In my previous article, I introduced the Dynamics 365 Workflow Approvals App and explained why I built a new approval experience for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. Now it’s time to move from concept to reality and see the app in action, starting with one of the most critical business processes: Purchase Order (PO) approvals.
What Is a Purchase Order and Why Are Approvals Important?
A Purchase Order is a formal document that authorizes the purchase of goods or services from a vendor. It defines quantities, prices, delivery dates, and contractual terms, making it a key financial and operational control document.
PO approvals are essential because they:
- Ensure spending is authorized and compliant
- Preventing incorrect or duplicate purchases
- Enforce company policies and approval limits
- Provide auditability and accountability
- Protect budgets and financial controls
In many organizations, delays in PO approvals directly impact procurement efficiency, vendor relationships, and project timelines. This is where a fast, intuitive approval experience becomes critical.
Workflow approval for Purchase Order
A typical PO approval workflow includes the following stages:
- Submission
The requester submits the PO into the workflow from the Purchase Order form. - Review and Approval
The approval hierarchy determines which user(s) must approve the request based on rules such as:- Spending limits
- Financial dimensions
- Vendor, category, or department
- Approval Actions
Approvers take one of several actions:- Approve
- Reject
- Request change
- Delegate
- Completion
When fully approved, the PO becomes Approved and can be confirmed and processed. - Workflow History Tracking
Every step is logged and traceable via the Workflow History page.
How the Dynamics 365 Workflow Approvals App Helps
The Dynamics 365 Workflow Approvals App is designed to make PO approvals simple, transparent, and efficient whether you’re working from your desk or on the move.
The app provides two primary views for Purchase Order approvals:
- Header Screen
- Details (Line) Screen
Both are designed to give approvers full context before deciding.
Purchase Order Header Screen
The header screen gives approvers a high-level overview of the Purchase Order. This is where most decisions can be made quickly without navigating through multiple screens.
From the header screen, approvers can:
- Review vendor details
- Check total amounts and currency
- See the requester and workflow status
Available Actions (Same Across Header & Line Screens)
Both the header and line screens offer the same core workflow actions, ensuring consistent user experience:
- Approve – Confirm and move the workflow forward
- Reject – Reject the PO with comments
- Delegate – Assign approval to another user
- Request Change – Send the PO back for updates
- View Workflow History – See who approved what and when
- Attachments – Access related documents and files
This consistency removes confusion and allows approvers to act quickly from any screen.
Purchase Order Details (Line) Screen
The details screen is where deeper validation happens. It provides full visibility into the Purchase Order lines and supporting information.
Approvers can review:
- Item number and item descriptions
- Quantities and unit prices
- Line amounts and totals
- Financial dimensions
- Attachments and comments related to specific lines
This screen is especially useful when higher-value POs require detailed checks before approval.
Workflow Approval Actions
Approve : The approver agrees with the PO, and it moves to the next stage or completes if they are the final approver.
Reject : The PO is sent back to the requester with comments. The workflow terminates or routes back depending on configuration.
Request Change : Available when enabled in the workflow. The approver requests modifications; the PO returns to draft mode for editing.
Delegate : Approvers can delegate the approval to another user ideal during holidays or workload balancing.
The screen is not yet available for the delegate action however it can be available soon.
Cancel : Approvers can cancel the request anytime and go back to all purchase order or dashboard.
Workflow History in D365 F&O
Every workflow execution is tracked. Workflow History includes:
- Who submitted the PO
- Who approved/rejected/delegated
- Timestamp of each action
- Escalations
- System actions
Attachments in PO Workflow
Attachments allow approvers to make informed decisions. Users can add:
- PDF invoices
- Supplier quotations
- Internal justification documents
- Images or technical specifications
Why This App Matters
Traditional approval experiences often force users to switch between multiple screens or even different apps just to gather enough information to approve a PO. The Dynamics 365 Workflow Approvals App removes that friction by bringing everything into one unified, mobile-friendly interface.
The result:
- Faster approvals
- Better decision-making
- Fewer procurement delays
- Higher user adoption
Extending PO Approvals Using Power Platform
Power Platform enables organizations to modernize and customize the PO approval experience beyond the native D365 F&O interface.
Why extend workflows using Power Platform?
- Mobile-friendly approvals
- Custom UI for executives
- Vendor or external-user portals
- Insights dashboards
- Integration with Microsoft Teams
The key is the Virtual Entity + Dataverse connector, which exposes D365 F&O PO data to Power Apps.
Conclusion
D365 F&O’s workflow framework is robust, but organizations often need a more user-friendly, modern approval experience. Power Platform especially Power Apps with Dataverse virtual entities provides a flexible, mobile-ready interface to manage PO approvals. Users can approve, reject, request changes, delegate, view attachments, and track workflow history from anywhere.
This combination delivers the best of both platforms:
- Strong workflow governance in D365 F&O
- Modern, dynamic experiences powered by Power Platform
As organizations aim to streamline procurement processes, integrating PO approvals with Power Apps is a powerful step toward agility and operational excellence.
What’s Next
This article focused on Purchase Order approvals, but this is just the beginning. The same approach applies to Purchase Requisitions, Purchase Agreements, and upcoming custom workflows such as Store requisitions.
In the next article, I’ll continue showcasing how the app handles additional workflow types and how it can be extended to support custom business processes.
