Instructional Video: The Live Workflow in Expense
Once your Expense environment has been configured and your users have completed their onboarding and training, it is time to start working in the live workflow. This means that expenses, corporate card transactions, travel expense reports, and mileage reimbursements are processed according to your organization's standard workflow for review, approval, accounting, and reimbursement. The live workflow ensures that Expense becomes part of your daily operations and helps create a structured, efficient, and fully traceable expense management process.
What Is the Live Workflow?
The live workflow is the day-to-day process in which:
- 👤 Users register expenses and receipts
- 💳 Corporate card transactions are processed
- ✈️ Travel expense reports and mileage reimbursements are submitted
- ✅ Reviewers and approvers review and approve reports
- 📊 Administrators validate accounting and export data
- 💰 Reimbursements and payments are processed
👉 In short, the entire Expense process is now operating in production.
How the Workflow Works
1. Users Register Their Expenses
Users:
- 📷 Capture receipts
- 💳 Match receipts to corporate card transactions
- 🚗 Register mileage reimbursements
- ✈️ Create travel expense reports
✅ The documentation is collected into a report.
2. The Report Is Submitted
When the user has completed the report:
- Reviews the information
- Categorizes or books transactions (if applicable)
- Clicks Submit
✅ The report is forwarded to the next step in the workflow.
3. Review and Approval
If your organization uses review or approval workflows:
- 👀 Reviewers validate the report
- ✅ Approvers approve the expenses
- ❌ Rejected reports are returned to the user for correction
👉 All actions are documented in the report history.
4. Administrative Processing
Once the report has been approved:
- 📊 Accounting information is reviewed
- 📁 Internal accounts are validated
- 💰 Payroll or reimbursement data is prepared
- 📤 Export files are generated
✅ The report is now ready for further processing.
5. Payment or Export
Depending on your setup, Expense can be used for:
- 💰 Reimbursement of personal expenses
- 📤 Exporting data to payroll systems
- 🏦 Creating payment files
- 📊 Exporting accounting information to financial systems
👉 The process is complete once the reimbursement has been paid or the transaction has been posted to accounting.
Checklist Before Going Live
Make sure the following items are completed:
- ✅ Users have been created
- ✅ Approvers have been configured
- ✅ Internal accounts have been created
- ✅ The chart of accounts has been updated
- ✅ Any integrations have been tested
- ✅ User onboarding has been completed
- ✅ Test reports have been verified
👉 Completing this checklist helps ensure a smooth transition into production.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Before going live, verify the following:
- ⚠️ Users do not have assigned approvers
- ⚠️ The chart of accounts is incomplete
- ⚠️ Internal accounts are missing codes
- ⚠️ Corporate cards have not been linked
- ⚠️ Test transactions remain in the production environment
👉 Reviewing these items before launch helps avoid unnecessary issues later.
💡 Tips for a Successful Go-Live
- 👥 Start with a smaller pilot group of users
- 📚 Share onboarding materials before launch
- ✅ Review the first submitted reports carefully
- 📊 Monitor approval workflows during the first weeks
- 💬 Clearly communicate company policies and routines
👉 These steps help ensure a successful implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When should we start using the live workflow?
Once setup, testing, and user onboarding have been completed.
Should we run a test period first?
Yes. We recommend testing with a small group of users before a full rollout.
Can we change settings after going live?
Yes. Most settings can be adjusted even after the system is in production.
Can we track submitted reports?
Yes. All reports and statuses can be monitored and reviewed in Expense.
Summary
- 🚀 The live workflow means Expense is being used in day-to-day operations
- 👤 Users register expenses, receipts, mileage, and travel reports
- ✅ Reviewers and approvers manage approvals and validations
- 📊 Administrators process accounting and exports
- 💰 Reimbursements, payroll files, and payment files are generated
- 📈 A structured workflow improves control, compliance, and efficiency