude suppliers: Rule applies to all suppliers except selected ones

Target individual products or product variants:

• All products: Rule applies to every product
• Specific products: Rule only applies to selected products
• Exclude products: Rule applies to all products except selected ones

Set rules based on the actual price:

• Maximum price: Only apply to items costing less than a certain amount
• Minimum price: Only apply to items costing more than a certain amount

Control based on how much the price changed:

• Price increases/decreases: Only for price increases or only for decreases
• Change amount: Set limits on how much the price can change (e.g., no more than $50)

Control based on the percentage change:

• Price increases/decreases: Only for price increases or only for decreases
• Percentage limits: Set limits on percentage changes (e.g., no more than 10% increase)

Goal: Automatically approve small price increases to speed up routine updates

Rule Setup:

• Name: "Auto-approve small increases"
• Action: Approve
• Condition: Price increases of 5% or less

Result: Any price increase of 5% or less gets approved automatically

Goal: Be cautious with large price changes from suppliers you're still evaluating

Rule Setup:

• Name: "Review large changes from new suppliers"
• Action: Reject (for manual review)
• Conditions:
  • Specific suppliers: Supplier A, Supplier B, Supplier C
  • Price increases of $100 or more

Result: Large price increases from these suppliers get flagged for manual review

Goal: Don't spend time reviewing changes to inexpensive items

Rule Setup:

• Name: "Auto-approve low-value items"
• Action: Approve
• Condition: Items priced under $10

Result: Any price change for items under $10 gets approved automatically

• Start with simple rules and add complexity gradually
• Test new rules with a small group of products first
• Use clear, descriptive names so you remember what each rule does
• Document why you created each rule

• Review your rules regularly to ensure they still match your business needs
• Monitor the results to make sure rules are working as expected
• Disable rules temporarily if you need to review everything manually
• Keep the number of active rules manageable

• Ensure rules align with your company's approval policies
• Set up regular reviews of auto-approved changes
• Consider seasonal or market changes that might affect your rules
• Have a process for handling exceptions

You can see all your approval rules in one place, including:

• Which rules are active or inactive
• When each rule was last updated
• How many items each rule has processed

When creating a rule:

1. Give it a clear name and description
2. Choose whether to approve or reject when conditions are met
3. Set your conditions (categories, suppliers, price limits, etc.)
4. Test the rule before activating it

You can modify existing rules at any time:

• Change conditions to be more or less restrictive
• Update which products or suppliers the rule applies to
• Temporarily disable rules without deleting them

Remove rules you no longer need, but consider disabling them first to see the impact.

When multiple rules could apply to the same price change:

• Rules are checked in a specific order
• The first rule that matches is applied
• Other rules are ignored for that price change
• Plan your rules carefully to avoid conflicts

What happens if no rules match? The price change waits for manual approval, just like before you had auto approval rules.

Can I see what rules approved or rejected? Yes, you can review the history of automatic decisions and which rules were applied.

What if I make a mistake in a rule? You can edit or disable rules at any time. Changes apply to new price submissions going forward.

How do I know if my rules are working well? Monitor your approval queue - you should see fewer items waiting for manual review, and the automatic decisions should align with what you would have decided manually.

If you need assistance with auto approval rules:

• Contact your system administrator
• Review your approval history to understand how rules are working
• Start with simple rules and gradually add complexity
• Test changes with a small subset before applying broadly

Auto approval rules are a powerful way to streamline your price approval process while maintaining control over your marketplace pricing.