Build a multi-layer approval flow

Use chained limits and superior groups to create a flow where low-value invoices are approved at team level and high-value invoices climb automatically to senior approvers.

How the chain works

After each group approves, Nordflow checks whether the invoice total exceeds that group’s limit. If yes, the document moves to the superior group. This repeats until a group’s limit is not exceeded or a group with no limit is reached.

Where: Approval flow → Groups and settings → open each group → Details tab

1. Create all the groups you need (one per approval level). See Create an approval group.
2. For each group except the top-level one:
   • Set the Approval limit to the maximum amount that group can approve.
   • Set the Superior group to the next level up.
3. Leave the top-level group with no limit (or a very high limit) and no superior group.
4. Verify the chain by checking each group’s Details tab and confirming the limit and superior group are correct.

Group	Limit	Superior group
Cost-centre manager	25,000	CFO
CFO	250,000	CEO
CEO	— (no limit)	—

Example

An invoice for 30,000 arrives at the cost-centre manager group. The manager approves, but 30,000 exceeds the 25,000 limit, so Nordflow routes it to the CFO group. The CFO approves and, since 30,000 is below 250,000, it does not escalate further.

Caution

Set the top of the chain carefully — there should be exactly one group with no limit. If a document reaches a group with no superior group set and the limit is exceeded, escalation stops there.

How Nordflow climbs the chain

Each time a group approves, Nordflow compares the document total to that group’s limit. If total > limit, the document is sent to the superior group and the same check runs again. The document’s flow strip records every step, so approvers can see the full escalation path.

Related: Set an approval limit on a group · Create an approval group · How approval groups work